to the Denver Post,
Colorado, USA
21.10.1999
Dear Madam/Sir,
As yet unnoticed by the American media and the American public
the fate of Raoul Wuthrich has the potential to become a symbol
for a turning-point in the Worlds relations to the US.
For Europeans, for instance, the American justice system is
becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish from the justice
system of, let's say, Iran. Executions, puritanism, religious
bigotry and other "fundamentalisms" make the US a place that
holds little attraction for Europeans. Where they once looked
to America for "Liberty for all" they now only see "Liberalism
for the few".
There is in fact far more Liberty to be found in the "Old World"
these days. And Europeans are not likely to follow the American
Way in more than one aspect: "Liberalism" of the commercial
kind is much resented in fact, because there is sufficient evidence
to suggest that it doesn't lead to more Liberty. Whereas the
opposite seems to be true: America, with roughly the same population
as Europe has a staggering threefold prison-population. A result
of the inhuman "dog eat dog"-capitalism, US-Style, as most Europeans
would probably hasten to conclude.
"None of your business", a righteous American Citizen might
respond. Yet it is quite self-understood that the rest of the
World is accountable to the US even though it is increasingly
to be found in the ranks of human rights violators. What a relief
to know that these human rights violations are democratically
"elected".
Sending ten year old children to jail in handcuffs and chains,
for a behaviour that most Europeans would regard, at worst,
as neurotic, perhaps as "a bit naughty", or even as "normal
growing up stuff", is perceived as blatantly perverse in the
Free World outside the US. And the insanity of such a case feeds
back into the minds of children and especially teenagers and
Jim Morrisons lyrical prophecy becomes chilling in this context
when we hear a central line from "The End": "...And all the
Children are Insane..."
And it seems America is going "insane" and getting out of touch
with sound human behaviour: removed into a hysteric and frigid
Nirvana of legalities we can clearly discern the same fear of
ambiguity that fuelled the spanish inquisition.
We used to love America even when we said "Yankee Go Home" in
the Vietnam days. We loved it for it's music, a freer life-style
and perhaps in a way, for more honesty. But the bigotry that
always existed there is becoming epidemic, bizarre and legally
codified.
We may still be married to the US but Europe is just starting
to scratch it's head, wondering if it has been betrayed and
if it should consider filing for divorce. The American Dream
is dead and the American Nightmare has just begun...
Related
Sites: Amnesty International
about Americas "War
on Juveniles"