There is No War On Terror

January 25th, 2007

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Posted by ChrisG at 11:35 am

Some choice quotes yesterday from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Sir Ken Macdonald, in his scathing denunciation of the theological pursuit of a ‘War’ on ‘Terror’. One:

It is critical that we understand that this new form of terrorism carries another more subtle, perhaps equally pernicious, risk. Because it might encourage a fear-driven and inappropriate response. By that I mean it can tempt us to abandon our values. I think it important to understand that this is one of its primary purposes.

Two:

We wouldn’t get far in promoting a civilising culture of respect for rights amongst and between citizens if we set about undermining fair trials in the simple pursuit of greater numbers of inevitably less safe convictions. On the contrary, it is obvious that the process of winning convictions ought to be in keeping with a consensual rule of law and not detached from it.

Three:

Everyone here will come to their own conclusion about whether, in the striking Strasbourg phrase, the very ‘life of the nation’ is presently endangered. And everyone here will equally understand the risk to our constitution if we decide that it is, when it is not.

While I’m at it, a commenter over at Lenin’s Tomb points us towards a very interesting essay by Nick Cohen from 2002. In which you’ll find stuff like the following:

There we have it. “Anti-Americanism” is a transparent slur that libels and subverts the best of American freedom. It’s a propaganda insult that is as contaminated as “terrorist”. Right-wingers in London and Washington use it shamelessly to suggest that those who are not happy with their abysmal status quo are the moral equivalents of blood-drenched murderers.

Cor, and indeed, blimey.