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The war on terror primed America for autocracy

economist.com

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Re: The war on terror primed America for autocracy

#3
It's interesting that decades into this we are still calling the massmurder and pillaging of dozens of countries, turning entire geographic regions into war ridden wastelands with slave markets, a "war on terror". Meanwhile the leaders of those so-called terror groups are praised and invited to ALL the western capitals.

Re: The war on terror primed America for autocracy

#4
post #3

It's interesting that decades into this we are still calling the massmurder and pillaging of dozens of countries, turning entire geographic regions into war ridden wastelands with slave markets, a "war on terror". Meanwhile the leaders of those so-called terror groups are praised and invited to ALL the western capitals.

I mean JD Vance is in Pakistan saying he's as close to the military junta there as his own wife, stirring up unnecessary pain at a full on mass unplanned genocide (I'm referring to the partition of India).

People claim Israel has America by the balls and that's probably true.

The other country that has us by the other ball is Pakistan.

Re: The war on terror primed America for autocracy

#6
Exactly what everyone said when Patriot Act was passed and renewed repeatedly.

America permanently traded away basic freedoms for the bogus promise of safety in the shadow of fear. And the Supreme Court was too scared to stop it despite its obvious constitutional problems. Crying eagle photos in chain-emails were sufficient propaganda to keep it in place.

Re: The war on terror primed America for autocracy

#7
post #4
post #3

It's interesting that decades into this we are still calling the massmurder and pillaging of dozens of countries, turning entire geographic regions into war ridden wastelands with slave markets, a "war on terror". Meanwhile the leaders of those so-called terror groups are praised and invited to ALL the western capitals.

I mean JD Vance is in Pakistan saying he's as close to the military junta there as his own wife, stirring up unnecessary pain at a full on mass unplanned genocide (I'm referring to the partition of India). People claim Israel has America by the balls and that's probably true. The other country that has us by the other ball is Pakistan.

The partition of India feels close to when you burn food and instead of washing the pan properly you just throw it in the dishwasher hoping it will sort it out somehow.

It isn't exactly the inability of the dishwasher to dissolve crimes against cuisine where the problem is rooted.

Re: The war on terror primed America for autocracy

#8

This seemed obvious to me at the time. It was hard to understand why people in the cultural mainstream let themselves get swept up in it. I felt like I lost my country, back then, as they pretty much all went off into crazyland together.

It was obvious to many. It was even a sort of not-funny joke: "The terrorists have already won."

Re: The war on terror primed America for autocracy

#9
>in 1776 the American colonists rebelled against what they saw as the arbitrary and tyrannical British monarchy.

although they didn't just do that, the American founders also articulated the point that the article seems to present as some new insight. That permanent foreign military involvements and the state it requires will eventually diminish freedom at home, that was why many of them wanted to avoid emulating the British empire.

Given that papers like the Economist used to regularly be staunch defenders of these interventions until they went wrong, and only ever seemed to disavow them for their practical outcomes rather than in principle they might want to do some reflecting on that.

Re: The war on terror primed America for autocracy

#10
post #6

Exactly what everyone said when Patriot Act was passed and renewed repeatedly. America permanently traded away basic freedoms for the bogus promise of safety in the shadow of fear. And the Supreme Court was too scared to stop it despite its obvious constitutional problems. Crying eagle photos in chain-emails were sufficient propaganda to keep it in place.

> And the Supreme Court was too scared to stop it

Too scared? They may have been on board...

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