Fear, Patriotism, and "Security"
People seem to panic easily, running in small frightened packs like drug-crazed lemmings when danger looms on the horizon. Such a small frightened pack of drug-crazed lemmings was the US Congress after 9/11/01. Without a murmur of debate, without full knowledge of its implications, and without (in most cases) even READING the godsdamned thing, Our Elected 'Leaders' signed off on the USAPATRIOT Act and sent it to a President all too willing to sign it.
Now, I will admit that I tasted the rank bile of fear on Black Tuesday, but I kept my head on straight and realized something. In fact, I said it online and was vilified as being too alarmist. Here's what I said: "I fear that the Administration will use this as a sort of Reichstag Fire, in order to put the screws to our civil liberties."
It's screw time, folks. Congress is renewing several provisions of the Act that represents the greatest assault on our freedoms since the McCarthy Era, and is even considering strengthening various other bits of it (like the FBI no longer having to wake up a judge for a subpoena or order before breaking into YOUR home, reading YOUR mail, tapping YOUR phone or email, etc.).
Now, I'm a patriot, as are the great majority of people living in this country. I pay taxes and have the general expectation of privacy (even though no such provision exists in the Constitution). But what stops the Government from snooping on you even though you aren't a terrorist?
And where is the accountability? Who watches the watchers?
Now, all of this Patriot Act bullshit, the "Homeland Security" - which should send a chill up the spine of anyone who has read any history - and the airport/border security (which is good at stopping butter knife-wielding old ladies, but rather iffy on chainsaw-wielding maniacs) is designed to make you afraid. Not safer; there is nothing that can make you safer. The idea is to whipsaw you from one manufactured crisis after another so that you'll be more amenable to giving up your freedom in exchange for the illusion that you are safe from terrorism.
Besides, the Patriot Act was redundant when it started. All of its provisions already existed as separate laws; the Act strengthened and expanded them. It would have been better to expand just the relevant laws, and avoid poking the Government into areas they shouldn't be.
Write your elected representatives and tell them how you feel. Let the Patriot Act sunset; it's time for it to die.
Now, I will admit that I tasted the rank bile of fear on Black Tuesday, but I kept my head on straight and realized something. In fact, I said it online and was vilified as being too alarmist. Here's what I said: "I fear that the Administration will use this as a sort of Reichstag Fire, in order to put the screws to our civil liberties."
It's screw time, folks. Congress is renewing several provisions of the Act that represents the greatest assault on our freedoms since the McCarthy Era, and is even considering strengthening various other bits of it (like the FBI no longer having to wake up a judge for a subpoena or order before breaking into YOUR home, reading YOUR mail, tapping YOUR phone or email, etc.).
Now, I'm a patriot, as are the great majority of people living in this country. I pay taxes and have the general expectation of privacy (even though no such provision exists in the Constitution). But what stops the Government from snooping on you even though you aren't a terrorist?
And where is the accountability? Who watches the watchers?
Now, all of this Patriot Act bullshit, the "Homeland Security" - which should send a chill up the spine of anyone who has read any history - and the airport/border security (which is good at stopping butter knife-wielding old ladies, but rather iffy on chainsaw-wielding maniacs) is designed to make you afraid. Not safer; there is nothing that can make you safer. The idea is to whipsaw you from one manufactured crisis after another so that you'll be more amenable to giving up your freedom in exchange for the illusion that you are safe from terrorism.
Besides, the Patriot Act was redundant when it started. All of its provisions already existed as separate laws; the Act strengthened and expanded them. It would have been better to expand just the relevant laws, and avoid poking the Government into areas they shouldn't be.
Write your elected representatives and tell them how you feel. Let the Patriot Act sunset; it's time for it to die.
posted by Walt at 11:43 PM
2 Comments:
You said it well. 9/11 became bushco's super highway to implement their wildest gambles at home and abroad -- gambles at others' expense, not their own.
It's time to lay down the spike strips now, before the runaway powermongers destroy our country. The sooner we stop the madness the more lives we save and the more freedom and security we retain.
I sometimes catch myself doubting whether Bush will step down after his term. Something about a "national security crisis" that will enable him to suspend that pesky Constitution. The mechanism for that has been in place since Iran/Contra (Ollie Traitor North worked on it, I believe).
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