Terrorists Winning the War on FreedomWith another terror attack on the London subway striking fear into the hearts and minds of westerners, the United States Congress yesterday voted to extend the provisions of the Patriot Act
indefinitely (with two exceptions: the searching of medical records and the use of roving wiretap provisions were extended for ten years).
In spite of our successes on military battlefronts throughout the world, the terroists have been successful in attaining their ultimate goal: to diminish our freedoms and reshape our way of life. It is a fallacey to believe that the goal of these terrorists is to see the complete destruction and fall of the United States or other western democratic civilizations. This is an unrealistic understanding. In reality, the goal of terrorism is much simpler...and is being attained.
This morning in New York City, NYPD officers began the first random searches of passengers entering their subway system. According to the NYC police commissioner, passengers will be searched on a strictly numerical basis (i.e. 1 in 5, 1 in 10, etc.) unless "specific information" is available regarding a "specific incident," in which case some form of profiling will be utilized. Mayor Michael Bloomberg acknowledges that the searches will seem intrusive, but that they are necessary given the dangers of our changing world.
The dangers of our changing world.
The world has changed.
Terrorists have changed it.
The public is fearful.
The goal of terrorism is fear and control.
As the rate of suicide bombings grow in western countries, we will witness increases in government responsibility, government authority, government regulation, and government control in the most trivial events of our daily lives...all in the name of freedom. At what point will live in the police states that terrorist governments have imposed on their people for many years?
Yes, it is true that we will not (hopefully) ever see a government identical to that of the Taliban or Saddam Hussein's, but at what point do we acknowledge that our way of life has changed so dramatically that terrorism has succeeded in its basalar goal?
Which freedom will be the breaking point? Where do we draw the line? How many basic rights will we be willing to give up before we take a step back and realize what has happened to our world?
Just as the Patriot Act renewal shows....none of this is temporary. So long as we acknoweldge it...and are fearful of it...it will never end. It cannot end.
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