Quote:
Originally posted by Colin
I'm with you on that. The Patriot Act is not at all something I wish for. It is, however, not historically unprecedented nor even abnormal. Despite the occasional such actions in response to perceived dangers to the nation the political process has always carried on.
"Slippery rope" arguments almost always fail. They fail because they attempt to draw an analogy with one particular place and time. Usually, as in this one, the comparison is to an event or time without even that much in common. What such analogies miss is the dozens maybe even hundreds of analogies which fit the situation better. My previous posts outlined those.
To believe that there has been or is underway a fundamental failure of the American system of governance is nothing but "wishcasting" on the part of America's detractors and the normal fear and loathing from the opposing party among Americans. Such statements are made every decade and with every crisis. They never do materialize.
|
Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Although it is indeed unlikely that the US will crumble or turn into a fascist empire because of this, it is disturbing, and may cause significant problems. If Bush gets re-elected, he will probably continue making changes that hurt civil liberties, which *could* lead to a very unpleasant situation in the US. Personally, I am shocked by the lack of outrage with which these changes have been introduced. Many people seem to display a very apathic attitude towards politics these days, and that is almost always a dangerous thing.