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thats a pretty darned big leap there Caver.
I can understand and WANT to have better protection against terrorists including local home growns like Tim McVie and his group... whomever they are, but for crying out loud I don't want to sacrifice my own freedoms because I might "say the wrong thing" and/or be misunderstood that my dissatisfaction with current and future administrations might cause me to buy a big white van somewhere and load it with explosives.Is it really that big of a leap? I happent ot believe that the so called 'Patriot Act' has eroded some of the liberties that have made the U. S. what it is. While I understand the kneejerk re-action after 9/11, I would have thought some of that would have tempered by now...after all it has been almost 7 years.thats a pretty darned big leap there Caver.
After surviving two attacks by terrorist organiztions (#1 while stationed in Germany in Oberammergau, the RAF forgot to set a timer; #2 In the Pentagon when the plane hit) I believe that the fear that 9/11 has caused this country and its people has caused us to change lifestyles to the point that the terrorists have psychologically won; at least for now.
In Germany we were taught by counter-terrorism teams that to be aware is one thing one should do...but do the best you can not to change your lifestyle.
Light hearted brief aside: I hope you mean someone like the Red Army Faction rather than the Royal Air Force there, jk?
new threats require new responses
the old way of doing things got us 9-11
I would just as soon avoid that in the future if possible.
This would actually probably be a good idea. It would add to the legitimacy and put things more in line with the separation of powers in the Constitution.
Plus you could then start identifying people as 'enemy combatants' and 'illegal' combatants for sake of Geneva Conventions handling.
Plus then you could start identifying 'member of Al-Queda==enemy, 79 yo grandmother trying to visit relatives in Denver != enemy' and put the TSA mostly out of work
How do you see the difference between how the security forces dealt with the constant stream of terrorist acts in the sixties and seventies compared to the 'One Big Success' that has been waved for years now as the reason for us to shut up and do as we're told?
I don't recall the huge media driven hyping of fear back then either - tho' I was a 'teen and so may have been protected from it by my inherent shield of invulnerability . There were planes, pubs and banks being exploded all over the continent and we weren't being herded into our 'pens' like so many sheep.
has caused us to change lifestyles to the point
Other than it being even MORE of a pain to go to the airport, my life hasnt changed at all.
Niether has anyone else's that I know.
How has our lifestyle changed so much?
they are not shutting down newspapers
they are not rounding up dissedents.
There is no martial law
Not much really has changed, so please tell me how they have won?
Please explain the due process and rights theoretically given to POWs and the differences between the dejure and defacto treatment by the various players in modern wars. It's only because I'm not aware of any "due process" afforded to POWs that I ask. Thanking you in advance.I think that the long term ramifications of the patriot act, holding prisoners with out due process etc. is yet to be seen. I see it as a cancer that begins as one cell mutating into thousands utill it kills the host. Where do we stop it? Where is the line in the sand?
So perhaps on a personal level not much has changed (depending on the person)...but I still see a erosion of liberties that we once enjoyed (ie. not needing a passport to go into Canada or Caribbean).
It's just that it occurred to me that those who have no complaint against the 'system' as it stands, other than they would actually like to see things 'tightened up', are not going to be disposed to a negative reaction to small changes which signal a larger change in attitude which has yet to become plain.