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As documented by this superb Washington Post Op-Ed today from Dileep Padgaonkar, former editor of the Times of India, the Indian Government -- inThat's what we need: Journalists and bloggers running the world's counter-terrorism programs.
response to prior terrorist attacks -- has been employing tactics all-too-familiar to Americans: "terrorism suspects have been picked up at random and denied legal rights"; "allegations of torture by police are routine"; "suspects have been held for years as their court cases have dragged on. Convictions have been few and far between"; Muslims and Hindus are subjected to vastly disparate treatment; and much of the most consequential actions take place in secrecy, shielded from public view, debate or accountability.
As Padgaonkar details, many of these measures, particularly in the wake of new terrorist attacks, are emotionally satisfying, yet they do little other than exacerbate the problem, spawn further extremism and resentment, and massively increase the likelihood of further and more reckless attacks -- thereby fueling this cycle endlessly -- all while degrading the very institutions and values that are ostensibly being defended. The greater one's physical or emotional proximity to the attacks, the greater is the danger that one will seek excessively to empower and submit to government authority and cheer for destructive counter-measures which allow few, if any, limits.
UPDATE: Linked by Ace. Welcome, morons! And don't forget to check out the 2008 Holiday Book Sale.
UPDATE II: Thanks to Kev the commenter who points out what an ungainly sentence Greenwald has beginning with "As Padgaonkar details . . ." Sixty-three words!
As Padgaonkar details, many of these measures, particularly in the wake of new terrorist attacks, are emotionally satisfying, yet they do little other than exacerbate the problem, spawn further extremism and resentment, and massively increase the likelihood of further and more reckless attacks -- thereby fueling this cycle endlessly -- all while degrading the very institutions and values that are ostensibly being defended.
ReplyDeleteI see Greenwald still needs an editor. How bilious.
Dear Mr. Greenwald et al.
ReplyDeleteAs we say in India, "When Ganeesha wants his peanut, Ganeesha gets his peanut."
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Yeah, that explains the jihad attacks against the Hindus for the last 1370 years.
ReplyDeleteI'd edit that sentence down to, "As Padgaonkar details, many of these measures are satisfying." The rest of that sentence is completely unnecessary.
ReplyDelete