Nathan Hopper

Terror against terror: That is the new paradigm. In order to stifle terrorism, we must be vigilant, John Birch Society devotees with one eye on our neighbors, and one ear to television.

Immigrants and non-residents, we are told, are worthy of extra attention and suspicion. On Nov. 13, President Bush signed a military order that grants the government powers to detain without evidence or trial anyone who is “in the interest of the United States” of being incarcerated. The actual wording of the order is rather splendid. It reads like a tree house charter, designed to keep the geeky kid with thick glasses at bay.

Gone are the rights to a civil trial. A military court, which has a puny burden of proof vis-