Activist and author David
Swanson spoke to an audience
of students, faculty, and
local activists in Fireside
Lounge last Wednesday, urging
them to become more
politically involved and to
pick up as copy of his new
book, “Daybreak: Undoing
the Imperial Presidency and
Forming a More Perfect
Union.”
Swanson is a prolific blogger
and political writer whohis work as press secretary for
the 2004 presidential campaign of
Sen. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio. He
has also worked as media coordinator
for the International Labor
Communications Association and
communications coordinator for
ACORN, theAssociation of Community
Organizations for Reform
Now.
At Bucks, Swanson spoke about the importance
of holding political leaders to the rule of
law, citing the recent conviction
of 22 CIA agents and one
U.S. soldier in Italy for the
k i d n a p p i n g and abduction
of Hassan M u s t a f aAccording to
a BBC report, Nasr fell victim to
the secret U.S. program known as
extraordinary rendition, a process
by which U.S. spies kidnap and
forcibly extradite foreign terror
suspects to countries willing to
torture detainees in order to collect
information.
Swanson pointed out that a similar
victim of extraordinary rendition,
Maher Arar, recently had his
lawsuit against the U.S. government
for his being kidnapped and
tortured in Syria dismissed because,
according to a report in the
New York Times, “Congress has
not authorized such suits.”
“Kidnapping is still illegal in
Italy,” said Swanson,”and I applaud
the Italian court’s decision.”
Swanson went on to argue that
the use of extraordinary rendition
Osama Nasr. is symptomatic of a larger problem
outlined in his new book,
“Daybreak.” According to Swanson,
the use of secret memos, secret
treaties, secret programs like
rendition, and the use of presidential
orders and signing statements,
are signs that the presidency is becoming
more and more independent,
and as a result the U.S.
government is beginning to behave
more like a monarchy and
less like a democracy.
“You need to stop thinking the
president is your friend,” said
Swanson, “He is not your friend.”
In light of this, Swanson called
on everyone in the room to become
more engaged citizens.
For Swanson, that means citizens
must do more than just
vote.”Voting is an initial baby step
toward becoming an active citizen,”
he said. “I encourage everyone
to vote. I don’t encourage
everyone to imagine that their
vote has any real effect.”
Because the office of the presidency
is practically sealed off from the public by the trappings
of the White House and by the
constant guard of the secret service,
Swanson directs citizens to
aim their demands at their local
congressman or congresswoman,
as they are much more accessible
for seeking change than the presidency.
“People in power need to be reminded
that they work for you.
They need to be punished when
they don’t do what they promise,
and rewarded when they do,” said
Swanson. “Simply electing them
without telling them how to represent
you is irresponsible.”
Swanson appeared at Bucks as
part of the Wordsmith Reading
Series, a program “dedicated to
bringing to Bucks nationally
known authors whose work celebrates
the written word and enlarges
our sense of what is
possible with it,” according to a
2009 press release.
Swanson will be continuing his
nationwide tour promoting “Daybreak”
through February.