I Have a Bone To Pick with GW Bush

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

William Safire's editorial today is heating up an important debate. There are two camps: "This is war." vs. "This is Orwellian." I want to open a third camp. "This is ridiculous."

Our borders are wide open. Terrorists could blindside us at will. The foreign threats are much greater than the domestic threats in this war of terrorism. So naturally, we do NOTHING about that. Instead, we strip away our privacies. Sorry. That doesn't fly. If it were truly important to take away our privacy, the borders would have been secured a year ago.

It appears that it is easier to ask us to live in fish bowls than to tell illegal immigrants that we cannot afford to have such loose border control anymore. It appears to be a political calculation. Does that not reduce the lost privacy aspect to nothing but political calculations? Which is more important? Our safety? Or as Dick Morris says it, the 'browning of America'? But hey, the 'browning of America' ends when the borders are secure. Thus, the ridiculousness aspect only grows.

GW Bush is well intentioned, I'm sure. But his political calculations reveal that taking away our privacy can't be all that important, if he isn't willing to tick off parts of the Hispanic community by securing our borders.

This is my suggestion, for what it's worth:

1. First seal the borders.

2. Mention a timeline for this lost privacy. No 'continuation triggers' either. Settle for 4 years of this lost privacy. Then destroy the data of all non-suspects. Only keep data of suspects that is deemed worth keeping by a warrant.

3. Non-citizens can be monitored and that info can be filed at will. Americans generally would like that idea.

4. Put someone in charge other than Poindexter. Why give ammo to the desperate DNC? It makes no sense.

If GW fails to heed this advice, I forsee political havoc. And I will be a part of it.

[ambrose]

Lest we forget, these laws will survive Bush's term in office. Would you like a President Hillary Clinton (gasp) to have these powers?

[Inspector Harry Callahan]

Eh?

[Saundra Duffy]

BUMP!

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Very good point. We need this data base to sunset.

[Ramius]

How do you propose to seal the borders?

[RJCogburn]

I choose door #2.......

"This is Orwellian."

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

William Safire wrote an editorial that our privacy will be completely shredded. Poindexter, who I'm sure is a well-intentioned patriot [but also politically vulnerable due to Iran Contra], would be put in charge of this data base. I read this, fuming, thinking about how our borders were left wide open all this time while they plan to keep a record of every email. Every internet message. Every credit card purchase. All manner of things kept on file. Yet our borders are wide open.

[verity]

You have such practical recommendations. Perhaps you should run for elected office.

[TomServo]

Then destroy the data of all non-suspects. Only keep data of suspects that is deemed worth keeping by a warrant.

And you really think the feds would do this?

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Trent Lott is considering troops. Perhaps the troops could be replaced eventually with a wall. I personally would not mind using lots of hounds as well.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

"This is Orwellian."

I don't blame you a bit. 40 years ago, Saffire's editorial would have been called sci-fi.

[Hoosier-Daddy]

Hear! Hear! We have over 10 million illegals in this country. Start with removing them before removing any citizens' rights.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

You have such practical recommendations. Perhaps you should run for elected office.

Are you really series? TY for the compliment. I scheme too much. No one would trust me. And the rats wouldn't have me. FReegards....

[rwfromkansas]

People say that about every govt. agency when they get started; the FBI and CIA etc. You are going to have to do better than that before convincing me this will become some group that will have unlimited power over my life.

[Frohickey]

How about land mines?

How about including the fabled gun registration records the FBI/government is not supposed to be keeping into the database that is to be purged?

[RKV]

I don't think we need this at all. Get control of the borders and the need for this goes away. Not easy, I'm just not ready to throw out the Bill of Rights - not one word of it. TRANSACTIONAL ANONIMITY NOW!

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

I hear you. The feds would be tempted to keep that data, wouldn't they? And it would be hard for many Americans to trust Poindexter in particular. I wouldn't even want to trust the Pope with a data base like that.

[RJCogburn]

the FBI....will become some group that will have unlimited power over my life.

Ask the kids at Waco...oh, that's right.

[TomServo]

I hear you. The feds would be tempted to keep that data, wouldn't they?

They will keep it. Knowledge=Power. And the last time I checked, they ain't willin' to give it up. ;-)