Victory Gin, Anyone? Perhaps a Victory Cigarette?

August 8, 2003 8:32 AM

Ashcroft's Victory Act? I can't find any other mention of it on the mighty Web, but a handful of left-leaning sites are linking back to this article in the NY Daily News. Is this a renaming of the impending sequel to the PATRIOT Act? And if so, does anyone else find the use of the word "Victory" as creepy as I do?
posted by grabbingsand (23 comments total)

Other creepy words from the article:

narcoterrorists

roving warrant
posted by goethean at 8:37 AM on August 8, 2003

However, a search for the full name of the act ("Vital Interdiction of Criminal Terrorist Organizations Act") does pull up a tiny mention in the July newsletter of the US Sentencing Commission. Very tiny.
posted by grabbingsand at 8:37 AM on August 8, 2003

Sounds like Ashcroft finally finished that 1984 book he's been hearing so much about.
posted by Localemperor at 8:49 AM on August 8, 2003

Sounds like Ashcroft finally finished that 1984 book he's been hearing so much about.

Unfortunately, he seems to regard it as a "How-to" book rather than a dystopian vision of the future (or...uh...present). I can't wait until the rename the Dept. of Homeland Security "MiniVic." Doubleplus good!
posted by Verdant at 8:58 AM on August 8, 2003

Strength through joy! Doubleplus good!

I feel safer already.
posted by ehintz at 9:02 AM on August 8, 2003

This lunacy with the jingoistic acronyms ("jingonyms"?) has got to stop, and I offer this advice as a gesture of goodwill towards the administration. Who in their right mind would consider a "Terrorist Interdiction Act" spookier than a VICTORY Act?
England will prevail, Mr. Almond.
posted by tingley at 9:05 AM on August 8, 2003

Let's all have some Victory Gin to celebrate!
posted by eas98 at 9:20 AM on August 8, 2003

You've invoked a V of an entirely different kind, Mr Tingley. Well done. Well done, indeed.
posted by grabbingsand at 9:25 AM on August 8, 2003

Anti-terrorist law enforcement agencies have long tried to find an acceptable way to clamp down on the honor system of hawala* transactions, which represents a very convenient way to channel money to terrorists. It's unclear if the Ashcroft way to do this (a very good thing, per se) will be acceptable for muslims and civil rights lawyers.

* Hawala
Lit: bill of exchange, promissory note, cheque or draft. Technically, a debtor passes on the responsibility of payment of his debt to a third party who owes the former a debt. Thus the responsibility of payment is ultimately shifted to a third party. Hawala is a mechanism for settling international accounts, by book transfers. This obviates, to a large extent, the necessity of physical transfer of cash. The term was also used historically in public finance during the Abbaside period to refer to cases where the state treasury could not meet the claims presented to it and it directed the claimants to occupy a certain region for a specified period of time and procure their claims themselves by taxing the people. This method was also known as 'Tasabbub'. The taxes collected and transmitted to the central treasury were known as 'Mahmul', while those assigned to the claimants were known as 'Musabbub'.

also of interest, in the INTERPOL site:
The hawala alternative remittance system and its role in money laundering

and from TIME magazine,
A Banking System Built for Terrorism
'Hawala' can move millions of dollars around the globe with no paper trail and no questions asked
posted by matteo at 10:46 AM on August 8, 2003

With the political climate what it is, and the House of Representatives already dismantling parts of PATRIOT, I think proponents of this bill are going to have a tough time.

To be on the safe side, you'd better write your Senator and Congressman. While it's still legal to disagree with the Administration. ;-)
posted by ilsa at 11:30 AM on August 8, 2003

narcoterrorists?
posted by delmoi at 11:32 AM on August 8, 2003

Can we get Ahnold to replace Ashcroft instead of running for Governor? He isn't afraid to be photographed with boobs behind him, you know.
posted by trondant at 12:09 PM on August 8, 2003

Thank gods that more fines and sentence time is in there. We all know that those slaps on the wrist were keeping the kingpins out while locking up the users.

Its all about control.
posted by infowar at 12:17 PM on August 8, 2003

This new "law" is just the incentive I need to start looking for work in Canada...

Notice how all illegal activities will soon find themselves lumped into the 'terrorism' umbrella. One notable exception -- DUI, probably to placate Dubya and Dick, who have both been cited for drinky-drivy. Now, if you're walking down the street, which one inspires more fear -- the drunk baby-boomer falling asleep at the wheel, or the kid at the corner who's just smoked a blunt and is headed to the 7/11 for some munchies?
posted by clevershark at 12:20 PM on August 8, 2003

Meanwhile, the DOJ still has the time and resources to pursue Ashcroft's personal crusade: pornography.

"Federal prosecutors said today they have charged a North Hollywood wholesaler of adult films with violating federal obscenity laws as the government steps up a campaign against the major distributors of adult entertainment."
posted by homunculus at 12:32 PM on August 8, 2003

John Ashcroft fears acid on his face, defends forced labor.
posted by homunculus at 12:34 PM on August 8, 2003

eas98, I'm still thirsty ;)
posted by trondant at 12:57 PM on August 8, 2003

nymphoterrorists?
posted by Peter H at 1:29 PM on August 8, 2003

narcomaniacs?
posted by crunchland at 1:38 PM on August 8, 2003

dipsoterrorists?
posted by trondant at 4:55 PM on August 8, 2003

"Freedom's Greatest Threat: The Metaterrorist"?
posted by gluechunk at 5:21 PM on August 8, 2003

despoterrorists?
posted by shadow45 at 8:11 PM on August 8, 2003

metroterrorists
posted by trondant at 10:14 AM on August 10, 2003