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I just spent some of this evening watching the movie, "Charlotte Gray". This is about some members of the French underground when Nazis were overrunning France.
The people of France lived in constant fear, papers being checked and never knowing when something small would be taken as a signal of being a an underground member to later disappear and this applied to all; not just the opposition members.
This movie is well worth watching as a drama, but more so today when there is a clear parallel between the USA now and Germany in the 1930s. As in the 30s most of the German citizens were blissfully ignorant of the path being taken by their trusted leaders. They didn't ask, weren't told and probably didn't care preferring like us to do the equivalent of shop'and watch TV than be concerned for their country. Surely if soldiers are dying for the country citizens could at least get educated and do what they can, but I see very little concern registered here in 2008.
Those who say they don't mind wiretapping, Internet spying, airport no fly lists etc. because they have nothing to hide should THINK. First while bush pushes terror as the greatest danger ever, remember the terrorists have no air force, no army and no navy. Most on the no-fly list are not Arabs and do not look like Arabs. There are 900,000 potential flyers on this list. Do you in your wildest imagination think there are that many terrorists in this country? Of course not! Why then are so many on the list? Why are all phones being tapped at a cost of millions in dollars and at a terrible cost to our Constitution.? THINK!
Again THINK. Why the network of secret prisons, the rail cars with shackles? Why all the power grabbing? Why all the secrecy? Why diminish the bill of rights?
The most obvious reason to spy is to gather information on dissenters of this government, to make a list of those to watch and throw in prison to keep the masses quiet in a takeover.
Maybe you don't mind the spying, but do you want your tax information spread around, your love letters, your family information? Just think what Carl Rove could do with this if you run for office, apply for an important job etc. I personally value my privacy for its own sake and I also value the first and fourth amendment that gives me that right. I think we know at best it is a tiny help against terrorists. Terrorists are not stupid. Do you really think they use the phones now after so much public display of the supposed importance of tapping? There are may other ways to communicate outside of the phones and internet, but there is no better way to get the goods on us citizens to use against them.
Ok, now it is spying, next it will be papers you must carry and show on demand anywhere. This has already started with passports needed where they were never before. So now someone coming from Canada at a crossing will be checked but a mile away he can just drive across.
In the movie people were checked in restaurants, train stations on the street. Can you honestly say this doesn't bother you since you are innocent? Ted Kennedy gets checked at every airport because he is on the list over and over. if he passes the first time why is he stopped again? It is because this is used as harassment by the administration against a prominent Democrat. Would they hesitate on you? THINK! How many republicans are on the list? I don't know but I do have a guess and it suggests that all this anti terrorism is really for control of political opponents so reminiscent of Nazi Germany and Stalinist USSR.
I implore you to NOT give up one right, not a tenth or a thousandth of a right. Keep one hundred percent of the rights fought for by the masses in cemeteries in Europe and the USA and by our forefathers who thought we could be trusted with these rights. We have become so complacent, so fearful and so lazy that we forget our hard won heritage and willingly give it up to a two bit moronic alcoholic failure who just takes it without a peep from most Citizens and not a peep from our traitorous and worthless Congress. You give up these rights without thinking. There is nothing in return, just empty promises. It is all about stolen power. Will you be so happy to give up your home when asked, your children, the rest of your rights?
We already live in a budding police state and budding dictatorship and I see very little resistance. Sad.
