Renewal of the Patriot Act has been blocked in the Senate, and that's a good thing. I'm not a big fan of legislation that gives the government broad sweeping powers to monitor its own citizens while removing oversight. It's a recipe for government abuse. Even if I trusted the guys who propose the legislation, which I don't, given the nature of government to expand and trend to authoritarianism, these powers are simply too dangerous. Already we're seeing Patriot Act provisions used against drug dealers. Surely a noble goal, but what's next? How long before those tools are used for other, less noble efforts, say, stifling political activism?
We just found out that the NSA has been secretly tapping international phone calls. How long before they begin tapping domestic phone calls? If they haven't started already, that is. Again, this is a tool used against terrorists, but how long before it too gets expanded to other, less appropriate goals.
History is clear; governments tend to accrete power to themselves at the expense of the governed. The trend is inexorable and inevitable; the best we can do is fight continuously to slow it down. The PAtriot Act, no matter how well intentioned, represents a tremendous acceleration of the shift of power. As such, it must be allowed to die.
Now the instant argument on the other side is that "The Patriot Act saves American lives. Allowing it to end means that more Americans will die in terrorist attacks."
The answer to that argument is clear. Yes, more Americans will die of terrorist attacks because we allow the Patriot Act to sunset; I have no doubt about that at all. But if we take the steps necessary to insure absolute security for ourselves, we make ourselves subjects, not citizens, and lose the very thing we're supposed to be fighting to protect. I will accept the increase personal risk to keep that personal liberty intact.
Posted by Rich at December 16, 2005 4:23 PM | TrackBack