What the fuck is Extraordinary Rendition?

The internet tells me that:

Extraordinary - beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable.
Rendition - a performance of a musical composition or a dramatic role.

Seems harmless enough, right? Extraordinary Rendition sounds nothing more dreadful than a god awful am-dram performance or a dodgy cover version by some teenage band that has been playing their instruments for 2 weeks and thinks they are fucking Nirvana or something. In fact, most of YouTube is an Extraordinary Rendition of something or another.

The US Government seems to have adopted a policy of making up entirely new words for their dubious activities to make them appear less terrible. Take for example the recent bail out of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. They call this conservatorship. What the hell does this mean? I’ve being following this shit for years and I’ve never heard that word before. This bail out was not much different to the UK Government bail out of Northern Rock. At least we’ve got the balls to call it what it really is - privatisation. In the US however privatisation is not a palatable concept en mass. The US prides itself as the benchmark of capitalism and free economy. This is the doctrine they are crusading across the world as we speak. For them to admit privatising half their mortgages and turning the country into the largest council estate in the world in not something they can stomach. No bother, just make up a new word, tell the world it’s all good and let the market’s rally. Stalin would be proud.

Extraordinary Rendition, if you are the CIA, is a term used to describe “the apprehension and extrajudicial transfer of a person from one state to another”. Extrajudicial meaning punishment by the state or some other official authority without the permission of a court or legal authority. Not quite my interpretation, but hey, it sounds better than “international illegal kidnapping”. Flying into a country in a private jet, bundling the “baddies” in the back and taking them someplace to torture them is not ok with me. In fact, it’s an Extraordinary Rendition of being a total asshole. This is no more legal than if I drove round to some dodgy estate, bungled some chavs in the back of a van, took them to the moors and kicked the living crap out of them. It’s just not legal, however noble the justification, whatever the cause may be. Why should the state get away with what is illegal and shocking for any individual to do, and who is ultimately responsible?

Our American friends, Impeach Bush. Question the policies of your future leaders, whoever they may be.

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