Its actually an op/ed piece about the partisan nature of national security. While some of the criticism stings, the facts are hard to dispute. But I try.
To the Democrats who want to state that the expanded power afforded and the encroachments of civil rights via the passing of the PATRIOT Act are results of "Neo-Con" powermongering, and that the Democrats are some pristine vanguard of the protection of our rights who would NEVER consider such fascist actions, I say to you that is a load of crock! Clinton tried to get the Ombnibus Act passed in 1995 after the WTC bombing in 1993, and it is virtually verbatim the PATRIOT Act.
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To the Republicans who want to state that their party is the only party with the spine to do something in the name of "homeland security" (i.e. the PATRIOT Act) and that Clinton did nothing to try to prevent terrorism, I say to you that is a load of crock! The Republicans shot down Clinton's attempts at the same measures in the name of security that the Republicans now laud as the second coming of the Savior of the U.S. citizenry - only they made darn sure the savior was riding an elephant instead of a donkey this time. Major point you're missing in this argument: if you think the PATRIOT Act is a reasonable measure due to the attacks of 9/11, and that these measures are in place to thwart, or have thwarted, further terrorist actions you MUST admit that if the Republicans had not killed the passing of the Omnibus bill in 1995, SEPTEMBER 11TH MIGHT NOT HAVE HAPPENED! YOU CAN NOT HAVE IT BOTH WAYS.
The particulars of the Omnibus Counter-Terrorism Act of 1995.
My answer to the last statement would be, if the Clinton administration would have made it a priority to actually kill some of these folks instead of gathering information and treating terrorism as law enforcement issue, 9/11 may not have happened. That is the major difference I see in the two strategies. The GOP wants to find these killers and, well, kill them. The Democrats want to find them, question them and maybe arrest them if they have an ACLU proof case. Two drastically different ways to handle a threat.
I like the 'kill the killers' approach much better.
20/20 hindsite.
1 comment:
YC. Interesting connection. One thing we can always be sure of is that Politics will always be first in line over what is right for the Country.
NSA. Let's see how this one rolls out.
We have checks and balances for a reason in our system of Government. Absolute Power corrupts absolutely, and the proper checks and balances prevent too much power from running Amok.
This balance and safeguard should never be out of place, despite the rhetoric to the contrary.
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