Y have Americans allowed the Patriot Act to compromise the USConstitution? For what, a little more security?

Question

Either principles matter or they don't. Compromises are the same as not having them thus eroding the true value of having a Constitution.

Some wiseacre has asked: "What rights have you lost? I haven't noticed anything different."

If your name is ethnic or you are on someone's secret "list", if you travel to certain oil exporting countries frequently (like Columbia, or Venezuela) you might understand how your rights have been compromised by the Patriot Act. Often you are treated as a suspicious person by the US authorities. Their are people enforcing regulations and procedures with an imperial attitude and one has be extracareful upon returning home to the US. Your A to my Q is a non-answer and it reveals a certain condoning of authoritarian, unconstitutional behaviors. You lack the knowledge. I suggest listening to or viewing Amy Goodman at Democracynow.org and be cynical about any automatic law enforcement procedures or contacts.

The wolves wearing sheepskins "with badges" are not any smarter than the sheep they go after for a living.

Imagine this. No it's a fact:

FBI hunted terrorists by checking falafel sales in San Francisco
Posted by Cory Doctorow, November 6, 2007 10:01 PM | permalink
The FBI had to abandon a plan to use records from San Francisco grocery stores to spot terrorists; they believed that a spike in falafel sales would lead them to secret Iranian agents.

Do google search with these words"terrorists felafel"

What else, next thing you know, Iowa Senator Christian Right Larry Craig will claim he was being a patriot doing his duty checking airport bathroom stalls looking for homosexual terrorists.

Now wasn't that LC comment an off-the wall cheapshot? That's how I feel about many politically motivated irrational A's that never A the Q asked.

Answer 1

Not to free myself from responsibility here, but Americans haven't "allowed" anything - they've voted, polled, held protests, etc. and The Bush Cheney Death Profteering Corporation has raped American ideals.

Frankly, I feel less secure with the Patriot Act - it's infuriating many more people, etc.

Answer 2

Americans have 'allowed' the Patriot Act to remain law for the same reason that the Germans allowed Hitler to seize control of their country, the Iraqis allowed Saddam to institute his reign of terror, the Russians allowed Stalin to impose communism as their country's fundamental political ideology, and on and on and on.

The reason Bush, Hitler, Saddam Hussein and Stalin and every other despot in history has been allowed to do what they wanted to do - because they controlled both the might of the military and the methodology employed by the country's police and prosecutors. If a madman or a stupid man can gain control of these institutions, what the people want becomes irrelevant as it becomes apparent that those who oppose the madness or the stupidity end up either dead or imprisoned. Our country has not reached this point yet, but it is closer than ever to reaching that point.

Consider this: suppose President Bush decided that proper resolution of the Iraq War required that his leadership of the country and the military should continue past 2008. As long as the military remained loyal to him, what could you do to stop him? What could 'the people' do if Bush decided he needed to declare a state of emergency to keep control of the government to prevent a newly elected president from ordering a withdrawal from Iraq? If Bush was to make that decision, he could issue an order to the Army to surround the White House and direct the Marines to block the Congress from entering the Capitol. Is there any doubt in your mind that the Army would be in place as directed within hours of Bush's order. Who would tell Bush he could not make this decision? Why would Bush even care if someone objected?

Think this is impossible? Knowing the extent of the deviousness which Bush has already openly demonstrated, with neither shame nor remorse, what makes you so sure he would not go to much greater lengths to assure that his War succeeds, or at least continues, indefinitely?

Answer 3

The American people had little say so in the passing of the patriot act. It was passed after 9/11 with very little debate and public discussion. By the time most Americans heard of the Patriot Act it had already become law.

Answer 4

Did we have a choice? It's not like we got to vote on it or anything. For that fact alone it should be unconstitutional. Alas Congress just keeps bending to this president against the will of the people.

Answer 5

The essence of politics is class warfare. The right-wing is the capitalist class who derives its wealth by abusing the underclass (the left-wing). This is most easily understood as the boss gets richer and richer when the workers toil harder and harder for less and less. The needs and desires of the wealthy elite are diametrically opposite to those of the underclass. The wealthy elite require imperialist war to feed their insatiable needs while the underclass fights that war and finances its costs.

Ultimately, the capitalist finds that he has two enemies: labor and other capitalists. The Patriot Act is an attempt by the U.S. wealthy-elite to keep any rising labor movement that might serve to undermine their political dominance in check.

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By the way, the terms left-wing and right-wing have their origins in the era of the French Revolution.

Answer 6

Benjamin Franklin,
The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either.

I'm supporting Dennis Kucinich who is in favor of repealing the Patriot Act.

My father's freedom has been impacted when he travels. He is of middle eastern descent. He was born here and is American. He doesn't have an accent. He doesn't even speak Arabic. He was raised Catholic but doesn't really practice any religions. Just because it doesn't affect you, it doesn't mean that others aren't affected. Why are people so selfish, so closed minded, and so stupid?

Answer 7

Bush has his priorities screwed up. According to Bush, these are things you can trust the government to do:

1. Wiretap
2. Torture
3. Put people to death

These are things you can't trust the government to do:

1. Spend rich people's money
2. Provide health care to children

Answer 8

years ago, the democrates dismantled the intellegence network that we had in place

the patriot act is a mere shadow and does nothing to compare with the safety we once enjoyed.

while one woman talked about her father being touched by the act, he would be much safer and less harrassed if ignorant people would quit doing stupid things.

we were once a great nation because we stayed a head of things, now we play catch up, that is not the posturing of a great nation

enough said

Answer 9

Most Americans realize that there are no changes to thier own personal lives. The Patriot Act is one of the best pieces of legislation passed in the past 10 years. Look at the number of terrorist acts that have been prevented by it. The only Americans you hear complaining about it are the 'far left' conspiracy theorists.

Answer 10

that the Patriot Act "compromises" the Constitution is your opinion, sir, not the opinion of the Supreme Court.

and to answer your question -- yes, the sheep like their security and are loathe to stand up and be counted for freedom.