The Invisible Library

Yahoo! News:

“‘We are on high, high red alert for the protection of our civil liberties,’ said Claryce Evans, national coordinator for United Peace and Justice.” From inside of a cage surrounded by chainlink fencing and razorwire.

Instead of fiddling with extra neunanced color coded warning systems, United Peace and Justice should have, I don’t know, been looking out for protesters being shuffled into pens surrounded by fencing, or something. Anything. I suppose locking the protesters up now just saves time when it comes to arresting them, seeing as how they’ll all be trapped in a confined area, unable to escape.

And this is at the Democratic convention. Can’t wait to see what the Republicans have lined up for New York. Wetnaps pre-doused with tear gas? Or maybe the protesters will line up in orderly fashion for the billyclub beatings, to be held in New Jersey. That way no one has to see the last shreds of our civil liberties being smothered by the Security State.

Baghdad - July 24, 2004

Time is flying here. I can’t believe I have already spent almost three months in the Green Zone. Actually, the Green Zone is now officially called the International Zone. Why the name change? Who knows? Personally, I think it was a poor decision. It helps to undercut the sovereignty that is apparently in existence by implying that the zone is not under Iraqi control but under international or foreign jurisdiction somewhat similar to the foreign concessions in China or the International Zone in Morocco. At least that’s my take on it. It is an area dominated by foreigners who enjoy certain immunities from the local government. What’s in a name? Symbolism. Mere words are of tremendous significance especially when national pride is at stake.

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