Is the "PATRIOT ACT" an act of Hitler-ocracy?
914576
It is remarkably similar, as are several other "coincidences," to the kinds of measures the Nazis imposed on Germany in the 30's and 40's.  It is interesting to note that the measure was not drawn up by citizens, or even Congress, but rather came from some mysterious source other than the people, to protect us.  An act such as this should most certainly be a topic of discussion among the people at large, before it is agreed upon, not drawn up and passed before the public has any notion about what has just been imposed on them.
942743
I don't think in the next 2-5 years, but yes I think the US is going that way.\nIf one reads history as to how those Nazi, Fascist, and Communist came to power, it was mainly supporting a "just cause" supported by the people.\nI would think the Patriot Act falls under one of those "just causes" by creating fear and the people so willing to give up freedoms  that our forefathers fought for in lieu of feeling secure when they are no more secure than yesterday. Then yet, the government has more control over you. Try updating your drivers license which will get a new issue date on it and then try opening a new bank account even with a US born and raised birth certificate and the Act won't allow you to. What kind of "just cause" is that to prevent me from changing banks? I was in the military and fought for this country in an unpopular war and I'm afraid that some day soon big brother can come and just pick you up and make you disappear without question. Just like the Nazi's did.
779301
Ironically, yes patriotism could imply that depending on what your country believes in. For instance, in Nazi Germany it was quite patriotic to turn in Jews.\n\nHowever, what our country is supposed to believe in means that we stand up to those who propogate injustice. True patriots of this country are willing to die for what they believe in.\n\nA true patriot would not be intimidated by acts of terrorism. They wouldn't act like frightened sheep running to the proverbial sheperd hoping that he/she could protect them.\n\nA true patriot of this country doesn't suspend basic rights for people, citizen or not. A true patriot does not condone torture, as it is against everything that we stand for.\n\nA true patriot does not take away the rights of the many in the name of security.\n\nTrue patriots of this country have an event like 9-11 happen and say, "Is that all you got?!". True patriots don't let fear change the way they live.\n\nIn this day and age, our country is lacking in true patriots.\n\n~X~
1065059
No, it already is a fascist governemnt, look at how out of touch the government is with the will of the people. We have illegal immigrants poised to get total amnesty. We have a supreme court that rules that local government can sieze your private property without giving just compensation as long as there is a money benefit in it for the local government. And our congress has passed the patriot act in direct violation of the 4th amendment (sneak and peak warrants with no judicail oversight, just a rubber stamp FISA court that must be notified 72 hours-3 months after the search was conducted).
1170108
It never ceases to surprise me how these unsuspecting little republican twats keep chanting "its for our protection", "i have not lost any freedom". Yeah you have, you don't even have the freedom to walk to your airplane without having to take off your freaking shoes at least once. You don't have the freedom to speak freely, lest some secret agent infiltrates your group and spies on you. You think it goes away at one fell swoop? No. It goes away bit by bit. Slowly enough for you not to perceive. Try calling someone outside the country. They will spy on your phone call. They use what is called "network analysis" (network analysis my ass) to find who you are associated with. If you know someone that knows someone that knows someone that knows someone that knows.... with a muslim name, they are probably spying on your phone too!!\n\nThe whole "terrorist attack" is an elaborate ploy. What terrorists? Why aren't we looking for Osama? "I am not that concerned about him." -- Bush on Osama, the same person he wanted dead or alive.\n\nNot too long ago in a certain country fire destroyed one of its most important buildings. The government blamed it on some immigrant workers. In the aftermath the government also enacted a law that retracted civil liberties of the people. The same government persecuted homosexuals, people of other religions and races and political dissidents. In the years to follow this government invaded a couple countries on the pretext of "protecting western civilization" from the influence of those countries while actually the reason was to expand their region of control. The invasions started a major conflict in the area that quickly grew out of control.\nMuch later when peace was restored, it was found out that the original fire was actually started by the government itself in order to get the ball rolling towards its ultimate goal of world domination.\n\nThink you have heard that storyline before? Think its about the Bush administration? No. It's actually from history, the Reichstag fire and subsequent Nazi Germany.\n\nI wonder if netjr is actually an illegitimate child of Bush. He defends the guy so vigorously: there must be a blood relation.
890980
I'll use the wisdom of the founding fathers on this one\nBenjamin Franklin: Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both\n\nhow amazing two thumbs down for a direct quote from Ben Franklin, I guess the people that gave those are part of the Hate America Crowd,amazing\n\nThe problem from things  Warrentless Wiretapping programs are that they are without scrutiny, all we need to is look back at history and remember how Nixon abused the power and privialge of office to understand these mechanisms cannot be fully trusted without judiciary and/or congressional oversight, who decides what an enemy combatant is, and where is the line going to be drawn, can I be declared an enemy combatant simply for excersing my free speech rights? Who determines this one man or many? ABUSE of power is the central concern of those opposed to these programs and there are consitutional remedies to make them more transaparent WITHOUT destroying there ability to function Raw power without oversight is always ripe for abuse and this is has a great deal of precedent, it was abuses of power afterall that lead to the birth of this nation and the concept of Democracy as we know it today
315873
Isn't that something? This man was supposed to be spying on terrorist's out side of America with Bush's Patriot Act, and he was being his normal pedophile self. The President said, "That Americans wouldn't be targeted". Well what is this about? Targeting a young 14 year old girl using the Patriot Act as a shield. Secretary of Homeland Security was passing porn on the Internet to children, "WOW WEE". I sure think America has been lied to again, and this is just another notch against Conservative politics under this current administration.
1179477
"through the use of fear, societies gave up their rights under the guise of security."  i think this statement sums up best all the uproar over what the bush administration is or isn't doing to 'protect' us as americans. there is a fine line being walked (and not very delicately if you care to notice the details) between "security" and "loss of freedom". and the culture of fear and separation noted in the article is all too apparent today... after all you're either a "patriot" or you "support the enemy". \n\n"those in power are of a smaller segment of society, but they hold the wealth and control" is an accurate description of where america is today. a minute percentage of people possess the lion's share of the wealth: the inequality has always been present but never to this degree. if this is indeed a part of the definition of fascism, you could argue that we are getting closer...\n\n"fascist nations... typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections." let diebold reign! here's to florida, and to ohio, proud supporters of the winning side!\n\n"governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion...." and how often to religious leaders echo the sentiments exactly of the us government? do you watch the 700 club?\n\nwhere did the platform for intelligent discussion of the issues facing the US go? why are people (being manipulated?) becoming so polarized? where has 'the beauty of the gray' disappeared to? isn't it funny how so many things in life are suddenly black and white, like apples and oranges?\n\nif you deceive often enough and use the proper (official?) channels, one of two things will happen. they will come to believe it as gospel ("this is a delicious orange! when did they start growing stems?") or they will use the knowledge they already have to resist ("THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" -jean-luc picard) the lies. \n\nare you really willing to doubt that this is in fact an apple? and will we be reluctant to let go of a moniker we've worn proudly for over two centuries? stay tuned...
872660
The Patriot Act itself only intrudes on some areas of privacy. That's bad enough, but it doesn't, in and of itself, take away any constitutional rights.\n\nThe problem is that many in power (at least, as of Monday) felt that constitutional protections can and should be ignored, if they might possibly result in people being safer. However, that's unconstitutional, by definition. \n\nWe only have those rights we can defend. And only those freedoms we choose to defend. Once we have abandonded those rights and those freedoms, they are lost. Once, and for all of us.\n\n~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\n\nIn honor of Pastor Martin Niemöller:\n\nFirst they came for the 6th Amendment, but I hadn't been accused of a crime, so I didn't object to denial of counsel.\n\nThen they came for the 4th Amendment, but I wasn't talking to anyone overseas, so they wouldn't be monitoring me.\n\nThen they came for the rest of the 4th Amendment, but I only called my mother, so there was nothing suspicious in my phone records.\n\nThen they came for the 1st Amendment, but I never associated with criminals, so I didn't worry about being convicted purely based on what other people might do.\n\nThen they came for the 14th Amendment, but I never really understood the rules for Due Process (and wasn't allowed an attorney), so I didn't object.\n\nThen they came for the rest of the 1st Amendment, but I never told anyone about what the government was doing, so again I remained silent.\n\nThen they came for the 5th Amendment,  ......  and I no longer had the right to remain silent.
637273
ROUND OF APPLAUSE for this man! Finally, someone besides me has figured out that Republicans = Nazis.\n\nFrightening, is it not, that the Govt currently holding power has so much in common with Nazism. My favorite quote is from Hitler: "What good fortune for Government that the People do not think." Brainwash the masses with religeon, and govt will follow. If you read Hitler's book, you'll see that he actually modelled the Nazi party on the Church, and used religeous ceremony under cover of darkness to hypnotize the masses into believeing the crap he preached.
921769
The you are not patriotic unless you agree with us act is typical for the far right.Look what a top Nazi said about this.\n "The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders . . . All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism." \n\n-HERMANN GOERING, Nazi Gestapo\nBut they will keep repeating it,like I said typical for the far right.\n"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State." \n-- Joseph Goebbels, German Minister of Propaganda, 1933-1945\nQuotes "The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our Number one priority and we will not rest until we find him!"\n\n- President Bush, September 13, 2001\n\n"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and I really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority."\n\n- President Bush, March 13, 2002
1104750
Just in case you were too stupid to catch it, that article is referring to the Patriot Act. Also know as "The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001" < If you think that is bad... well, you shouldn't be starting any political arguments.
154150
Absolutely. The USA PATRIOT Act violated the amendment. As did Bush's wiretapping.
568394
YOU SHOULD READ ABOUT A GUY NAMED HITLER, YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT HIM TO BE GREAT ALSO. WARRANTLESS WIRETAPS AND THE PATRIOT ACT ARE RIGHT OUT OF THE GESTAPO PLAY BOOK.
280228
The Patriot Act is a pile of crap and there is nothing patriotic about it. It is a way to remove rights guaranteed by the Constitution and is a violation of the Constitution as well.\n\nAlthough some consider it a great and necessary tool to fight terrorism, that's strictly hype by bush and his handlers. Americans are being manipulated by that ignorant, AWOL, son of a bush who has delusions of empororship.\n\nThe founders of our country never intended for such a thing to happen and warned us against it. They also warned us about men like bush, but folks seemed to have had their eyes closed when they put him in office. \n\nThat clown can't even communicate past simple, confused and mixed up sentences, unless some script writer puts words in his mouth.\n\nHaving said that, I think that act ought to be flushed down the toilet.\n\nADDITION: P.S. King georgie dosn't need the act anyway. He just ignores the law and does exactly what he wants, because he's president and that makes him the boss. He said so himself.
222931
Just Cause or Just Cause\n\nIs giving something a name like A Patriot Act just cause, to take away some freedoms and rights that other people have given their life for in the name of patriotism  just cause some people are trying to make you fear for that freedom.
737948
No it is not, but the right to demonstrate is, so the find a way to go around the reason to demonstrate in the first place.\nFor example you cant have any access to legal  Nazi-sites in the Web with a German IP.