Abstract
The attacks of September 11, 2001, and the subsequent war on terror accelerated the mutation of the American republic into a fascist-style state at the service of the special interests of Wall Street and other lobbies.
The Bush administration used the attacks to curtail civil rights and expand presidential powers through the Patriot Act and the Military Commissions Act. The Bush administration also declared America’s unilateral right to intervene militarily wherever it chooses to do so. The United States could now detain and torture people without trial and wage war on any country it wished without regard to its own constitution or international law.
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Notes
- 1.
Luiz Carlos Bresser-Pereira, “A crise financeira de 2008.” Revista de Economia Política, vol. 29 no 1. São Paulo, January/March 2009. ISSN 0101–3157. Available at: <http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0101-31572009000100008&script=sci_arttext>.
- 2.
Francis Fukuyama, 1992, pp. 463–464.
- 3.
Ibidem, pp. 463–467, 524.
- 4.
Francis Fukuyama, 2014, pp. 461–462, 487.
- 5.
Ibidem, pp. 464–465, 478–481.
- 6.
Fred J. Cook, 1964, pp. 84–85, 88–89.
- 7.
The Ermächtigungsgesetz was approved by the Reichstag on March 23, 1933.
- 8.
Naomi Wolf, “Fascist America, in 10 easy steps.” The Guardian, April 24, 2007.
- 9.
Ferdinand Lassalle, 1991, pp. 94–97.
- 10.
Paul Craig Roberts, “The Next Presidential Election Will Move The World Closer To War.” Institute for Political Economy. November 16, 2014. Available at: <http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2014/11/16/next-presidential-election-will-move-world-closer-war-paul-craig-roberts/>.
- 11.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1992, p. 95.
- 12.
Eric Foner, 1998, pp. 327–332.
- 13.
Marcus Tullius Cicero, 1979, p. 230.
- 14.
Mark Hosenball, “Bush: ‘We’re At War’.” Newsweek, September 24, 2001.
- 15.
“President Signs Authorization for Use of Military Force bill. Resolution 23, Statement by the President. ‘Today I am signing Senate Joint Resolution 23, the “Authorization for Use of Military Force.’” George W. Bush—The White House, September 18, 2001. Available at: <http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010918-10.html.>. Accessed on November 26, 2018.
- 16.
James Madison, 1865, p. 491.
- 17.
The Patriot Act was passed by 98 votes to 1 in the Senate, and by 357 to 66 in the House of Representatives.
- 18.
“Existe um mito fundamental para a autoestima dos norte-americanos: Sua crença na ‘excepcionalidade’ dos 102 puritanos que saíram da Inglaterra, no início do Século XVII, atravessaram o Atlântico no navio Mayflower, e desembarcaram em Massachusetts, no dia 21 de dezembro de 1620, com a decisão de criar uma nova sociedade no continente americano. Do ponto de vista dos mortais, eles eram apenas um grupo de ingleses pobres e puritanos que começaram a cultivar as terras da Nova Inglaterra, depois de fundar a cidade de Plymouth. Do ponto de vista da mitologia norte-americana, entretanto, estes senhores atravessaram o Atlântico para plantar a semente moral e ética de um povo escolhido para redimir os pecados da Europa”; Jose Luís Fiori, “A lenda dos peregrinos.” Valor Econômico, São Paulo, September 13, 2006.
- 19.
The National Security Strategy. White House, September 2002. Available at: <http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/63562.pdf>.
- 20.
George W. Bush. The National Security Strategy of the United States of America—White House, Washington, September 17, 2002. Available at: <http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article2320.htm>; “President Bush Addresses the Nation: Following is the full text of President Bush’s address to a joint session of Congress and the nation,” September 20, 2001. EMediaMillWorks—The Washington Post. Available at: <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/specials/attacked/transcripts/bushaddress_092001.html>.
- 21.
“Angeblicher Bush-Hitler-Vergleich.” Der Spiegel, September 20, 2002. Available at: <http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/angeblicher-bush-hitler-vergleich-daeubler-gmelin-fuehlt-sich-voellig-falsch-verstanden-a-215061-druck.html>; “Nach dem Bush-Hitler-Vergleich—Ministerin Däubler-Gmelin tritt ab.” Der Spiegel, September 23, 2002. Available at: <http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/nach-dem-bush-hitler-vergleich-ministerin-daeubler-gmelin-tritt-ab-a-215291-druck.htm>. “Angeblicher Hitler-Vergleich Schröder schreibt an Bush/Ministerin spricht von Verleumdung”—Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, September 20, 2002.
- 22.
Alberto da Rocha Barros, 1969, p. 12.
- 23.
Anup Shah, “US Military Commissions Act 2006—Unchecked Powers?.” Global Issues, September 30, 2006. Available at: <http://www.globalissues.org/article/684/us-military-commissions-act-2006-unchecked-powers>; “FAQs: The Military Commissions Act.” Center for Constitutional Rights. Available at: <http://ccrjustice.org/learn-more/faqs/faqs%3A-military-commisions-act>.
- 24.
Alberto da Rocha Barros, 1969, p. 12.
- 25.
“Text of the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007. The John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007. This bill was enacted after being signed by the President on October 17, 2006. The text of the bill below is as of Sep 30, 2006 (Passed Congress/Enrolled Bill). H.R. 5122 (enr)—An Act To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2007 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defence activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes.” U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO). Available at: <http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/pagedetails.action?packageId=BILLS-109hr5122enr>; “One Hundred Ninth Congress of the United States of America at the Second Session Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, the third day of January, 2006 H. R. 5122.” Available at: <https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/109/hr5122/text>; Scott Shane & Adam Liptak, “Detainee Bill Shifts Power to President.” The New York Times, September 30, 2006.
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“Domestic Operational Law: The Posse Comitatus Act and Homeland Security.” COL (Ret) John R. Brinkerhoff. Reprinted with permission from the Journal of Homeland Security. Newsletter 10–16—December 2009. Center for Army Lessons Learned. Available at: <http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/call/docs/10-16/ch_12.asp>.
- 27.
10 U.S.C. United States Code, 2006 Edition—Title 10—ARMED FORCES Subtitle A—General Military Law—PART I—Organization and General Military Powers Chap. 15—Enforcement of the Laws to Restore Public Order from the U.S. Government Printing Office. Available at: <http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2006-title10/html/USCODE-2006-title10-subtitleA-partI-chap15.htm>.
- 28.
Dana Priest, (Washington Post Staff Writer). “CIA Holds Terror Suspects in Secret Prisons—Debate Is Growing Within Agency about Legality and Morality of Overseas System Set Up After 9/11.” The Washington Post, November 2, 2005.
- 29.
Katharine Q. Seelye, “A Nation Challenged: The Prisoners; First ‘Unlawful Combatants’ Seized In Afghanistan Arrive At U.S. Base In Cuba.” The New York Times, January 12, 2002. Available at: <http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/12/world/nation-challenged-prisoners-first-unlawful-combatants-seized-afghanistan-arrive.html?pagewanted=print>.
- 30.
Monica Whitlock, (BBC correspondent in Kabul). “Legal limbo of Guantanamo’s prisoners.” BBC News, May 16, 2003. Available at: <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3034697.stm>.
- 31.
Katharine Q. Seelye, “A Nation Challenged: The Prisoners; First ‘Unlawful Combatants’ Seized In Afghanistan Arrive At U.S. Base In Cuba.” The New York Times, January 12, 2002. Available at: <http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/12/world/nation-challenged-prisoners-first-unlawful-combatants-seized-afghanistan-arrive.html?pagewanted=print>.
- 32.
Monica Whitlock, “Legal limbo of Guantanamo’s prisoners.” BBC News, May 16, 2003. Available at: <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3034697.stm>; Erik Saar & Viveca Novak, 2005, p. 114.
- 33.
Suzanne Ito, “Despite U.N. Objections, U.S. Continues to Detain Children at Guantánamo.” American Civil Liberties (ACLU), July 22, 2008. Available at: <https://www.aclu.org/print/blog/human-rights-national-security/despite-un-objections-us-continues-detain-children-guantanamo>; Cori Crider, “Guantánamo children.” The Guardian, Saturday, July 19, 2008. Available at: <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jul/19/humanrights.usa>.
- 34.
Jeremy Page, (Kabul), “Mohammed Jawad: ‘I was 12 when I was arrested and sent to Guantanamo’.” The Economist, August 27, 2009. Available at: <http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/asia/afghanistan/article1843471.ece>; The Associated Press. “Guantánamo Detainee Released.” The New York Times, August 24, 2009. Available at: <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/world/asia/25gitmo.html>; William Glaberson, “Obama Faces Court Test over Detainee.” The New York Times, July 28, 2009; “Mohammed Jawad—Habeas Corpus.” American Civil Liberties (ACLU), August 24, 2009. Available at: <https://www.aclu.org/national-security/mohammed-jawad-habeas-corpus>.
- 35.
Ibidem.
- 36.
Dana Priest (Washington Post Staff Writer). “CIA Holds Terror Suspects in Secret Prisons—Debate Is Growing Within Agency about Legality and Morality of Overseas System Set Up After 9/11.” The Washington Post, November 2, 2005.
- 37.
Julian Borger, (Diplomatic editor). “CIA mock executions alleged in secret report.” The Guardian, August 23, 2009.
- 38.
Report of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence—Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Detention and Interrogation Program together with Foreword by Chairman Feinstein and Additional and Minority Views. December 9, 2014—Ordered do be printed. Approved December 13, 2012—Updated for Release April 3, 2014, Desclassification Revisions December 3, 2014. United States Senate, 113th second Session, S. Report 113–288, pp. 96, 105–107, 429 passim. Justice Campaign. Available at: <http://thejusticecampaign.org/?page_id=273>. Accessed on November 17, 2014; in addition to the described techniques, the inquisitors also applied: “(1) The Attention Grab: The interrogator forcefully grabs the shirt front of the prisoner and shakes him. (2) Attention Slap: An open-handed slap aimed at causing pain and triggering fear. (3) The Belly Slap: A hard open-handed slap to the stomach. The aim is to cause pain, but not internal injury. Doctors consulted advised against using a punch, which could cause lasting internal damage. (4) Long Time Standing: This technique is described as among the most effective. Prisoners are forced to stand, handcuffed and with their feet shackled to an eye bolt in the floor for more than 40 hours. Exhaustion and sleep deprivation are effective in yielding confessions. (5) The Cold Cell: The prisoner is left to stand naked in a cell kept near 50 degrees. Throughout the time in the cell the prisoner is doused with cold water. (6) Water Boarding: The prisoner is bound to an inclined board, feet raised and head slightly below the feet. Cellophane is wrapped over the prisoner’s face and water is poured over him. Unavoidably, the gag reflex kicks in and a terrifying fear of drowning leads to almost instant pleas to bring the treatment to a halt.” ROSS, Brian (ABC News Chief Investigative Correspondent); Richard Esposito, “CIA’s Harsh Interrogation Techniques Described.” ABC News. November 18, 2005. Available at: <http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Investigation/story?id=1322866>.
- 39.
Murat Kurnaz, 2009, p. 224.
- 40.
Mariah Blake, (Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor). “Guantánamo ex-detainee tells Congress of abuse—Murat Kurnaz, who testified in a landmark hearing Tuesday, says he spent days chained to the ceiling of an airplane hangar. He was determined innocent in 2002, but held until 2006.”; The Christian Science Monitor. May 22, 2008. Available at: <http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2008/0522/p01s06-woeu.html>.
- 41.
Report of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence—Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Detention and Interrogation Program together with Foreword by Chairman Feinstein and Additional and Minority Views. December 9, 2014—Ordered to be printed. Approved December 13, 2012—Updated for Release April 3, 2014, Declassification Revisions. December 3, 2014. United States Senate, 113th second Session, S. Report 113–288, p. 429.
- 42.
“U.S. Operatives Killed Detainees during Interrogations in Afghanistan and Iraq.” American Civil Liberties Union, October 24, 2005. Available at: <https://www.aclu.org/news/us-operatives-killed-detainees-during-interrogations-afghanistan-and-iraq>. The documents are available at: <http://action.aclu.org/torturefoia/released/102405/3164.pdf>; Lolita C. Baldor, (Associated Press). “ACLU reports 21 homicides in U.S. custody.” Uruku.net. Last update 21/11/2014. Available at: <http://www.uruknet.info/?p=17119>.
- 43.
Report of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence—Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Detention and Interrogation Program together with Foreword by Chairman Feinstein and Additional and Minority Views. December 9, 2014—Ordered do be printed. Approved December 13, 2012—Updated for Release April 3, 2014, Declassification Revisions December 3, 2014. United States Senate, 113th second Session, S. Report 113–288, pp. xxii (13–19), 96, 104–105, 396–397, 464, 496–497.
- 44.
Mark Mazzetti, “Panel Faults C.I.A. Over Brutality and Deceit in Interrogations.” The New York Times, Wednesday, December 10, 2014.
- 45.
Report of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence—Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Detention and Interrogation Program together with Foreword by Chairman Feinstein and Additional and Minority Views. December 9, 2014—Ordered do be printed. Approved December 13, 2012—Updated for Release April 3, 2014, Declassification Revisions December 3, 2014. United States Senate, 113th second Session, S. Report 113–288, p. iv (Pages 2 of 6).
- 46.
For further details see Luiz Alberto Moniz Bandeira, 2014, p. -710.
- 47.
Gary Cohn & Ginger Thompson & Mark Matthews, “Torture was taught by CIA; Declassified manual details the methods used in Honduras; Agency denials refuted.” The Baltimore Sun, January 27, 1997, final edition. Available at: <http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1997-01-27/news/1997027049_1_training-manual-torture-methods-counterintelligence-interrogation>. See also: <http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/40/055.html>.
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Moniz Bandeira, L.A. (2019). 9/11 and the Accelerated Mutation of the American Republic. In: The World Disorder. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03204-3_4
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