Page 25 - TheWord#16

Greenwald speaks Trump
25
February 2017.
POLITICS AND EVENTS
www.thewordmedia.org.uk

war on Terror and ciTizen acTivism

War Two American power wheth- – I think you’re going to see a lot of
er its commitment to NATO, or that from each side.
just a general position he has with
regards to whether regime change We’ve seen that courts
wars are justifiable and in particu- have presented a road block to
lar whether the CIA proxy war in Trump’s Muslim ban. Are the
Syria is something that ought to be US’s constitutional arrange-
expanded or continued. In pretty ments robust enough to stop
every one of those cases he’s ei- someone like Trump from in-
ther taken the position that’s the flicting serious damage?
opposite of what the CIA wants for
its own power or ideology or he’s It helps. The idea of the con-
asking serious questions about his stitution and of the courts and the
commitment to continuing this reason why these judges have life
bipartisan framework [between tenures is because they’re sup-
Democrats and Republicans]. And posed to be immune from political
so I think they regard Trump in par- sentiment. No matter how popu-
ticular as a unique kind of threat, lar a particular abuse is (because
and I think they’re much more these judges can’t be removed from
comfortable with a standard, right- office, they don’t have to run for
wing politician. Some of it is about election), the idea is that they will
internal jockeying for power which defend these rights even when it’s
you often see with governments. really impossible to do so. But that’s
I think they also feel threatened the the theory! The reality is that
by people like General Flynn who these judges have been nominated
have a lot of hostility towards the by Republican Presidents and even
intelligence community bureau- under Democratic Presidents who
cracy, and will be worrying about knew that judges who were too
what their place is likely to be if he pro-Liberty and anti-police state
agencies in the name of stopping cases it’s used in are in non-terror- you think they are opening a gains too much authority. probably couldn’t get confirmed so
radical Islam or terrorist attacks ism settings for drug crimes, for new front against right-lean- you have years or even decades of
or whatever the nomenclature is. financial crimes, completely un- ing politicians similar to what But the FBI has the exact oppo- judges who have been confirmed
And once those powers are vested related to national security. These we’ve seen in the past against site posture to the CIA in that they who have demonstrated a willing-
they are almost expanded well be- powers take root but nobody cares left-leaning activists and civil were very favourable to Trump, ness to justify and defend really rad-
yond the original targeted groups. because everyone’s told it’s only rights leaders with COINTEL- and so I think there is a very seri- ical police power, especially ones
The Patriot Act is probably the best going to be Muslims who are af- PRO and more recently the tar- ous danger that Trump can and in- that have been put in place in the
example. When it was enacted it fected, then eventually it starts to geting of Muslims as part of the tends to empower the FBI and use name of national security. So the
was supposed to be temporary. We erode all basic liberties for every- War on Terror? it as his personal police force which practical matter is that you will see
were told it was necessary because body. I do think can then start to reintro- some resistance, some push back,
of the terror threat and it’s now 16 I think that they regard Trump duce dangers. I think we’re going some limits imposed from the judi-
years old – it’s the opposite of tem- You’re adamant that the CIA as a particular threat to the the pre- to see a lot of dirty game playing ciary, but I certainly wouldn’t want
porary, it’s a permanent part of our has in your own words ‘gone to vailing order. He’s questioned the whether it’s leaking or fabricating to count on the judiciary saving the
fixture, and then I think 85% of the war with Donald Trump’. Do kind of foundations of post-World claims or just outright subversion Republic from Trump’s abuses.