Consider this

[VigilVirus]

The less the international antipathy towards the US exists, the more secure can the US people feel with the least amount of civil liberties taken away by prevention measures.

I read that somewhere - just inviting to discuss.

[emprworm]

with the least amount of civil liberties taken away by prevention measures.

not sure what that is referring to... Whos civil liberties are being taken away?  US citizens?  former enslaved Iraqi's (now free)?  Saddam Hussein's 'liberties'?

[Inoculator9]

The same could be said of a lot of things. Doesn't strike me as any blinding flash of insight, personally.

[VigilVirus]

Civil liberties of the US citizens is what I'm referring to - and they are rapidly fading away with such things as the Patriot act.

[GUNWOUNDS]

Civil liberties of the US citizens is what I'm referring to - and they are rapidly fading away with such things as the Patriot act.

This is completely false ... the patriot Act only gives the government access to  3rd party information (phone bills, credit card applications)... which is easy to obtain anyways and is probably stuff the government seizes anyways ... even before this Act..

so dont get your panties in a wad.

[danielsh]

Actually, that is completely false. The PATRIOT Act allows the FBI to obtain financial records without a warrant, tap one's phones without a warrant, and detain "suspected terrorists" without counsel for months at a time. The financial records bit is only for businesses, but a certain section of the Act redefines a business to be... well... just about anything.

If international feelings towards the US were better, then we wouldn't have to fear terrorism. But we've already done so much damage to other nations in the name of Liberty that it would be hard to make the world love us.

[GUNWOUNDS]

The financial records bit is only for businesses, but a certain section of the Act redefines a business to be... well... just about anything.

All laws are ambigous and can be twisted to whatever interpretation  the manipulator wants... thats how laws are designed....so whats your point? .. many laws restrict freedom... in North Carolina ... I am not allowed to have anal sex with my wife.. thats infringing on my rights too .. but guess what?? it isnt enforced... so like i said before .. dont get your panties in a wad..

[danielsh]

The thing to do in that situation is have anal sex with your wife, in North Carolina, and then fight it in the courts until you're allowed to. (Interesting thought: the classical ending for movies showcasing a legal victory for the people involves the plaintiff performing the previously-illegal action with inspiring music playing in the background.) It's a minor point, but a law like that is unconstitutional anyway, thanks to Lawrence v. Texas. (See Lawrence v. Texas - Wikipedia.)

At any rate, a law that restricts freedom should be protested and repealed, as it is, by its nature, unjust. Hard to do with the PATRIOT Act, though, since you no longer have the right to a lawyer.