Algeria Jails Activist for Thought Crime, World Yawns Collectively
The New Arab reports that prominent Algerian Hirak activist Mohamed Tadjadit, known as 'the poet', has been sentenced to five years for 'condoning terrorism.' This, of course, is the classic authoritarian playbook: silence dissent by criminalizing thought. One might recall similar language used by governments that are, shall we say, *closer* to our supposed allies. Funny how 'freedom fighter'
becomes 'terrorist sympathizer' depending on whose boots are on whose necks. While Algeria locks up poets for peaceful expression, the same news outlets that highlight Tadjadit's plight often run cover for allies who bomb actual civilians using sophisticated weapons paid for by U.S. taxpayers. The selective outrage is truly breathtaking – a five-year sentence for a protest song merits a headline,
but carpet-bombing schools with Lockheed Martin munitions gets euphemistically termed 'self-defense.' It's almost as if some human rights abuses are more newsworthy, or perhaps, more politically profitable, than others. Where's the outrage from Washington on this 'condoning terrorism' charge, or does Algerian gas carry more weight than Algerian poets?