Where will this wiretapping madness lead?

[MadHound]

I think that there is a disturbing phenomenon heading our way. The alignment of the War on Drugs with the War on Terror. I forsee drug dealers and users being lableled as "terrorists" simply for the fact that this is how their case is expedited. Bush has already drawn out the link already, equating drug dealers with terrorists. How soon before that link is widened and reinforced with legal precendence. How long before the wireless wiretapping juggernaught is turned exclusively on American citizens under the rubric of fighting the War on Drugs? How long before drug dealers are declared enemy combatants and disappear into Gitmo? How long before smoking that joint becomes an act of terror?

This is just a bit of educated guessing on my part, what do you think?

[liberal N proud]

1. They take the drug dealers out of the economy and it will collapse

Besides where will George get his blow if they take all the drug dealers to Gitmo?

[MadHound]

2. Oh no, they would never kill this cash cow, just milk it a little to make

Their atrocities and attacks on the Constitution more palatable. I simply forsee using the WOD as an excuse, making it part of the War on Terror, thus allowing Bushco even greater control over the populace. No, they won't get rid of it, much like they won't willingly give up this War on Terror. War on nouns is great, after all, they allow you to look tough, but also since they are unwinnable they allow you to continue the patterns of abuse and theft that have been started.

[ixion]

4. actually, they tried to make that connection in the beginning, but it didn't take

no matter how hard they pushed.

They problem with that, I imagine, is that most people know someone who smokes pot, who is most definitely NOT a terrorist.

That is not to say that they won't be successful with this somewhere down the line, but to date it's only the true believers who speak of it.

The WoD is 20+ years old now, and I think people are tired of it. Prohibition doesn't work. All it does is destroy families and lives far more than drugs ever did. It seems we have to go through this every few generations to remind ourselves, but in 10 thousand years, it has never worked. As a species, we are hard-wired with the desire to alter our reality. The sooner we accept that as a society, the better off we will be, IMO.

[Blackhatjack]

3. Really nothing has changed about the wiretapping since 2004 ...

I suspect that as parts of the warrantless wiretapping became known by the public the WH felt the need to make it appear that they are trying to abide by the law by asking for and getting changes to the FISA Act.

Anyone believe for a moment that Bush did not authorize illegal warrantless wiretapping without the legal authority to do so? Sure he did.

And the extent of 'other intelligence gathering activities' is probably many times more invasive and illegal than what our Congress has addressed so far. Remember one of the FISA Judges resigned rather than be involved in what we already know.

I think the public is way behind the curve leading to the reality of what has been going on.

[radfringe]

5. just ask Agent Mike! Agent Mike? YO! Agent Mike! want to field this question? n/t

[ThomWV]

6. Where Will It Lead? It will lead to the arrest of innocent Americans.

That is the only answer that matters.