Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?


Image courtesy of: Miguel Ugalde
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” is Latin for “Who watches the watchmen?” and is an apt question for many current issues relating to the “War On Terror” (WOT, which also stands for “Waste Of Time”) and its consequences for human rights. 
While we sit back comfortably and blog about food or whatever else tickles our fancy, some of the things that are being done in our name(s) by our governments in the WOT would prevent any of us from holding down a proper meal. One of the most egregious elements of the entire WOT is the flagrant disregard for Justice and the Right to Fair Trial. Individuals have been detained and held without formal charges for extended periods, some even for several years, without recourse to due process or a fair trial in a Court of Law. I don’t know about you, but this really disturbs me...
Ever since the events of 9/11 world “leaders” (who, let us be honest, are by and large anything but worthy examples) have granted the Instruments of the State the most extraordinary powers which in reality are abuses not only of international law and human rights, but plain old common sense. Speaking for myself, I would like to ensure that due process was applied if - Heaven forbid! - I were ever to be seized by police, border guards, or an intelligence service for any reason at all. After all, MISTAKES are made and people do suffer for no good reason whatsoever, simply because they happened to be the wrong person, in the wrong place at the wrong time.

What can we do about the WOT and its inimical effects on justice and human rights in our world? We can start by contacting our Members of Parliament, or Congressmen (and women), or Senators, or Governors, or Premiers, or whomsoever we can and try to influence them to work to rescind, scale back, or reconsider the virtually unlimited seizure and detainment powers that have been granted to agencies charged with the task of carrying on the WOT. 

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