The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act

There has been a long tradition of fear-mongering legislation in the United States directed against groups and individuals believed to threaten the established order. The first such measures were the Alien and Sedition Acts passed by Congress in 1798 during the administration of the second president of the United States John Adams. The Acts, consisting of four separate laws, made it more difficult to become a citizen, sought to control real or imagined foreign agents operating in the United States, and also gave the government broad powers to control "sedition." Sedition was defined as "resisting any law of the United States or any act of the President" punishable by a prison sentence of up to two years. It also made illegal "false, scandalous or malicious writing" directed against either the government or government officials. The next President, Thomas Jefferson declared that three out of the four laws were unconstitutional and pardoned everyone who had been convicted under them.

Early in the last century, hysterical fear of anarchists resulted in the conviction and execution of Sacco and Vanzetti 1927 despite clear evidence that the two men were innocent. A few years later, in 1934, a Special Committee on Un-American Activities was set up by Congress to monitor the activities of fascists in the United States. Ironically, the two congressmen who were most instrumental in the establishment of the committee, Samuel Dickstein of New York and Martin Dies of Texas, both Democrats, were themselves tainted by activities that might reasonably be described as Un-American. Dickstein was himself a paid agent of the Soviet NKVD intelligence agency and Dies regularly spoke at Ku Klux Klan rallies. After the Second World War, the committee was renamed the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and focused almost exclusively on communists, continuing to do so until it was incorporated into the House Judiciary Committee in 1974. Concurrent with HUAC on the Senate side, Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, a Republican, became the public face of anti-communism in the early 1950s, with his frequent claims that communists had infiltrated the US government at various levels. Few of the claims could be substantiated, however, and McCarthy eventually fell out of favor and was censured by the Senate.

More recently, there has been the post 9/11 creation of a virtual avalanche of legislation and commissions designed to protect the country at the expense of the Bill of Rights. The two Patriot Acts of 2001 and 2006 and the Military Commission Act or 2006 have collectively limited constitutional rights to free speech, freedom of association, freedom from illegal search, the right to habeas corpus, prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment, and freedom from the illegal seizure of private property. The First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments in the Bill of Rights have all been disregarded in the rush to make it easier to investigate people, put them in jail, and torture them if necessary. A recent executive order of July 17th, 2007 goes even farther, authorizing the President to seize the property of anyone who "Threatens Stabilization Efforts in Iraq." The government's own Justice Department decides what constitutes "threatening stabilization efforts" and the order does not permit a challenge to the information that the seizure is based on.

One would have thought that the systematic dismantling of the Constitution of the United States would have been enough to satisfy even the most Jacobin neoconservative, but there is more on the horizon, and it is coming from people who call themselves Democrats. The mainstream media has made no effort to inform the public of the impending Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act. The Act, which was sponsored by Congresswoman Jane Harman of California, was passed in the House by an overwhelming 405 to 6 vote on October 24th and is now awaiting approval by the Senate Homeland Security Committee, which is headed by Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut. It is believed that approval by the committee will take place shortly, to be followed by passage by the entire Senate.

Harman's bill contends that the United States will soon have to deal with home grown terrorists and that something must be done to anticipate and neutralize the problem. The act deals with the issue through the creation of a congressional commission that will be empowered to hold hearings, conduct investigations, and designate various groups as "homegrown terrorists." The commission will be tasked to propose new legislation that will enable the government to take punitive action against both the groups and the individuals who are affiliated with them. Like Joe McCarthy and HUAC in the past, the commission will travel around the United States and hold hearings to find the terrorists and root them out. Unlike inquiries in the past where the activity was carried out collectively, the act establishing the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Commission will empower all the members on the commission to arrange hearings, obtain testimony, and even to administer oaths to witnesses, meaning that multiple hearings could be running simultaneously in various parts of the country. The ten commission members will be selected for their "expertise," though most will be appointed by Congress itself and will reflect the usual political interests. They will be paid for their duties at the senior executive pay scale level and will have staffs and consultants to assist them. Harman's bill does not spell out terrorist behavior and leaves it up to the Commission itself to identify what is terrorism and what isn't. Language inserted in the act does partially define "homegrown terrorism" as "planning" or "threatening" to use force to promote a political objective, meaning that just thinking about doing something could be enough to merit the terrorist label. The act also describes "violent radicalization" as the promotion of an "extremist belief system" without attempting to define "extremist."

As currently envisioned, the Commission will not operate in perpetuity. After the group has done its work, in eighteen months' time, a Center of Excellence for the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism will be established to study the lessons learned. The center will operate either out of the Department of Homeland Security or out of an appropriate academic institution and will be tasked with continuing to monitor the homegrown terrorism problem and proposing legislation and other measures to counter it.

As should be clear from the vagueness of the definitions, the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act could easily be abused to define any group that is pressuring the political system as "terrorist," ranging from polygamists, to second amendment rights supporters, anti-abortion protesters, anti-tax agitators, immigration activists, and peace demonstrators. In reality, of course, it will be primarily directed against Muslims and Muslim organizations. Given that, there is the question of who will select which groups will be investigated by the roving commissions. There is no evidence to suggest that there will be any transparent or objective screening process. Through their proven access both to the media and to Congress, the agenda will undoubtedly be shaped by the usual players including David Horowitz, Daniel Pipes, Steve Emerson, and Frank Gaffney who see a terrorist hiding under every rock, particularly if the rock is concealing a Muslim. They and their associates will undoubtedly find plenty of terrorists and radical groups to investigate. Many of the suspects will inevitably be "anti-American" professors at various universities and also groups of Palestinians organized against the Israeli occupation, but it will be easily to use the commission formula to sweep them all in for examination.

The view that 9/11 has "changed everything" is unfortunately all too true. It has unleashed American paranoia, institutionalized mistrust of foreigners, and created a fantasy universe in which a US beset by enemies must do anything and everything to counter the alien threat. If it were a sane world, it would be difficult to imagine why anyone would believe that a Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act is even necessary. The United States has spent hundreds of billions of dollars in strengthening law enforcement and intelligence capabilities against terrorists and has every tool imaginable to investigate and make arrests. It has created a whole new bloated and dysfunctional branch of government in the Department of Homeland Security. What is not needed is groups of congressionally empowered vigilantes roaming the country at will looking for "homegrown terrorism."

Comments

[LinkOne]

In general, I'm worried just as any of you, but shouldn't there be a recognition that the current bill does call out safeguards which should address the main concerns ? (copy/pasted from the bill):

SEC. 899B. FINDINGS.
`(8) Any measure taken to prevent violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence and homegrown terrorism in the United States should not violate the constitutional rights, civil rights, or civil liberties of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents.

Regards;

[splashy]

Want to bet it will be targeted toward anti-war folks, pro-choice folks, and anyone that is not a right winger.

It will NOT be targeted toward pro-forced birthers and their violent folks, or racists, or other rightists.

[GeneralPepper]

When they came to take away the guy uptown, I didn't say anything. When they came for the guy up the street, I didn't protest. When they came to get my neighbour, I was afraid to say a thing. When they came for me... it was too late!
Does this story remind you of something? Not that long ago?

[mmckinl]

Just priceless ... another War Party Democrat ...

[RickSp]

Yes, write and call your representatives and if you really want to send a message vote for Ron Paul.
It hurt to register as a Republican, even temporarily, so I could vote for Paul in the primaries, but I feel so betrayed by the Democrats, I didn't feel as I had any choice.

[nomoron]

Terrorism: deadly violence against humans and other living things, usually conducted by government against its own people.- Edward Abbey

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the direction the VRHTPA might lead us. At this point I'm disgusted with our government institutions, for leadership is not evident, just continued fearmongering in an effort to silence the populace.

[mgloraine]

Why do these back-stabbing traitors still get to pretend to be Democrats after they've taken the BushCo bribes and changed sides? Feinstein, Schumer, Harman, lying, swindling turncoats all! The DNC should revoke their credentials as Democrats, and their cheated constituents should have them thrown out of office for deliberate criminal misrepresentation, corruption, embezzlement, and conspiring with the Bush Crime Family to implement a fascist police state.

But we don't have that option because the BushCo police state is already a fact, and the US Constitution is already history. Americans had better acquire arms and ammunition, because the Blackwater SS will soon be in your town, goose-stepping down your street, herding the non-wealthy and non-white onto the trains destined for the Halliburton Death Camps which BushCo is building along the southern border.

Non-violence will make martyrs of us all; we've got to be ready to shoot back at the mercenaries and burn BushCo to the ground!

[aahpat]

this somehow got messed up in my forst post omitting the quotation from the report I cited.

According to the newly released New York City Police Department report, "Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat" (PDF http://mysite.verizon.net/aahpat/i/2007nypd_report.pdf) by Mitchell D. Silber and Arvin Bhatt Senior Intelligence Analysts NYPD Intelligence Division, prisons are "A Radicalizing Cauldron".

"Prisons can play a critical role in both triggering and reinforcing the radicalization process. The prison"s isolated environment, ability to create a "captive audience" atmosphere, its absence of day-to-day distractions, and its large population of disaffected young men, makes it an excellent breeding ground for radicalization."

[drkazmd65]

Write your Senators folks,.... I know I did.

And,... by doing so I am just about certain that I am probably now on somebody's 'domestic terrorist' list,...

At least the company will be good. I like the rabble-rousers,...

[frank1569]

Harman's fishin for votes - her "definition" of "terrorists" is exactly the same as the FBI, Websters, the NSA, DoD, etc.

"The unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives."

Which is why the FBI still - that's right, still - ranks "ecoterrorists" as the NUMBER ONE threat to the "homeland." (Number Two: the evil Mother Nature and her Global Warming hoax.)

Harman's just another GOPathological wielding the fear weapon against the sheep by seeking a redundant "law" already on the books x 10.

[aahpat]

According to the newly released New York City Police Department report, "Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat" (PDF http://mysite.verizon.net/aahpat/i/2007nypd_report.pdf) by Mitchell D. Silber and Arvin Bhatt Senior Intelligence Analysts NYPD Intelligence Division, prisons are "A Radicalizing Cauldron".

America has the highest prison population in the world with more than 2.2 million in prisons and jails. Another 3 million under some form of judicial oversight and control. More than 16-million Americans are classified as a permanent "caste" of criminals as the New York Times described them.

America has the highest prison population in the world. We criminalize, economically isolate and electorally disenfranchise millions each year.

30-60% or more, mostly minority Americans are disaffected from our society by drug war conviction where their only recourse for economic viability after incarceration is to return to the ever more highly armed black market drug distribution business.

Prison based gangs of all colors and political stripes from Muslim to White Supremacist are thriving in America's drug war over-crowded prisons and spreading their casually violent baggy pants prison culture back into our society as they are released.

Add to this the fact that recent American laws further controlling methamphetamine production has given that national market over to very violent Mexican gangsters who will under law enforcement pressure, respond with increased violence like that we have been seeing grow in northern Mexico these past few years.

Get ready folks because there is every reason to expect a domestic insurrection inside the U.S. if we continue to graduate ever larger numbers of disaffected Americans from these boot camps for advanced criminal training that we call prisons.

I wrote this letter to my senator Bob Casey on this issue last month:

Seeds of Insurrection in America's Field of Dreams
http://aleftindependent.blogspot.com/2007/09/seeds-of-insurrection-in-americas-field.html

[jsarets]

NOBODY expects the American Inquisition!!

...Actually, my first reaction was more along the lines of, "yeah, so what else is new?".

I have outrage fatigue. The Bush administration is going to have to step up their wholesale dismantling of American values if they really want to piss me off. Like herding the members of MoveOn and Code Pink into remote internment camps where they can play ultimate frisbee, recite poetry, eat veggie burritos, and participate in other highly subversive anti-American activities without harming the "war effort".

I mean, seriously--there's a coalition of the willing, and I'm not part of it. I think this national security charade is an insult to our intelligence and a existential threat to American values. Leave me and my anti-"America is always right" world-view alone.

[oogabooga]

Harman is certainly a bizarre Congressperson, being a Democrat from California yet trumping Bush on how to find potential terrorists under every bed. Freedom of conscious is enshrined in the Constitution, whether she likes it or not. But what could be her motive for such weird legislation? The answer, I think, is in AIPAC. Rep. Harman: Let Israel run its country and we'll run ours - no need to look for more terrorists on their behalf with more laws against normal Americans. Just leave us and our Constitution alone. Thank you.

[domokat]

The Simon Wiesenthal Center testified before congress in support of this act. They swore "Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth" was an example of a homegrown terrorist organization, which is as blatant a lie as you will ever hear. These people are respected, well known, and knowledgeable professionals.

This shows without a doubt, that Israel is behind 911. What credentials does the Simon Wiesenthal Center have to testify about yet to be seen, home grown American terrorists? Their own mission statement says "The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization", which is a delightfully ambiguous statement. Are we talking about human rights, or Jewish human rights? What does human rights have to do with home brewed terrorists? Beware Americans, you need to start asking yourselves hard questions.

Why has congress so overwhelmingly passed this bill without debate? What a rare show of bipartisanship!

I want to emphasize, I am talking about Israel here, not Jews. Israel is a nation state, but they are trying to confuse American Jews with Israelites. American Jews owe owe about as much fidelity to Israel as Christians owe to Italy.

America, please wake up.

[brechindo]

Most people who read something like this and take it seriously, fear what is coming.

I got news for you people - it's already here. On the street, people "guilty" of nothing more than openly criticizing the system - SPEECH, nothing more - are getting REAL punishment.

Im one of them. Im no bomb-throwing anarchist, no protest marcher. Hell, Im in my late 30s with good office job, and Im a registered Republican (go Ron Paul!)

In the last 6 months, Ive been arrested - ARRESTED - for "jaywalking" on a long, empty road at night leaving a grocery store. Yes, handcuffed, held prisoner, carted off to jail, and robbed of $158 after my so-called "day in court".

Now Im facing criminal charges of "delaying an officer" - 1 year in county jail, $3K fine. FOR SPEAKING MY MIND, while *I* was the one in handcuffs over a PARKING TICKET that was later

My friends, the lower-level witch hunters are ALREADY HERE on the street. I run into them constantly. They get worse every year.

For now, they only attack the outspoken and openly defiant. It leaves the rest of you feeling like you have a safe way out - you just have to keep quiet.

Menawhile, they're purging society of those already so furious at the sickening behavior of local law enforcement (1.1 MILLION people in American jails for VICTIMLESS so-called crimes?! WTF!) that we've been risking our own safety just giving an earful to these bastards caught in the act of trampling common sense.

You think you're safe? You've got 2, 3, maybe 5 years max before these guys are at your door, peering in your window, visiting your place of work, and spying on your dinnertime conversations because of some book you bought off of Amazon, and *picking you off one by one, just like they're doing now to us*.

It's already begun. You just dont want to hear it, because "he's just some angry radical anyway".

Whatever happened to "my fellow Americans"? WE ARE AMERICANS TOO, GODDAMNIT.

Divided, we are already falling.