Articles by Greg Guma

So, here we are again – in an era of “homeland security” and anti-terrorism hyper-awareness. Obviously, there’s a dangerous, rising current of aggression and violence – by fundamentalist groups and irresponsible governments. But it’s hard to be sure how much of what we hear is an accurate assessment, and how much is exaggerated – or worse, misinformation designed to disguise someone’s hidden agenda.

As in the Vietnam War, the notorious McCarthy era, and the Red Scares and crackdowns that have periodically re-occurred throughout US history, there’s a serious chill in the air. For those working to stop corporate globalization or fighting for social justice, this comes as no surprise. The effort to classify many of them as “potential terrorists” has been underway for some time. But things have gone much further since 9/11. The initial roundup and heightened security measures were merely a prologue, soon followed by a surge in “purges” for those expressing unpopular opinions and open calls for the use of torture to extract information from suspects. Meanwhile, the government assembled sweeping new powers to surveil, wiretap, monitor the Internet, detain people, and conduct secret searches. read more

Twenty-five years ago, less than half a million people were behind bars in the US. Today, even though crime rates are still roughly the same, more than two million prisoners are doing hard time. Nevertheless, the conventional wisdom won’t die. You know, more severe punishment and longer sentences will reduce crime — or at least incapacitate some bad guys. Oh yes, some are truly dangerous. However, the sad truth is that most people in US jails are nonviolent offenders and casualties of the war on drugs, many incarcerated for possession, not the sale, of narcotics. read more

Excerpt from a new play