[Reader-list] Increased Scrutiny

[Monica Narula]

Below is a message that i picked up from nettime, not only to point 
to the aftermath of 9/11 but to talk also about the aftermath here of 
13/12 in Delhi. Did people read this morning our Human Resource and 
Development Ministe's comment in the newspapers - that there is a 
worse form of terrorism than is obvious, and that is "intellectual 
terrorism". (Historians are to be feared...) Thoughts that are not in 
sync with dominant formulations coming from the centre of ruling...

best
Monica

------ Forwarded Message
From: Culture Jammers Network <jammers at lists.adbusters.org>
Reply-To: <campaigns at adbusters.org>
Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 06:34:39 -0800
To: Culture Jammers Network <jammers at lists.adbusters.org>
Subject: Smell a rat?


Have your activities come under increased scrutiny in the aftermath of S11?

Ours have.

Recently, our Corporate America Flag billboard in Times Square, New York,
attracted the attention of the federal Department of Defense, and a visit
by an agent who asked a lot of pointed questions about our motivations and
intent. We wondered: What gives?

"Just following up a lead from a tip line," the agent admitted.

That's the kind of fourth quarter it's been for many social activists. Any
campaign that dares to question U.S. economic, military or foreign policy
in these delicate times, any critical appraisal of the handling of the
"War on terrorism," risks casting the critic as a kind of enemy of the
state, if not an outright terrorist.

Vigilance we can live with. Intimidation that amounts to persecution is
another bucket of fish. According to some of the emails and phone calls
we've received lately, many other groups have also found themselves under
investigation in a political climate that's starting to take on shades of
McCarthyism.

Our response to all of this is to set up our own "rat line." If you know
of social marketing campaigns or protest actions that are being
suppressed, or if you come across any other story of overzealous
government "information management," please tell us your story. Go to
<http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/flag/nyc.html>.


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-- 
Monica Narula
Sarai:The New Media Initiative
29 Rajpur Road, Delhi 110 054
www.sarai.net