(no subject)

[athelind]

Remember a couple of weeks ago, when they found Saddam Hussein in his little hidey-hole, and I cynically commented on the convenient timing?

I was more right than I thought.

On that very same day, Bush signed Patriot II into law, extending and expanding the police-state powers of Patriot I and coming pretty damned close to repealing the Bill of Rights.

We have to burn the village to protect it. We have to sacrifice our freedoms to preserve them.

Justify this, dracono. Rationalize this. Tell me how you haven't lost any of your freedoms. Tell me again how none of this affects you.

Comments

[pathia.livejournal.com]

Rationalize what? I've never even supported Patriot Act I.

[pathia.livejournal.com]

I think you're confusing my lack of worry about something with support.

I'm much more scared by other things told to me by my 'sources' than any silly bill.

[jdarkwulf.livejournal.com]

Power corrupts. Our government has proven time and again that it is filled with corrupt, greedy, selfish people who do everything they're able to cement their own position. And the powers this bill grants terrify me. Utterly, absolutely terrify me.

My favorite there is the ability to strip citizenship rights away from someone. A close second is the Attorney General's ability to have a legal alien deported with no evidence of wrongdoing, and further, to deport them to a country of the Attorney General's choosing.

Now, I admit that the Attorney General isn't very likely to choose to strip away the citizenship rights of a "problem", then have them deported to the middle of a war zone, effectively making them disappear, all without any public accountability, as it's a matter of national security and therefore utterly secret.

But the fact that he could really makes you think twice, doesn't it? Give the right man the wrong power...

patriot II : fuck harder

[cargoweasel.livejournal.com]

Patriot Act II is yet another reason for me to go the hell back to Canada.

I just think it's funny how the right wing "civil libertarian" militias, who always went on about the Constitution this and Bill of Rights that, who should be freaking out about this stuff, are saying nothing, or they support it.

I always knew those fuckers would be the first to heil the Fuhrer when the time came. Ah well, President Hillary will be happy to round them up under Patriot Act II statutes in '08.

We are now living in Frank Miller's "Give Me Liberty" comic.

[araquan.livejournal.com]

These are the things that have me considering whether my busted-up car can make it to the border. Any border.

[xylen.livejournal.com]

I get the feeling the next thing we see will be the airlines increasing outgoing international flights.

If we're lucky, the next administration through the door will change the definition of terrorism to include what this administration did and go after them for it.

[araquan.livejournal.com]

o/~ Meet the new boss.... same as the old boss... o/~

...

[hitchkitty.livejournal.com]

"I think you're confusing my lack of worry about something with support."

Ah, so, you're not in FAVOR of the law, you're just not worried about it. Doesn't affect you. Not your problem.

"I'm much more scared by other things told to me by my 'sources' than any silly bill."

I'm afraid to ask what you've heard that makes Patriot Act II look like some 'silly bill'. Oh, and by the way...

It's not a bill. It's a law. It is no longer up for discussion. Patriot Act II may now be used.

Tell me, are you starting to worry yet? Or do you remain convinced that violations of civil liberties only happen to liberals?

Re: ...

[pathia.livejournal.com]

There is still judicial oversight, despite what everyone seems to think. They may _act_ as if they already have a warrant, because terrorist threats may be time critical. Guess what they have to do after they have their person incarcerated?

They have to go get a warrant.

Do you know how long it takes to get a federal warrant? It takes _weeks_.


So no, I'm still not scared.