Reply #39: How long after 9/11 was the Patriot Act passed?

[Occulus]

How long is the Act itself?

Could they possibly have been waiting for a politically oppotune moment to pass the thing?

That's why you're seeing this. We know they'll do it again, given half the chance. Someone on another thread made a point: now there will be little to no talk at G8 about Africa, the environment, or other issues. Now, it'll probably be all terra.

Is it too much to presume our top politicians are going to use this incident for- gasp!!- political purposes? I think not. I think there are already people in Washington who shed a few tears and then got to the important business of making sure they "spin this for the president". Blair's handlers are even now crafting response after response to question after question, and you know a set of those conflate with Iraq, 9/11, the whole nine yards.

I think it would be foolish to ignore the political implicaions of their response to this bombing. Yes, we should grieve, but... we should also be using our heads, even now.

Above all, look for someone to benefit from this, or try to. You already know they will.

MAJOR IMPORTANT EDIT: CBS just said terror will "likely advance up the list" or some such at the G-8 summit, presumably gaining a greater parity with topics such as Africa and the environment, and the reporter specifically mentioned the war in Iraq, and nukes from Iran and North Korea. So, * and Blair just got what they wanted. People are- once again- reminded of terror, with very convienient timing.