The Senate today reached an agreement to renew the Patriot Act. This
will make 14 sections of the police state law permanent. The two other
sections, on government access to library and business records, and
roving wire-taps, will be extended 4 more years.
The whole Patriot Act is one of the major legal steps towards a
police state taken by the Bush regime since 9/11. The whole thing
should be repealed, not renewed. And what does it say about the terms
of debate in Congress when the best any opposition can do is get 2
parts of the law extended 4 years instead of made permanent? One does
it say when only one senator voted against the original Patriot Act,
and the Arlen Specter speaks with confidence that its renewal will pass
with or without an attempt at filibuster?
If this fascist direction of society is going to stop, it will
depend on millions of us taking independent political action to drive
out the Bush regime.