Pipes Favors Concentration Camps: JUAN COLE Dec 31, 2004

[BrklynLiberal]

Friday, December 31, 2004
Pipes Favors Concentration Camps

That the Revisionist-Zionist extremist Daniel Pipes has fond visions of rounding up Muslim Americans and putting them in concentration camps isn't a big surprise. That a mainstream American newspaper would publish this David-Dukeian evil is. Of course, this is also a man that President Bush appointed to a temporary vacancy at the United States Institute of Peace, after the Senate understandably balked at a regular appointment for him.

Pipes's little project requires him to attempt to justify the internment of American citizens (of Japanese ancestry) during World War II, a violation on several grounds of the Bill of Rights. I hope Asian-Americans realize that a key wing of the Republican Party, i.e. the Neoconservatives, wishes them ill.

If the American yahoos ever start putting people in concentration camps, I think we may be assured that they won't stop with the Muslims or the Asians, and Mr. Pipes will come to have reason to regret his imprudence and, frankly, his demonic implication.

posted by Juan @ 12/31/2004 06:25:13 AM

http://www.juancole.com/2004/12/pipes-favors-concentration-camps-that.html

[sui generis]

1. it's not going to happen

there aren't enough American soldiers left to round up and guard American citizens who are their own brothers, sisters, parents, children, cousins, and other kinfolk.

However, I think it would be very very good of the neocons to float a bill like that. It would be the end of the neocons.

[blindpig]

4. you have too much faith in Americans, take my neighbors

Please!

[BrklynLiberal]

5. Where have I heard that before???

"First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out.
Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, but I was neither, so I did not speak out.
Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out.
And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me."
Martin Niemoller

[agincourt]

7. In the book, "Hitlers willing executioners",

Much of the round-ups of jews to be killed or gassed was done by local armed policeman. Don't forget there are many gud-luvin' gun-luvin' citizens who would absolutely loooove to see all the liberals get gassed or forced labor if they are in a good mood. They would be used for a brown shirt neo-con militia. It is not wise to underestimate the dark extreme right wing currents going on in the country.

[sui generis]

9. it's also wise not to underestimate our side

the REAL majority of this country. Not all of us are the pleasant sort that would sit around quaking in our boots and allow such a thing to happen.

Really people, get it together. The only bogeyman in this story is our own unwillingness to forcibly challenge these assholes instead of commiserating here on DU about how eevil they are and how helpless we are.

[PurityOfEssence]

10. All roads lead to verifiable voting

The media is lost; those not operating as mouthpieces for corporatists are so meek and concerned about being denied access that they're effectively useless. Thin though the margin of control may be, the reactionaries control all three branches of government, and have true hegemony over the rest of society.

"The people" will stand for a lot of things, and unscrupulous users know this: in times of shrinking opportunity, many are cowed with the fear of losing jobs, homes and the like. It's like the old frog metaphor: throw one into boiling water, and it'll jump free; place one in cold water and slowly raise the temperature, and it'll be lulled into inactivity until too late. Who ever thought the forces of greed would try to rescind time-and-a-half overtime for those making over 22.5K a year? Now they're systemmatically trying to destroy Social Security, and there's nary a whimper.

The old reassurance of the ability to rid ourselves of those who don't have our interests at heart is a dangerous thing to continue: regardless of the "wisdom of the people" (a dicey concept at best) we do not have real voting anymore. Unverifiable voting stole the '02 election for Cleland, and the results of the '04 election are very clear: where there's verification, the exit polls are within a point; where there isn't, it's off by four or more points, and ALWAYS in Junior's favor. Remember: ALL of the companies are Republican controlled.

Source code should not be protected by patent when it can be used to thwart the will of the people. The sick concept that profit is more important than anything should not be allowed to seep into the realm of the vote. Why would ANYONE not want an unimpeachable vote? This answers itself: these are people who want to control the world.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. And people just tell me that this will never happen

because Americans will never let it happen.

Ok I have this wonderful lesson from history and another people, Germany...

[OneBlueSky]

3. ya know . . . the gay concentration camps are gonna be something . . .

can you imagine? . . . I mean, can you IMAGINE 10,000 or more gay men confined to a camp somewhere in Idaho? . . . so many men, so little time! . . .

and you can bet that the cells will be the most tastefully decorated in the entire concentration camp system . . .

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Has anyone pulled Pipes up on his first error?

"Similarly, if searching for Islamists (adherents of radical Islam), one looks at the Muslim population."

But we're not looking for Islamists. We're looking for terrorists. Unlike rape, being an Islamist isn't illegal. Just like belonging to a far right organisation isn't illegal. Monitoring all Muslims is like monitoring anyone who votes Republican, because a racist crime has been committed.

[teryang]

8. Look at the loyalty standard at Homeland Security

The standard is patently unconstitutional. It is that if there are any grounds for "reasonable doubt" concerning an applicant's loyalty to the United States, they won't be hired.

What kind of shit is this?