POLICE STATE INDEX: The Weekly Wrap . . .

Ahhhhh. The inaugural week of The New York Inquirer comes to a close, and what have we learned?

(Below you’ll find links to everything we published over the course of the week . . . )

No, the U.S. is not a police state, that is, with the exception that Greg Palast so succinctly pointed out in his interview, “Unless you’re living in Guantanmo.” Despite the fact that The New York Times is being accused of treason, it was clear early on that this is no Stalinist regime, no fearing population living under a malicious dictator like Pinochet.

We’re no police state, yet. That’s why we sized up all the mitigating factors, and offered up some wise ways to proceed.

Since 9/11, (was that carte blanche for the administration?) surveillance in public spaces, and of course in the privacy of your own home, has changed drastically. We surveyed the role played by the courts. According to David Letterman, you’d better not Google “Hummus.” Benjamin Franklin, paraphrasing the good John Locke, gave us our quote of the week, the rubric under which we could look closely at the formation of the Patriot Act and then the legality of the legislation as it has been implemented and enforced over the last – almost – five years.

Features abounded during our first week: the World Cup just finished, so Unobstructed View took stock of Zidane’s head. Nice Threads debuted by charting the fate of humanity. In light of the horrendous upswing of violence in the Holy Land, The Inquirer turned to a roving correspondent. The Inquirer also introduced the wacky, great artist, Pretzel Ninja. And the star of the MSM Blunder was who we so affectionately now call K-Cour.

And then there’s the Genius of the Week: Dr. Bartha, who apparently blew up his own E. 62nd St. townhouse. While he was in it.

Reductio ad absurdum began his satirical bender with an Open Letter (From Your Good Friend, Satan) and imagined the inner workings of a terrorist chat room. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez conflated history. And last but not least, The Inquirer cast a sad, or more, a disappointed eye on Ground Zero.

And that’s all she wrote! For this week at least. Beginning Monday, The Inquirer will look at Latin America’s Turn to the Left. Sign up for our daily e-mail list, or send a note to nyinquirer at gmail.com with “Subscribe” in the heading and we’ll send you one update every week.

Cheers!