What’s become of Americans?

By Paul Craig Roberts

"Imagine knocking on America’s door and being told, 'Americans don’t live here any longer. They have gone away.'

"But isn’t that what we are hearing, that Americans have gone away? Alan Shore told us so on ABC’s Boston Legal on March 14:

"When the weapons of mass destruction thing turned out not to be true, I expected the American people to rise up. They didn't.

"Then, when the Abu Ghraib torture thing surfaced and it was revealed that our government participated in rendition, a practice where we kidnap people and turn them over to régimes who specialize in torture, I was sure then the American people would be heard from. We stood mute.

"Then came the news that we jailed thousands of so-called terrorist suspects, locked them up without the right to a trial or even the right to confront their accusers. Certainly, we would never stand for that. We did.

"And now, it's been discovered the executive branch has been conducting massive, illegal, domestic surveillance on its own citizens. You and me. And I at least consoled myself that finally, finally the American people will have had enough. Evidently, we haven't.

"In fact, if the people of this country have spoken, the message is we're okay with it all. Torture, warrantless search and seizure, illegal wiretappings, prison without a fair trial or any trial, war on false pretenses. We, as a citizenry, are apparently not offended.

"There are no demonstrations on college campuses. In fact, there's no clear indication that young people even seem to notice ...

"The Secret Service can now declare free speech zones to contain, control and, in effect, criminalize protest. Stop for a second and try to fathom that. At a presidential rally, parade or appearance, if you have on a supportive t-shirt, you can be there. If you’re wearing or carrying something in protest, you can be removed.

"This! In the United States of America.

"Readers tell me that Americans don’t live here any more ..."
InformationClearingHouse

Tagged: usa, war+on+terror, civil+rights, human+rights, iraq, torture, military, army, bush