Blogging from the Highlands of Scotland
'From fanaticism to barbarism is only one step' - Diderot

Saturday 24 April 2004

Parallels with Guantanamo from sixty years ago - Germans interned in Texas in WWII

A very interesting discussion on an earlier and major example of the US holding persons under dubious pretexts is here. I had not before heard of the case of many thousands of Germans being 'purloined' from countries south of the Rio Grande, most of whom were simply farmers and even included some Jews. One Jew was taken because "many Germans used his butcher shop". The author ends his piece with a pertinent remark:

Americans and their Supreme Court should see this forgotten precedent as a cautionary tale.

For clarity, I should emphasise that I am not 'anti-war' or 'pro-war' (referring to the hosting website for the article I link to) per se - I am interested in hearing points of view from all sources provided they are well-argued and do not indulge in invective or ad hominem attacks.

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