Are we letting the terrorists win their assault against our democratic way of life, by forcing our..........?

Question

........ government into an un-American - civil liberties & freedom infringing - modus operandi?

Are we losing the ideological war against the terrorists thanks to our “civil liberties and freedom eroding” governmental policies and actions at home (e.g. The Patriot Act, Wiretappings, Racial Profiling, etc.)?

Can our democratic way of life be preserved, in this growing age of terrorism, without having to resort to such undemocratic measures?

wildraft1 - Heck, you must be a genius for answering my "rant" or else, just one of those who would’ve happily lived under the Taliban regime! ... It’s okay my friend, we need “unskilled” laborers in this country too! LOL

birdsnakecat... - Hey, my "neck" is just as "red" as yours buddy! LOL

For those of you interested in continued Racial Profiling strategies – First of all, keep in mind that Racial Profiling is just one area of infringement and discrimination against basic human rights, but even then let me ask you this: What if your “Arab terrorist”, singled out by the Racial Profiling process, was in reality a perfectly harmless Jewish Doctor on his way to a medical conference, or a Greek merchant on a Disney vacation, or a Spanish Businessman bound for a technological exposé in Atlanta, Or a Brazilian car enthusiast on his way to a Detroit car show, or a Sicilian-American Pizza shop owner? Here’s hoping you get the picture! And while you are trying, try this one for a fit as well:

What if while we are busy doing our Racial Profiling of Arab-looking folks we miss out on all the blond and blue-eyed homebrewed radicals and terrorists on their marry way to bomb another Federal Building in Oklahoma (remember Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols – neither one of them looked like an Arab, did they?), or a 68-year old grandpa-looking mercenary for hire who wants to leave a ton of money to his grandkids in Dublin, or a disgruntled post-office employee wanting to go out with a bang? Is there a beginning or an end to Racial Profiling? Not to mention, you seem to be committing the most basic blunder in security measures – “Underestimating The Enemy”.

The terrorists are fanatic and bloodthirsty, but I doubt if we’ll be doing ourselves any favors by thinking that they are “stupid” as well. While we are busy labeling people and chipping away at our hard-earned democracy (in other words, playing right into the terrorists’ ideological goal of dividing our people and destroying our democratic way of life), the terrorists are hard at work perfecting their modus operandi. Do you honestly think that these terrorists are beyond finding or hiring blond blue-eyed recruits and mercenaries (a description that just as easily fits the Irish as it does at least a fifth of the Lebanese population, if you care to inform yourself) to do their dirty deeds for them? Close-mindedness, racial prejudice and wearing away at our precious human rights and democratic principles (what Bush was elected to guard against, after all) only serve as additional ammunition for the terrorists.

misschatea – LOL, I am truly sorry, BUT I still don't know what you are trying to get at / tell me here! Did someone try to send you an e-mail on my behalf??? What, or who the heck is "pebbles" and which one of my old questions do you want me to look at and why? And what does "sheepherder" have anything to do with any of this (she is just a good Y!A friend, at least as far as I am concerned)?

Answer 1

Yes. The basic precepts of freedom demand that a government be held accountable, be kept at bay and be open to criticism.

Not only is this no longer happening, but governments are taking the cue and cutting back liberties at will, with hardly a peep of dissent from anyone.

"the problem with democracy is that it always turns into a dictatorship" - Thomas Jefferson

Answer 2

Listen Racial profiling is not being used enough, and that is the biggest problem with the war on terror. When 65 year old grandma's start wanting to blow up airplanes that's when we need to start screening them. Bottom line 18-40 year old male Arabs blow up airplanes these are the ones you search. Trust me the hassles of profiling are nothing compared to the racism backlash Muslims will face if there is another 9-11. The more i see ours rights erode, and the true will of the people not met the more i start to think there is something to the NWO conspiracy theory.-----Think about this; If you believe in global warming them you know that this planet has to make drastic changes soon in the why we manage our energy resources and our environment. An abrupt climate change (no matter if "minor" change) will put a stress on our resources like never before. Accompany that with the pending over population problems of third world countries, and India and china's booming economy and demand for more resources, major changes will be needed to the planet as a whole. You can't get the entire world to agree on anything much less implement the steps we need to take to prepare (fix)for the problems. Only a one world government can save this planet. Can you imagine the wars we would have if northern parts of north America and Europe, Asia became uninhabitable? Don't forget some amount of coastal flooding. Billion will die. The wealthy nwill be fine (they always are) The extreme poor in mexico, india, china africa will not make it. Notice these are often southern counties masses will be moving into. The question is how many in the middle class will die?

Answer 3

The fault lies no longer in the terrorists yet in the reaction of the authorities and the folk who enable it. even with the undeniable fact that the rustic has a lengthy heritage of allowing such abuses, going decrease back to the Alien and Sedition regulations. yet human beings then a minimum of had the gumption to damage the Federalist party for its function in those regulations. there became by no skill any payback for McCarthyism or the Palmer Raids, so each and every time now it receives worse. My per chance pitiful attempt is to insert connection with jihad, imam, heroin, ammo, explosions,, in my emails and telephone calls. If adequate human beings do an same, at the same time as the authentic terrorists use code words, finally the abusers efforts will give way.

Answer 4

Terrorists start to win when their propaganda campaigns convince people that sound methods their own government employs are somehow an infringement on their rights. Only a very stupid person would feel that a 9 yr old white boy from memphis, a 62 yr old black grandmother from columbus, and a 24 yr old Saudi from France are all worthy of equal scrutiny. Um...hmmm..let's see...I wonder which could be trying to smuggle explosives onto the airplane??? Profiling is an infringement? Not in my book. How about when intelligence has already identified an Al Qaeda member in Germany and he's making telephone calls to the U.S.? Monitoring those calls is denying your right to privacy? If you people don't grow up and get a clue you aren't going to have the most basic right of all....LIFE.

Answer 5

I know it’s not proper to answer a question with a question, BUT ;) :

Do you think the current administration would have left all our liberties intact anyway, had there been no threat of terrorism?

Dubyah’s people really don’t seem to appreciate dissention or value an exchange of opinions contrary to their own. Look away from our heightened fears of Terror momentarily and evaluate what’s happened in this country since this administration was established. Corporations are given preference over individuals in every change these cronies have made or attempted. From their energy policies to the new bankruptcy laws to their run at taking away the Emergency Family Medical Leave Act…even their work at banning prescription drugs from Canada... there's quite a pattern here, and it has nothing at all to do with al Qaeda.

Yes, many things have changed in our culture because of our fears regarding terrorism, but Osama can’t take all the credit for the erosion of our American way of life.

More credit belongs to the Bush Administration for their unwavering support and empowerment of corporate capitalism. Infringing on our rights is NOT a problem for this administration: their priority… with or without any influence from terrorism… is ensuring corporate profits aren’t infringed upon by us.

Answer 6

Ideological war? It's a war for our very existence. And, no, I don't think that spying on the enemy (so called domestic spying) is taking away any of my freedoms. And I wish that *MORE* "Racial Profiling" would be done. The last time I checked Granny Peppercorn was not the one flying air plains into buildings. This is a war, a real war, a Religious war. Started by people who want to convert (at the point of a sword) or kill all infidels. Make no mistake... that means you... no matter how much you want to kiss theirAss

Answer 7

wow not sure how to start this but I will try..
1~ I am not mad at you
2~ If you don't understand me then don't pick me for
best answer
3~ you rant and you want our logical mind to thing clear
about your concepts....Sometimes your concepts
are out there. so I go out on a limb thinking you can
relate~connect~ understand~sympathy's with
4~ You too are a fun one here but when you play me for
a fool as you did "pebbles"~ emotions~ and duck
no I am not going to hit you...LOL I just want you to
understand......When I get email from people who
are concerned about you and maybe I missed
something well It makes me stop and think~ so
before you go on and say you don't understand~
Then go back and reread all your little questions
and Sheepherders too~ look for the pebbles...LOL
Take care !

Answer 8

I have been giving this some thought myself, and quite frankly, I think the exact opposite is happening. Hear me out:

When nothing is going on, when we are at peace for extended periods of time, our government starts doing things "behind our backs" so to speak, things that we are not paying attention to, because we have become so complacent. Our younger generation sees no point in voting, and soon, the government is controling everything we do.

BUT... let someone try to infringe on our beliefs and freedoms in such an overt way, and suddenly we are paying VERY CLOSE attention to everything, INCLUDING what our goevernment is doing.

I was around in the 60's and what I know is as soon as the people "wake up" they get busy. They will not stand for anyone or anything infringing on our freedoms. THAT is how revolutioons start.

Frankly, I think its high time we started one!

You with me?

Answer 9

bin-Laden claimed he would show the world that Western democracy was a "facade" and it would quickly be replaced with authoritarian/totaltarian regimes at the slightest push. And damn just like he said Bush/Blair have been busy making that statement fact rather than conjecture. It is almost like they were all following the same script. Nah, that couldn't possibly be. Right?

Answer 10

All this kind a stuff goes on every time we get into a war, it's not the end of anything FDR and Truman did much worse things.