unsubscribe

Guy Aitchison (London, OK): I’ve just signed up to Amnesty International’s “unsubscribe” campaign. It aims to unite people against the human rights abuses carried out by governments in the name of the “war on terror”. In the case of our government this means drawing attention to the fact UK airports have been used during "extraordinary rendition’" to transport terror suspects to where they may face torture and indefinite detention. The latest Amnesty magazine gives evidence that Glasgow airport has been used in just such a way. What I particularly like about this campaign is the name: unsubscribe. Governments base their claims to moral authority on the fact that they act on behalf of those they govern. In the case of the "war on terror" it is our interest in security that is supposedly being protected. By unsubscribing from, or “de-authorizing”, acts of torture and state violence we call into question the legitimacy of these acts and the governments that carry them out. In this way the campaign is reminiscent of that great anti-war slogan that popped up in 2003 but hasn’t been seen much since. It read “Not In My Name”. If you want to unsubscribe do it here.