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xchrom

(108,903 posts) Wed Jul 17, 2013, 08:30 AM Jul 2013

Mission Creep: When Everything is Terrorism

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/07/mission-creep-when-everything-is-terrorism/277844/

One of the assurances I keep hearing about the U.S. government's spying on American citizens is that it's only used in cases of terrorism. Terrorism is, of course, an extraordinary crime, and its horrific nature is supposed to justify permitting all sorts of excesses to prevent it. But there's a problem with this line of reasoning: mission creep. The definitions of "terrorism" and "weapon of mass destruction" are broadening, and these extraordinary powers are being used, and will continue to be used, for crimes other than terrorism.

Back in 2002, the Patriot Act greatly broadened the definition of terrorism to include all sorts of "normal" violent acts as well as non-violent protests. The term "terrorist" is surprisingly broad; since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, it has been applied to people you wouldn't normally consider terrorists.

The most egregious example of this are the three anti-nuclear pacifists, including an 82-year-old nun, who cut through a chain-link fence at the Oak Ridge nuclear-weapons-production facility in 2012. While they were originally arrested on a misdemeanor trespassing charge, the government kept increasing their charges as the facility's security lapses became more embarrassing. Now the protestors have been convicted of violent crimes of terrorism -- and remain in jail.

Meanwhile, a Tennessee government official claimed that complaining about water quality could be considered an act of terrorism. To the government's credit, he was subsequently demoted for those remarks.

5 replies

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Highlight:

Mission Creep: When Everything is Terrorism (Original Post) xchrom Jul 2013 OP

The "flexibility" of the USG's use of the word "terrorist" is the reason to fear the NSA... Pholus Jul 2013 #1

By the way, kudos for a Bruce Schneier article... Pholus Jul 2013 #2

... xchrom Jul 2013 #3

k&r for exposure. n/t Laelth Jul 2013 #4

This needs a kick n/t hootinholler Jul 2013 #5

Pholus

(4,062 posts)

1. The "flexibility" of the USG's use of the word "terrorist" is the reason to fear the NSA...

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Wed Jul 17, 2013, 08:45 AM

Jul 2013

Thanks for adding "82 year old nuclear protester nun" to the long list I've compiled where the term "terrorist" has been trotted out when it doesn't seem appropriate.

This assurances that we are information-hoovered to only find terrorists are hardly comforting given this trend.