America under a spell when it comes to fighting terrorism

This regime holds itself above any law or oversight.They bribe and back slap and pay each other off while they loot the treasury. And they can continue forever, because one day an evil fairy came down and gave them a magic phrase to use whenever they wanted to break a law. The fairy said "Just tell them it's to fight terrorism." And to their amazement it was true.

Polls and headlines would declare:

"Americans are FOR torture if it involves terrorists!" "Americans are FOR suspending the 4th Amendment if it will help catch terrorists." "Americans will be happy to be radio-tagged if it will help fight terrorists". "Americans will gladly suspend Presidential term limits if it will help fight terrorists" "Americans agree to be surveilled and wiretapped if it will help fight terrorists". "Americans line up at local precincts for strip searches to fight terrorism". "Americans lose right of peaceful assembly in order to fight terrorism." "Americans approve of work camps for dissidents and mal-contents in order to fight terrorism."

God, how I wish this was just a fairy tale and not reality. Anyone have any idea how to break the spell?

America in the 2000s. (or is it Germany in the 1930s)

cult of america.

it's a religion -- not based in reality -- and it's hard to break.

we've entered the day of ''soviet'' america -- a gulag aspect -- with the agreement of many americans.

I'm fucking disgusted! The KGB has taken over our country!

I just can't believe it, some of these people I know for a fact are not cowards. I have actually seen them demonstrate courage in dangerous situations in the past, maybe they have lost their valor in their old age? I just don't know anymore, I do know that I feel ill...

I never thought America would become a mirror image of the old USSR after the wall came down, but it's happening. No wonder Ashcroft spent so much time in Russia when he was AG...he was learning how to spy on us, from the pros!

Maybe then people could understand whats happening.

terror. The terror is coming from my government.

knows that every time that President says "war on terror" it is misleading, not true, not necessary, etc, etc.

rights and privelleges that we fought and died for for hundreds of years? They have taken no lessons from the American Revolution or Hitler or Stalin, or North Korea, or Argentina or any other repressionist regime you want to mention. Some of these pod people are our representatives! They have to couch everything they say as "First of all, I hate terrorists as much as anyone . . ." I'm so tired of it! It's all so false and farcical. Stripping away the rights and freedoms of US citizens has NOTHING, NOTHING to do with fighting terrorism.

2/3rds of their popluation, to fight terrorists.

live forever, wrinkle-free and in no pain whatsoever, while approximating the "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" as closely as possible. As a people, we are vain, shallow, and self-absorbed. The whole concept of rugged individuality has devolved into petulant snivelling whininess.

Not all Americans are under that spell. There are certainly a percentage of people in this country that are afraid of their own shadow, but more and more people are seeing that this administration has beaten the "terra" bullshit into the ground.

You have to go back and remember what it was like on September 11th, 2001 and what you felt like. There was a brief moment when just about everybody in the country was scared shitless and wondered what the hell was happening. It wasn't too long before that initial feeling wore off and many people started questioning some policies of this administration, but many people also held on to their belief that we would be attacked again and the president should do what it took to "keep us safe".

Just read these boards and see how many people are not under the spell. Look at the approval ratings of this government going down by the hour and look at the multiple investigations of elected officials and those involved with this administration and some of that has to do with these bastards using the terror effect for their own personal gain.

Yesterday we saw 72 members of Congress get together and file papers to stop this president and his illegal eavesdropping and that is remarkable in these times. The pendulum is on an upswing and as it goes along you will see even more of this type of thing happening.

I understand the frustration felt by people who are paying more attention to the political atmosphere of this country, but you have to understand that most people that come to places like DU are keeping up and things and there are many people who are not as informed as you are. That's not always a bad thing. Some people have other interests and are involved in other aspects of their lives that don't give them the time to scan forums like this and be aware of every situation that is going on in Washington. They might be raising 1 year old twins or battling a crippling disease or working 15 hour days to feed their four children, who know?

I'm not trying to put down your opinion, I just see that there are many Americans who are stepping forward, speaking out, writing their representatives, going to protests and just plain being patriots. There is some light shining through the darkness and I truly believe that the spell has been broken.

post and opinion. It just seems that too many are still bewitched by the "terrorism" mantra. Another poster in another thread pointed out that they self-identify with the phrase "I have nothing to hide." There are glimmers of hope - Bush's approval ratings being the main one.

Bin Laden won.

Nitze who authored NSC-68 which declared the USSR and Communism were the causes of all the world's problems. Then Truman's administration decided to 'scare the hell out of the American people'. When the USSR failed, there was no decrease in American militarism and then Bush discovered he and his neocon's could test their theories with the 'war on terrorism'.