Civics: Taxpayer Supported Government and the human rights blind spot

Izabella Kaminska:

Herein really lies the problem. Organisations that are connected to any form of civil disobedience, could in theory be deemed terrorist organisations fit for defunding.

Given the long history of civil disobedience being used in America to effect positive social change, whether for civil rights or environmental causes, this has major political — and potentially authoritarian empowering — side-effects.

The rule is also partial to immense political gaming.

Don’t like that the people are forging a powerful political campaign for x or y cause? Just infiltrate their movement with a few destabilizing agent provocateurs, turn it violent, and hey presto – the group gets classified as a terrorist organisation with all its political offshoots defunded. It can never rise as a legitimate political force.