Imagine how great the "progressive" furor would be if the Bush Administration had suddenly denied a visa to an award-winning Colombian journalist because of his reportage on human rights abuses by his American-backed government.

Would we not have heard, rightly, how this draconian action exemplified the administration's tyrannical nature, its use of raw, arbitrary power to throttle any voices trying to shed light on the very murky corners of the Drug War and Terror War operations in Colombia that are armed and funded with billions of dollars from American taxpayers?

Would this not have been added to a long train of similar abuses of power – arbitrary confinement and indefinite detention; concentration camps; shielding torturers;  escalating pointless wars and killing countless civilians; running secret armies, assassins and covert operations throughout the world, etc. – and served up as a damning indictment of a lawless regime?

So now let us see what our leading progressive lights have to say about the case of Hollman Morris, “a prominent Colombian journalist who specializes in conflict and human rights reporting,” who has just been denied a visa by the Obama Administration, preventing him from taking up a fellowship at Harvard University, as AP reports.

Morris – who “produces an independent TV news program called "Contravia," [that] has been highly critical of ties between illegal far-right militias and allies of outgoing President Alvaro Uribe, Washington's closest ally in Latin America" – has been to the United States many times before. In fact, he was free to enter the country under the loathed Bush Administration. But now, in our bright and glorious progressive era, he has suddenly – dare we say arbitrarily – been declared “permanently ineligible for a visa under the ‘Terrorist activities’ section of the USA Patriot Act,” AP reports.

What are Morris’ crimes? Well, the American-trained Colombian security organs declared that the reporter had exhibited "opposition tendencies to government policies." God knows that kind of thing can’t be allowed in any colony – sorry, client state – sorry, sovereign ally of the United States. And so they put him under surveillance – years ago. He also – horrors – acted as a go-between Colombian rebels and French diplomats trying to free Ingrid Betancourt, who had been held hostage for years. All of this pre-dates the current administration.

Of course, as we all know, the Supreme Court has now accepted the Obama Administration’s earnest argument that anyone who tries to do anything that might lead to the peaceful resolution of any situation that might possibly involve a group that has been arbitrarily declared a “terrorist organization” by His Potomac Majesty is, perforce, also a terrorist, and thus unfit to pass the gates of God’s shining city on the hill.

We realize, of course, that Morris’ case – and the whole bill of indictment cited above, wherein Obama has continued and often expanded the crimeful policies of his predecessor – is not nearly as important as, say, a progressive blogger temporarily being denied access to witless talking heads shows on a corporate TV network.  That, as they say, is some serious shit. Still, we wait with trembly anticipation the coming firestorm of righteous progressive anger that will, no doubt, soon engulf the Obama Administration for its repressive, Bush-like handling of Morris. You know it’s coming. Any minute now. Just you wait and see.

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Comments (17)

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Dongi123 said:

Refusing Hollman Morris a visa is just one more lamentable example of how the Empire is gradually going blind. The American mass media, however, have long since lost their vision and seem unable to grasp what is really going on - our present civilization is in a state of increasing decline. The system is corrupt, the Gulf of Mexico deteriorates daily, the War in Afghanistan resembles Vietnam more and more, the sense of coming disaster spreads inexorably throughout the land. Our present leadership in both political parties seems gripped by a deepening paralysis. Except for the Tea baggers and the Palinites and in their case, paralysis might be preferable. Guess America will go out on a blast of hot air. Too bad, the nation had much to offer. Once upon a time.

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July 09, 2010
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cyanide said:

I can hardly wait -- -- for this fall's election. Seriously! At this point I can't imagine how it's going to turn out. Usually, it's easy: I just pick the most hateful and disgusting outcome I can imagine and, because I'm sick enough to imagine such things, I always toss a ringer or (at least) a leaner. But this year, I find that my usual method nets leads me to think of two possible outcomes: either the election will be canceled because the U.S. has been invaded by armies of radioactive Muslim terrorists or things will stay exactly as they presently are. I can't deal with either idea. Beam me up, Scotty!

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July 09, 2010
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JMWeleski said:

	They came first... Thank (the Judeo-Christian) God that our courageous leaders passed the USA Patriot Act! If it weren't for that sanctified piece of legislation, our nation could fall prey to foreign peace activists (i.e., enemies of the state). Or, Hollman Morris and U.S.-backed Colombian death squads, meet Memory Hole. It was nice knowing you.
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July 09, 2010
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yankee30 said:

As Obama praises Berlusconi who is in the process of gagging journalists(the ones he doesn't already own, that is)from publishing information attained through State wire-taps. Nevermind that here in Italy cases of individual and institutional corruption are sprouting daily like so many toxic toadstools. I still don't understand how you can prohibit the publication of information that is part of the public record. There must be a caveat. ..... Colombia's Medellin Cartel is a junior partner of the Sicilian Mafia and the Sicilian Mafia is integrated into the power in Rome and into business and banking in Milan(and elsewhere). All to ensure, of course, within those "inadvertently created" networks, the continuity of collusion.

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July 09, 2010
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john kelley said:

	yankee30 Don't know how I got my old pseudonym back, but it wasn't my fault, honest.
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July 09, 2010
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JeanDavid said:

	... You can't stop progress. 8-(
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July 09, 2010
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Debbieaussie said:

	... Anybody who still thinks the US (quickly to be followed by the rest of us) is not a police state is living in fantasy land. Which of course is the whole point of lady Gaga, Lindsay Lohan etc etc.
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July 10, 2010
Votes: +3

scott douglas said:

	... Yeah? Well, what about all them turrrorists that's still slippin'on through? Huh?! "International travelers will tell you that they find that they are treated like criminals, that they are barked at by U.S. officials," said Geoffrey Freeman of the Discover America Partnership. "They simply feel unwelcome and that is leading them to choose other countries." CNN.com
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July 10, 2010
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caseyf5 said:

	... Hello Chris, The last paragraph in your article says it all.
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July 10, 2010
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Strefanash said:

... Well, as for me, I wouldnt visit the Fascist Union of America for ANY reason. So it would be no skin off mine if I was denied a visa, chiefly because i would not dream of applying for one. America is not the leader of the free world. it is not even a member of the free world One of the sickest jokes ever was that i was once offered a Green Card. Live and work in the US? They got to be joking, right?

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July 10, 2010
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john kelley said:

	... Strefanash, Please tell, where have you found your hiding place?
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July 10, 2010
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Strefanash said:

... Mr Kelley, I hail from New Zealand. When I first heard that Bush had been re-elected in 2004 my first impulse was to cut and run somewhere, but then I realized that we are so far out of the way here (I have lived here my whole life, was born here and have never travelled outside of this country and frankly have no inclination to now) that people are likely to cut and run to *here,* that my fear subsided. But not, unfortunately, my contempt for that most lawless of nations, the Fascist Union of Vespucciland (you know the name Vespucci? Amerigo's - hence America - surname. And if it sounds like a Mafia hood's fiefdom it is intended to.) That is what the USA has become, the biggest crime syndicate on earth, dwarfing the lawlessness of even Russia infinitely. The land of the free, the land of hope etc was only a mirage. We were all americans after 9/11, even me. I even played in a symphony concert in memory of 9/11 (I was a classical musician then.) And the FUV squandered all that good will and sympathy in less than 2 years.

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July 12, 2010
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Dongi123 said:

Hey Strefanash, I, plus several friends, are giving serious thought to New Zealand as a place of refuge. I was most impressed that NZ doesn't allow any nuclear powered ships to enter its harbors. Although this really irritates the US cuz so many of its ships are not allowed to stop off at New Zealand for rest and recreation, I think it is a very principled stand. I am planning a trip to Australia and New Zealand in the not too distant future. I definitely will look into immigration procedures. Guess, I may have to learn to appreciate the finer points of rugby. Cheerio or whatever phrase is used.

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July 12, 2010
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john kelley said:

... Strefanash, New Zealand has long been on my list of countries which my unscholarly inquiries have suggested belongs to, dare I say it, "the free world". Some of the northern European countries as well and, I think, maybe, Bhutan. There seems to be some real humanistic interest and concern for sovereign responsibility. "New Zealand ranks highly in international comparisons on human development, quality of life, life expectancy, literacy, public education, peace, prosperity, economic freedom, ease of doing business, lack of corruption, press freedom, and the protection of civil liberties and political rights." (Wikipedia) Dare I suggest that "good governance" has played a role? Geography certainly has. In fact, often, in my wayward armchair wanderings, I have found myself on deck, under the awning, cool drink in hand, mollified at anchor in the Bay of Islands.

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July 12, 2010
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Phylter said:

With all this talk of Kiwi-Land Might I suggest the west island of New Zealand, commonly referred to as Australia (Kiwi joke). Australia has a population of some 22M, as opposed to NZ's 3M and is 2/3's the size of the USA. There are MANY MANY Kiwis in Australia, and I'm not referring to the flightless bird. Australia is a socialist country with a lovely climate, as opposed to those northern hemisphere socialist countries with very cold weather. 40 years experience with that country. My reason for being in the USA is of a personal nature. The regulars here will work it out... But it is referred to by the population as the "Nanny State". Lots of rules and regs. You can't own a pistol, you have universal health care thrust upon you, everyone gets a pension, regardless of years worked, it's a tough lifestyle.. Only the brave and foolhardy would attempt to live there... ;) Oh, and it's HOT and water is in short supply...

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July 12, 2010
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Debbieaussie said:

	... Definitely not a bad place to live, is Aus. Our govt, sad to say, is moving to the right too. But we are an unruly bunch and are very, very unlikley to give up things, such as universal health care and pensions and unemployment for those in need, yet.
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July 13, 2010
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Strefanash said:

... Alas, even though in 1984 the NZ labour government banned nuclear ships here the very same government betrayed socialist principles, and in its anger the electorate chose the most far right national government probably in history. And since then our governments have been picking away at the welfare state. They are so obsessed with trade that human rights violations by prosective trading partners are ignored, along as we can turn a trick with our exports. And I am sure our current national govt would repeal the nuclear ban if they could get away with it, for the US is held up as a shining example of how to do things, Even now. We are stupid enough here to ignore the errors of other countries yet not learn by our own Like the US we have two right wing property parties but what stops us from being really dangerous is our size and insignificance. We just passed the 4 million mark last year. Clean and green is just an image, The police now have tasers. Murders appear in the news on a weekly basis wheras in my childhood 40 years ago they were almost unheard of, and yes, it is true, there ARE lot of Kiwis living in Australia. THe average wage over there is a lot higher than here We are not a culturally dead as we were a generation, and the country is no longer closed in sundays. But rugby is still the religion here, even though the game bores me to death. This is true to the extent that the Religious Right is no threat here at all, even though we have our own cloned televangelist here, self styled "Bishop" Brian Tamaki, replete withe rolex, rings, tailored suits, fancy cars and the works. But we are out of the way and for all the xenophobia here one of the biggest bonusses for me is that my home town is the Russian capital of NZ with 3000 Russian emigres in int, I am friends with the Russian community here

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July 13, 2010
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