Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 00:10:45 -0400
To: Matthew Gaylor <freematt@coil.com>
From: Matthew Gaylor <freematt@coil.com>
Subject: Re: Why Liberty Suffers in Wartime By Declan McCullagh
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 15:29:49 -0700
To: Matthew Gaylor <freematt@coil.com>
From: Jim Warren <jwarren@well.com>
Subject: Re: Why Liberty Suffers in Wartime By Declan McCullagh

>Consider this: During all of America's major wars -- the Civil War, 

>World War I and World War II -- the government restricted Americans' 

>civil liberties in the name of quelling dissent, silencing criticism 

>of political decisions and preserving national security.


So did Hitler's Germany, Stalin's Soviet Union, Mao's China, the 
American puppet-Shah's Iran, etc.  So what's new?

The only thing that would be new and novel -- and worthy of applause 
-- would be if those in power in the US government did *not* trash 
our civil liberties.

As Congress and the White Haus are stampeding forward to do so, let 
us note how MUCH damage and harm three little airplanes are doing, 
NOW!, to US citizens and everything that the United States is 
*supposed* to stand for ... including its disregard for our 
Constitution.

E.g., "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, 
papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, 
shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable 
cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing 
the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." 
[4th Amendment]

Apparently, our papers and effects no longer include our [computer] 
files or [digital] messages.  Or maybe surveilling/searching all 
communications is no longer unreasonable.  Or perhaps three planes 
have provided the probable cause to spy on anyone and everyone the 
government choose -- and the oath or affirmation is no more than the 
permission granted by Congress.

King George use surely be applauding.  (Same for Adolf, Josef, Mao 
... and *certainly* Hussein, bin Laden and Kadafi!  They WON!)

--jim



Subscribe to Freematt's Alerts: Pro-Individual Rights Issues
Send a blank message to: freematt@coil.com with the words subscribe FA
on the subject line. List is private and moderated (7-30 messages per week)
Matthew Gaylor, (614) 313-5722  ICQ: 106212065   Archived at 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fa/