Greenwald: "'We're Too Scared To Have Real Trials' In U.S. Is Level Of Cowardice Unmatched In World"

[Hissyspit]

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2009/11/14/terrorism/index.html

SATURDAY, NOV 14, 2009 02:15 PST

The Right's textbook "surrender to terrorists"
"We're too scared to have real trials in our country" is a level of cowardice unmatched in the world.

BY GLENN GREENWALD

Understanding and Combatting Terrorism, USMC Major S.M. Grass, 1989:

Terrorism is a psychological weapon and is directed to create a general climate of fear. As one definition cogently notes, "terror is a natural phenomenon, terrorism is the conscious exploitation of it." Terrorism utilizes violence to coerce governments and their people by inducing fear.

- snip -

GOP House Leader John Boehner, condemning Obama's decision to bring Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to New York for trial, yesterday:

The Obama Administration’s irresponsible decision to prosecute the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks in New York City puts the interests of liberal special interest groups before the safety and security of the American people.

This is literally true: the Right's reaction to yesterday's announcement -- we're too afraid to allow trials and due process in our country -- is the textbook definition of "surrendering to terrorists." It's the same fear they've been spewing for years. As always, the Right's tough-guy leaders wallow in a combination of pitiful fear and cynical manipulation of the fear of their followers. Indeed, it's hard to find any group of people on the globe who exude this sort of weakness and fear more than the American Right.

People in capitals all over the world have hosted trials of high-level terrorist suspects using their normal justice system. They didn't allow fear to drive them to build island-prisons or create special commissions to depart from their rules of justice. Spain held an open trial in Madrid for the individuals accused of that country's 2004 train bombings. The British put those accused of perpetrating the London subway bombings on trial right in their normal courthouse in London. Indonesia gave public trials using standard court procedures to the individuals who bombed a nightclub in Bali...

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[TomClash]

1. And what conclusions should we draw from that?

Cui bono? Who cam both insulate themselves from the fear and benefit from it at the same time?

[Swamp Rat]

2. John Boner is an idiot.

May the Great Bogey be with him always.

[Vinnie From Indy]

3. Glenn is dead on

It is hard to put into words the astonishment I have felt that senior Democrats have not used this exact argument in EVERY public forum. Hell, this should have been done during the reign of Smirky the Lesser. It should have been a central talking point for Democrats for the last 8 years. Each and every time a GOP moron demands that we make ourselves less free and enagage in immoral acts to battle terrorism, a Democrat should call them out as cowards for having so little faith in our Constitution and traditions.

[gratuitous]

4. Cowards, yes; scared? Hard to say

I think Boehner and his ilk are perfectly happy to portray themselves as pants-wettingly scared if it persuades enough of the public to join them. Are they actually scared? Who can say, for sure? But it suits them and their agenda to keep people scared. The way Boehner was talking about Khalid Sheikh Mohammed being found not guilty under the law (he called it a "technicality"), he sounded like he thought Mohammed would just walk out of the courthouse with a new suit a $20 bill in his pocket. It's difficult to square how idiotic he sounded with his position as a leader among elected officials, but Boehner also knows that he can say even the stupidest things and be provided cover by the popular media. After all, it's happening again right now.

Maybe we need to play up the "surrendering to terrorism" angle. Greenwald's got a very good point here.