is it possible to balance the War on Terror with civil liberties?

Question

Critics of government policies implemented in the wake of 9/11 have argued that legislation such as the PATRIOT Act have undermined many of the civil liberty protections outlined in the Bill of Rights, while at the same time only providing citizens with a modicum of actual safety.Do you think that it is possible to balance the War on Terror with civil liberties or are such protections against increased government police powers now obsolete?

Answer 1

99.9% of people that whine about the Patriot act are loons. Give them a tinfoilhat and leave them alone.

Answer 2

The upfront answer is no. Just about every war the US has participated in was at the expense of its citizens.

The kind of war we are currently involved in is probably the best example of how war affects civil liberties. How can we possibly detain, question or simply arrest a person of Middle Eastern decent when to do so is considered racial profiling. At the risk of denying one we must deny all some basic rights. Although the restrictions of these rights have not affected my life, so far, I'm sure others (not of Mid - East decent) have been placed in some fairly awkward situations in the name of fairness.

If we want all of our basic civil right to remain intact for the future we must work through or with this disgusting culture (fanatical islam) to insure they stay out of our backyard. I see no other options. If it were put to vote I would approve of racial profiling. We all know that will not happen.

As far as only having a modicum of actual safety, you really don't know that! Because someone says we do or don't doesn't make it true. Both sides of the political isle will say anything to make the other look bad or advance their agenda, if you fall into that category of believing because they said so you should become a politician.

Answer 3

It is quite possible, unfortunately our government is too incompetant to carry that out. They seem to think that it has to be one or the other, and so do far to many people IN america these days. IF we take away the civil liberties that this country was supposed to have been founded on then the people that the war on terror is supposed to be against have already won. I mean, they threated another country and the american govenrment punishes its own people, treats them like criminals. Puts them through humiliating public searches of belongings, when they, themsleves have done nothing worng, nor are likely to. Can it be done, yes; will it be done, not by OUR government.

Answer 4

without dought confident in some tactics we had much less regulations as quickly as we've been struggling with a international conflict .it isn't the only risk to our liberties, we've against the apparent needs of the voters been taken right into a political union with the european as a replace of a paying for and advertising partnership , we now no longer have the death penalty back inspite of the voters, nor can we ever have it debated in parliament. We now no longer have the potential to regulate our borders whether we wanted to. the adjustments between the key political events in this united states are so minimum that it maters no longer who we vote for. we've an unelected Head of State an unelected Head of government, unelected ministers, civil servants and a unelected 2d chamber, the those that we do get to vote for have not have been given any capacity or authority so on 2d concept the respond isn't any we haven't have been given any democracy to have freedoms in

Answer 5

The Bill of Rights has worked just fine for over 200 years. Do you think that things are any different now than during the Civil War or Reconstruction. How about the War of 1812 or Pearl Harbor? We would actually be safer and still hold the moral high ground if we did things legally and kept the Constitution intact.

Answer 6

What do you think people thought of rationing - low flour & sugar amounts, no nylons & etc. obtained by coupons only? Do you think they liked the black out times? When no one could turn on any lights in their homes so there would be no air attacks (there never were any)? No phone calls after certain hours & then they were often monitored by neighbors for goverment.( 2 & 3 party lines where your call could be heard by neighbor)
Americans have always been willing to give up rights to help defend our soldiers & other countries. Until selfishness took over - no sacrifice was denied for the safety of our military
or to help other countries.
Your big sacrifices since 9/11 were nothing compared to what our grandparents lived with.

Answer 7

There need be no loss of civil liberties. The so-called GWOT is a one-sided affair that is being used as an excuse to destroy such liberty as is left to us.

Answer 8

People who give up their freedmons for safety deserve neither- I think franklin said that. The war on terror is fake, our freedoms are being taken away intentionally to set up a prison state.

Answer 9

no its not possible to have a "balance" because the war on terror IS a war against your civil liberties ... its a psychological warfare campaign against the population using the media, to keep support for american and NATO imperialism and conquest.

Answer 10

people neva learn from war on terror, they only think they do then write a book and become experts who the government listen to and we go to war and then we get another book and so it goes on,the answer is NO, you cant give in to any demands because the next idiot does it to get his way, you cant catch them because ther so called friends wont give them in, so we put up wi the deaths of any1 in the way and complain wen nothing is done, we the people are at fault 4 letting do it, u know who they r

Answer 11

Yes, and it should be!
If we allow the government to destroy the most precious thing we have, our liberty and freedom, then the terrorists have already won!
Remember, those that would give up their freedom for security, will end up with neither.
An old wisdom that is as true today as when first uttered.