Dark times / New books

The heights of popularity and patriotism are still the beaten road to power and tyranny; flattery to treachery; standing armies to arbitrary government; and the glory of God to the temporal interest of the clergy. David Hume

Dark times

In the USA, the country proud of its democracy, they have now decided, that torture is OK, secret evidence is OK, infinite&secret&&arbitrary imprisonment is possible if the president so wants (even outside USA, so maybe they come knocking my door at 4.30am tomorrow). USA used to blame other countries (e.g. Russia, China) for similar laws and practices. Now, they adopt the same methods. It really makes me sad. I cannot understand Americans anymore. Do they really think that they will win their war on terror with these new laws? How can they claim to be Christians (unless they adore the practices of the Catholic church in the previous dark ages).
By the way, the normal lazy-ass excuse "I have nothing to be afraid of, for I am innocent and have not done anything wrong" does not apply. The new laws will allow the US president to throw you in secret jail and never tell anyone they did so, nor allow you to protest or know why you are in the secret jail, beaten, frozen, water-boarded.
My American readers, please vote the GOP out. I still hope that the Democrats, given power, would undo this new insanity.

New books

• Suburban nation — the rise of sprawl and the decline of the American dream by Duany, Plater-Zyberk, Speck — how it all happened: how Americans chose to move outside cities, spend their time in cars, etc.
• The Cairo Trilogy by Naquid Mahfouz — Nobel laureate's main work, recommended by Juan Cole for understanding the Islamic countries and the Middle-East. Formidably thick.

I may have enough books for a while.

Alun perin julkaistu kuukausikoosteessa "Blogs July to September 2006".