I had a great discussion with Brittany Shoot of Alternet about the book. Here’s an excerpt from the interview:
BS: In light of the ways the post-9/11 climate of fear fuelled debates about domestic terrorism, how do you think Osama bin Laden’s death could alter the public discussion about eco-terrorism?
WP: What has stood out to me in the past couple of days is how little we as a country have changed — or to put it another way, how much this rhetoric, these policies, and this way of viewing the world has become institutionalized. President Obama made a statement in which he said that Osama bin Laden may be dead but we will never forget the legacy of what has happened.
I would actually argue that we have forgotten. We really have forgotten what and how much things have changed. We have forgotten the uproar that existed surrounding the Patriot Act that was passed in the middle of the night. We have forgotten how national security policies were completely overhauled in the name of fighting terrorism. We have forgotten when “terrorism” was not a household word heard on the news every single day. We have forgotten all of these things. To me, Osama bin Laden’s death really represents a pivotal moment in a long chain of events that is becoming more and more everyday life.
Read the full interview: “Why Does the Govt. Treat Peaceful Enviro Activists More Harshly Than Extremists Who Aim to Kill?”