Accidental Blogger

In his recent post, Joe asks the pertinent question why Democrats are scared to stand up to Bush on any issue related to national security.  Even when the so called measures to "protect" Americans smack of extra constitutional illegalities.  Are they just being cautious, not wanting to rock the boat so close to an upcoming election for fear of being labeled "soft" by voters?  Or do they like many Americans, believe in their own hearts that they indeed are the "spineless" party as Bush often derisively claims?  In that case they must also believe that their own safety is better entrusted to Bush, a man who pretends to be the "calcium" in the nation’s spine when it comes to defeating "evil."  Joe refers to an article by University of Chicago law professor Cass Sunstein about Mortality Salience and Politics. It has been observed that people become more rigid in their moral and political outlook when reminded of their own mortality. They then tend to make choices which favor a "strong" political leadership that is more likely to implement harsh measures of law and order. Terrorism and 9/11 are two such reminders of mortality and Bush has assiduously (and deceitfully) milked them to the last drop in order to scare Americans into voting for his dangerous agenda. Through lies, fear mongering and utter deceipt, Bush, Rove and their media lackeys have managed to falsely convince many Americans that Bush can and wants to protect them from terrorists at home and abroad. 

It is true that we are more likely to stray from the direction set by our usual moral compass when we are scared.  But how far is too far?  In a comprehensive round up of the current state of dispiriting affairs, Brian Leiter of Leiter Reports enumerates the various ways in which the Bush administration has chipped away at our long held national values by waving the scepter of terrorism before us.  American citizens and the US Congress have gone along willingly down the slippery slope of disappearing civil liberties in the name of national security and the Democratic opposition has toed Bush’s autoritarian line without as much as a whimper. Was their cravenness a case of Mortality Salience or political expediencey?  It doesn’t matter. The end result is just as corrosive. And all this, despite the glaring evidence pointing to Bush’s dismal failure to effectively fight terrorism and the string of lies that are behind the presidential narrative. So where will this corrupt and craven behavior lead to?  Professor Leiter quotes a colleague who describes the current mindset as the "Stalinist Creep-Up" which is characterised by the following changes in the national political climate:

"It’s the return of ‘troikas’ — detentions without court warrants, interrogations without assistance of counsel, trials by puppet courts, all the while the currently unincarcerated crowd believes that this could only happen to criminals."

Are we there yet – in the clutches of  the inevitable Stalinist creep-ups?  I think so.  The creep-ups come dressed not necessarily as earth shaking events. More telling of this national malady are the little things which make us jumpy and vengeful. Since 9/11 there have been numerous reports documenting the unfair profiling, incarceration and harrassment of "terrorism suspects" based on "suspicious" religious affiliations, looks and clothing.  The targets of such capricious search and seizure have  overwhelmingly been young Muslim males of Arab or Asian origin.  But sometimes even those who just happen to "look" like them but otherwise don’t fit the profile have not been immune. That would include non-Muslim Asian and Latino men and in particular Sikhs, whose turbans and facial hair evoke the images of the still elusive Osama.  Now it seems that just speaking a foreign language unfamiliar to TSA agents at airports is enough to trip the "terrorist" alarm.

Man questioned and misses flight for speaking Tamil

"A 32-year-old man speaking Tamil and some English about a sporting rivalry was questioned at Sea-Tac Airport and missed his flight Saturday because at least one person thought he was suspicious.

The Port of Seattle dispatched its police officers to investigate the case, which occurred Saturday around noon, said Bob Parker, airport spokesman. The Chicago man was preparing to board an American Airlines flight to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

The man was speaking Tamil, a language largely used in India, Sri Lanka and Singapore, on his cell phone at the departure gate and on the aircraft. An off-duty airline employee heard the conversation and informed the flight crew.

The man also apparently said something in English about a sporting rivalry at his alma mater.

"It’s a big misunderstanding," said Parker. "He had a perfectly innocent explanation that all added up." Parker said it is incumbent on airport officials to investigate reports of suspicious activity.  "It’s hard to triage over the phone," he said.

But Parker had no explanation as to why a man speaking Tamil, which is spoken worldwide, would be considered suspicious. The person who contacted airport officials could give an answer to that question, he added.

Parker said the man was cooperative and boarded a later flight to Texas. He told officials that he would not speak in a foreign language on his cell phone at an airport in the future."

"Would not speak in a foreign language at an airport in the future?"  Why?  Where does it say he can’t?  I speak a few "suspicious" languages myself.  Should I feel "creeped out" by this scary "creep-up?"  Sure.  And so should you, even if you speak nothing but King George’s Americanese.