Kristian Williams “American Methods: The Logic and Legacy of Torture.”

Santa Rosa CopWatch & Free Mind Media Infospace present...

Abner Louima. Abu Ghraib. The Humboldt Five. Extraordinary Rendition. Lynchings. School Of The Americas. Prison Rape.

Whether or not it makes front-page news, make no mistake: Torture is an everyday tool of dominance and terror in the United States. On the heels of Our Enemies in Blue, his controversial chronicle of policing, Kristian Williams once again upsets the notion that “excessive force” by the state is anything but altogether American.

American Methods is a damning audit of the US record in underwriting human rights violations around the globe. In the last 25 years alone and under several administrations, we confront death squads in El Salvador, genocidal campaigns in Turkey, brutal interrogations done on our dime, even in our name by various “friendly governments,” and more. Returning to our shores, Williams observes the banality of violence at home—on both sides of the prison wall. What emerges is the distinct character of American torture, particularly its emphasis on sexual violence, misogyny, and racialized spectacle.
Ultimately, American Methods offers devastating conclusions about the centrality of rape, racism, and conquest to both the state and our national culture.

In addition to American Methods, Kristian Wiliams is the author of Our Enemies in Blue, has had some of his writings on political repression in the United States compiled into one volume titled Confrontations, and has had his articles published in such magazines as Clamor, Dissent, Social Anarchism, New Politics, and Counterpunch. He also contributed an essay to the 2003 collection entitled We Are Everywhere: The Irresistible Rise of Global Anti-Capitalism.

Kristian is a member of Rose City CopWatch in Portland, Oregon, and of the National Writers Union (UAW Local 1981).