Editor,
It’s nice to know that the government of Norway has decided to counter the horrendous terrorist acts perpetrated upon it with “more democracy” instead of doing what America did, which is the exact opposite.
Following 9/11, this country’s leaders passed the Orwellian, unconstitutional PATRIOT Act in October 2001, apparently deciding that restricting the rights of its citizens was the best solution to prevent future terrorist threats.
In Norway’s case, its leaders have defiantly refused to give in to terrorism by vowing to become more democratic in the wake of the recent attack.
Unfortunately, in America’s case, the so-called terrorists have already won.
Former President Bush told us that terrorist organizations like al-Qaida hate us for our freedoms, after all. If that’s true, then Osama bin Laden and his ilk won the war a long time ago. He must have died a happy man.
When the so-called greatest nation on earth can suddenly advocate torture, illegal detentions, preemptive war and spying on its own citizens (among many other disgraces), it’s safe to say the American people have already lost the war on terror. In fact, we gave up virtually without a fight. Most of our freedoms have been taken from us. Kudos, terrorists!
The utterly noxious PATRIOT Act somehow continues to be extended for no good reason (other than to increase profits for defense contractors and security agencies, I suppose). The most recent one-year extension was signed by President Obama in February.
While the rest of the world acknowledges our once-great country as a certifiable global laughing stock, we slip further away from any semblance of democracy and quietly toward fascism, and nobody seems to care. We are a nation of cowards.
Good for Norway!
Jason Darensburg
UNM Student
