Orwell was hailed a hero for fighting in Spain. Today he'd be guilty of terrorism

[corksean]

If George Orwell and Laurie Lee were to return from the Spanish civil war today, they would be arrested under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006. If convicted of fighting abroad with a "political, ideological, religious or racial motive" – a charge they would find hard to contest – they would face a maximum sentence of life in prison. That they were fighting to defend an elected government against a fascist rebellion would have no bearing on the case. They would go down as terrorists.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/10/orwell-hero-terrorism-syria-british-fighters-damned

[yurbud]

1. we and the Brits define terrorists as those who fight us or our allies

however odious that allied government is.

[Aristus]

2. 'Terrorism' is the 'Communism' of the latest political generation.

When Communism went the way of the dodo, the war industries had to invent a new global enemy in order to keep their government contracts up-to-date, and their coffers filled with blood money.

I have hopes that this never-ending war-footing may come to an end at last once the Facebook Generation comes of age, and starts holding public office.

"We can't bomb these people! They like Miley Cyrus, just like me!"

[malthaussen]

3. I'd be a "Premature anti-terrorist" myself.

Funny thing that. I was opposed to terrorism before 9/11.

That Terrorism Act is a fascist's wet dream, innit? Kind of like the Patriot Act on this side of the pond.

-- Mal