penal colony

The European Union court of human rights has issued an ominous ruling, siding with the United Kingdom’s wish to extradite (render) five individuals from British soil to the United States for foregone incarceration. This is a difficult and emotional matter, since unwelcome by the majority of the public and accused of inciting and abetting acts of terrorism—though with an array of different charges against each one, these individuals by their conduct and most would argue by their potential have relinquished their rights to remain in the UK. It still sets a dangerous precedent, however, owing that one can banish its undesirables and incorrigibles to the US for safe-keeping. Proponents argue that the American prison (though not justice) system is better equipped to house these villains, and this sub-contracting of one’s due-process reminds me of that episode of The Outer Limits where those ant-like alien creatures use the Earth as a penal colony for its misfits, knowing that humans will dispose of them. The public verdict of these individuals has already reached its sentencing phase, I think, but it is worrisome how mutable the standards might become within this framework and one could potentially in the future be evicted for any number of anti-social behaviours.