'Progressive' editor questions Bush policies

Rothschild discusses public's rights, liberties since terrorist attacks

By: Brian Reisinger

Posted: 2/15/06

The editor of "The Progressive" magazine compared the Bush presidency to various eras of political repression in American history Wednesday night, speaking to an audience in Schofield Auditorium.

In his talk "Losing Our Liberties: Life in the Bush Era," Matthew Rothschild outlined what he said were blatant violations of Americans' civil rights and liberties in the name of national security.

"We've had these waves of oppression wash over us," Rothschild said. "There's one washing over us now."

The Progressive Media Network and Chippewa Valley Civil Liberties Union sponsored the event.

Rothschild provided a few of the "more than 150" anecdotes he has encountered that he said are obvious examples of the administration's disregard for people's rights and liberties since 9/11. He told stories of arrested protesters, average citizens facing investigation for making simple political statements and Arab/Muslim Americans enduring unfair suspicion.

"It's just baffling," he said. "It's more prevalent than you think."

He also condemned numerous Bush actions and policies, including the War in Iraq, the tapping of U.S. phone lines without warrants and the Patriot Act - both before and after Congress modified it.

The administration executes these various actions and policies by inflating the threat of terrorism and other forces, thereby exploiting the insecurities of the American public, he said.

"Bush has scared the majority of the public literally out of their wits," he said. "He wants the American public to believe this is the absolute scariest time we've lived in."

Both the press and Bush's political opponents are guilty of allowing the president such latitude in the aftermath of 9/11, the result of wanting to avoid the consequences of appearing unpatriotic.

While he stopped short of referring to the Bush administration as a dictatorship, he did say there are "clouds of fascism and dictatorship in the sky," and Americans should not continue to abide such conditions.

"This really boils down to whether we're going to have a democracy or not," he said. "If we don't use our voices, if we don't protest, then we've already lost."

The actions Bush - and, more importantly, the members of his administration who have manipulated him -are worthy of impeachment, he said, especially compared to the scandal that Republicans used to impeach former President Clinton.

While many audience members echoed Rothschild's sentiments, some felt his assessment of the Bush administration was unfair.

"I failed to see the link between his stories and the president," said sophomore Tom Burton, chair of the College Republicans.

Burton also said Rothschild's statements didn't give enough credit to the American public and showed clear political resentment.

"He assumes all American people are idiots," he said. "The reason is (Bush's opponents) aren't winning at the
ballot box."

Meanwhile, junior Mary Jo Klinker, a member of PMN, said she experienced the sort of situation Rothschild described when authorities took her picture at a protest.

"I thought it was interesting that he talked about … specific cases of people's rights being violated," she said. "I've definitely experienced that here in America."