Congress voting the Indefinite Detention provisions into the Defense Authorization Bill: Parallels with Argentina’s Dirty War
During the Dirty War in Argentina where I was a student, the military junta under the guise of protecting the citizenry from the attack by anti establishment pro socialist forces - guerrilleros- , and armed with a strong propaganda machine designed to smoke and mirror, enacted crimes against humanity in the form of suspected terrorists being "detained", leading to torture, death and disappearance of about 30,000 people. In reality this was done in order to defend the interests and power structure of a small ruling class, in alliance with anti communist thrust of the US, who trained and funded the dictatorship.
Today in the US it is in the name of defending us from terrorists’ attacks, but if we are to learn from this not so far history, we can infer that it is done to defend those who control our social and economic reality from attacks by occupiers and system critics and to justify the repression of the popular uprising at town centers and universities. The Indefinite Detention provisions is added to the Defense Authorization Bill sending a not so subtle message that if voices are raised to call for the end of social injustice and for a more equal redistribution of wealth, individuals could be singled out and indefinitely detained without recourse.
Once the limits of power are removed by twisting the constitution into new laws, it is hard to say where power would stop in it’s grip for permanency since those abusing power are immune to consequences.
Here is a historic opportunity for President Obama to exercise veto power should this legislation pass both houses, and here is our chance to call attention of this issue and make sure the people do not get trampled further.
I moved to the US back in the early 80's in search of the freedom of expression lost to all in Argentina , and 30 years later I find myself facing the possibility of heading into a similar scenario here.
WON'T FORGET - NEVER AGAIN!
Argentina 1981 / US 2011
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