Sieg Heil!

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M

 

 

Wed, 6 Apr 2005 14:52:11 -0500

 

Subject:[GranniesAgainstGeorge] Sieg Heil!

 

 

 

 

Sieg Heil!

 

The ugly face of fascism appeared before the Senate Judiciary

Committee Tuesday.

 

It appeared twice: With Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and again

with FBI Director Robert Mueller as both demanded Congress not only

reauthorize the rights-robbing USA Patriot Act but expand the ability

of the federal government's goose-stepping storm troopers to invade

the privacy of Americans and ignore the protections of the Constitution.

 

" Now is not the time for us to be engaging in unilateral disarmament "

on the legal weapons now available for fighting terrorism, Gonzales

said, adding that the most controversial provisions of the Patriot Act

have " proven invaluable in fighting terrorism and aiding other

investigations. "

 

The key phrase here is " other investigations. " Although the Patriot

Act was rushed into law to fight terrorism, the Justice Department

under former Attorney General John Ashcroft and now Gonzales sees

nothing wrong with using the act to go after anybody for any perceived

crime. Ashcroft, a religious zealot, deployed the powers of the Act in

several unsuccessful attempts to prosecute American citizens for

selling dirty books and videos.

 

It's important that these authorities remain available, " Gonzales added.

 

For what? To spy on any and all Americans for any and all perceived

crimes? This is the same Alberto Gonzales who said, while still

serving as White House Counsel, the " Constitution is an outdated

document. "

 

The current Patriot Act already gives the government power to wiretap

at will, snoop into private travel and financial records and monitor

the day-to-day activities of virtually any American citizen. But FBI Mueller says that's not enough. He wants the powers expanded.

 

" Experience has taught the FBI that there are no neat dividing lines

that distinguish criminal, terrorist and foreign intelligence

activity, " Mueller said in his prepared testimony. So Mueller wants to

blur the lines even more by giving his agency the power to snoop into

any American's records without a judge's approval.

 

The widespread abuses of the Patriot Act have created an unusual

coalition of opponents – diverse organizations like the American Civil

Liberties Union and the American Conservative Union. When these two

diverse, politically-opposite groups band together to fight something

it should send warning signals coast-to-coast in a heartbeat.

 

But those warnings fall on deaf ears when they reach 1600 Pennsylvania

Avenue. George W. Bush and his klavern of neo-Nazis don't care one

goddamn bit about the Constitution or an American's right to privacy,

due process or other protections under the law.

 

The law is something these power-mad despots ignore when it runs

counter to their fascist ways. They proved that with their

lame-brained attempt to circumvent the law in the Terry Schiavo

debacle and now they want to scrap the law altogether by expanding

their police-state powers under the USA Patriot Act.

 

Some members of Congress, Republican and Democrat, agree and support

legislation to scale back the Constitution-defying provisions of the

Patriot Act.

 

" Cooler heads can now see that the Patriot Act went too far, too fast

and that it must be brought back in line with the Constitution, " says

Gregory Nojeim, associate director of the American Civil Liberties

Union's Washington legislative office.

 

Perhaps. But Bush says he will veto any legislation that rolls back

the Patriot Act and Congress is still controlled by a gang of

Republican thugs who put loyalty to their party above loyalty to their

country.

 

Maybe it's not too late. Or maybe we better start practicing goose

steps and extending our right arms out straight while shouting " Sieg

Heil! " three times.

 

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/