by Suspicious Mind

Created on: April 21, 2009

Much like the war on drugs, the war on terror is mainly a way for the Military Industrial Complex and their brothers on Wall Street to suck a huge amount of wealth from the people of this country into the hands of the richest, and all it costs them are a few American, and a lot of Iraqi, Afghan, and Pakistani lives. Also like the war on drugs, it is a war that will continue forever even though they will show you how they have won so many battles, we will never really win the war. There is no defined enemy, and so how do we know when the battles are won? For too many years the people behind the scenes in our government, have interfered, provoked and in some cases created the so called "enemies" we have today.

These wars have caused such paranoia in the US, that they willingly gave up some of the rights promised them by the US Constitution. The Patriot Act, an Act that mocks its own name, took away many of the checks and balances on our rights, allowing the government unprecedented surveillance ability. While the First Amendment prohibits laws that restrain free speech, the patriot act allows the FBI to initiate investigations, based upon the way you exercise your right to speak freely. Legal immigrants could be deported for writing to the papers, protesting, or giving a speech as well. Free speech is essential for a free country to survive. The contributors to the Constitution thought correctly that we should listen to all sides, especially when they are different from yours.

The Fourth Amendment assures us of our right not to be searched without cause. We should not have the government or its agents searching around our personal stuff for no good reason. What would stop them from stealing your new invention, or checking out what you read and using that against you? The US Patriot Act allows the government to search your home, with no warrant, confiscate anything they deem to be related to terrorism, even if it isn't, and allows foreign intelligence searches without probable cause.

The Fifth Amendment guarantees the right to due process. As Americans, we are promised that we can use the courts to defend ourselves. The Patriot Act allows the government to hold someone indefinitely, never going before a judge. This is not due process. If they suspect you are a terrorist (or maybe they say that because you speak out against them) they can drag you off to some foreign country, let them torture you until you talk, then hold you in Guantanamo Bay until you die.

Look, even the Obama administration has labeled legitimate political groups with monikers like "Right Wing Extremists". One state even considered you a potential terrorist if you were associated with a militia, or even a Ron Paul supporter. If the government decided to call Ron Paul supporters a terrorist group, these laws would apply to you.

In summation, we have already lost the War on Terror the day the Patriot Act was signed. It continued with warrant-less wiretapping, and the further erosion of our rights. Some, are not even aware that most of you live in a Constitution Free Zone. If you live within 100 miles of a Border, which two thirds of the US population is (this includes both oceans and the Gulf of Mexico), you have less rights than those who don't. The need little or no reason to search your house, car or person if they believe you may have illegal aliens or terrorists or related items there. May I see your papers please?

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