Patriot Act/NSA spying on Americans

[T-Rod]

The US News & World Report just published a story detailing how the FBI and Dept of Energy have been monitoring radiation levels at some muslim sites.

Nice reporting there US News & World report. So basically, the tools we had for finding the nuclear weapons are rendered much less effective because these sites will know they are being monitored. So now the terrorists are working to better hide their weapons. ARE YOU F--ING crazy publishing that. Why don't you just use some satelitte imagery to show where all our troops are located? Public has a right to know right? While you're at it, publish a report that shows that our armored Humvees are much more susceptable to road side bombs placed at certain places. Maybe fax the blueprints to Al Queda... no wait... just post them on the web. The public has a right to know!! What a crock.

This just makes me sick. For those of you on the site that are appalled by some apparent civil liberties abuse, put yourself in the government's shoes. You have journalists out there exposing your tactics for finding terrorists. That just made your job harder if not impossible.

I'm not saying all the government is doing is right or that they should do it, but realize they are in an EXTREMELY difficult situation. Unknown enemy. New type of war (i.e., guerilla terrorism at home), and critics all over the place that don't want any "war" to last more than a few weeks or have any kind of severe casualties. When's the last time anyone broadcast what has been going right in Iraq. We kill 5,000 insurgents... bleh what's new. But if we suffer casualties then its news, right. This is how you lose the PR side of a war. It's also why America's enemies have repeatedly stated that the US doesn't have the stomach for casualties and why the continue with their tactics. Hey journalists, it takes time. Here's an idea, go to a history book and look up "Germany". Look at the dates from surrender to formation of Western Germany. It doesnt' happen overnight.

In this situation, I hope our government pushes the line as much as it can between security and violating rights. If they are not pushing the line, then they might miss the opportunties to nab some of these guys. That's the kind of stuff that was happening prior to 9-11. I recommend everyone read the 9-11 Commission Report . It paints a nice picture of what it was like when our government wasn't actively working within all its branches and not trying to push the line anywhere. Does anyone know what happened in Seattle on New Year's 1999. A terrorist was caught by pure chance (he was the last truck across the ferry) by a customs agent. He had enough explosives to make OK City look like firecracker. He could have driven his truck anywhere (he said his target was LAX). How about Bin Laden paying $2.5mm for a nuclear bomb in 1999 in Sudan? It happened.

My longwinded point is we are THIIIIIIIIIISSSS close to having a terrible incident happening. And guess what, the next one is going to be nuclear or biological, and its too late to do anything AFTER the fact. This requires pushing the line as much as you can BEFORE the fact.

People don't want to see it, but these are desparate, war-times and will be for the foreseeable future. Sorry, it just is. In times like that, Presidents get more power and should. Heck, during the civil war, Lincoln actually suspended the writ of habeus corpus which is guaranteed as part of the Constitution. Its necessary people. You just don't see it because you don't want to acknowledge that we are at war AT HOME as well as abroad. You just don't see it everyday.

But I am glad that there are courts and groups constantly working to check executive power. I just can't stand it when people/groups like US News basically undermine instead of check.

Diatribe over.

Tim

[excession]

When's the last time anyone broadcast what has been going right in Iraq. We kill 5,000 insurgents... bleh what's new. But if we suffer casualties then its news, right. This is how you lose the PR side of a war.

Outside of the US the PR side is lost by numbers of Iraqi civilian casulaties, not US troops.

[iceman5]

Nice post Trod, you said most of what Ive been trying to say for 2 weeks now, but much more eloquently.

Every time some criminal beats his case on some technicalilty and then commits some other heinous crime...everyone gets pissed off at "the system". But when the Government does everything they can think of, including bending rules to their breaking point, to stop heinous acts by terrorists...all the liberals come out of the woodwork and start complaining about people rights. You cant have it both ways people.

[T-Rod]

[BadBeatMan]

[EscapePlan9]

[kennyg]

[Cactus Jack]

[NorthView]

[excession]