At least they can agree on one damned thing. House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are normally worlds apart on everything, even the type of cups to be used in the congressional cafeteria, for God’s sake. But there’s one thing they can agree on: The federal government should continue to have the power to spy on anyone in America for any reason, at any time. To celebrate their joint custody of fascistic priorities, Boehner and Reid have agreed to a four-year extension of the controversial Patriot Act, the intrusive law enacted during the national post-Sept.11 panic attack. Here is the key sentence in the Associated Press story on the agreement: “The idea is to pass the extension with as little debate as possible to avoid a protracted and familiar argument over the expanded power the law gives to the government.”
Yeah, I bet they want to avoid that argument, because once you publicly explain to citizens what’s included in the Patriot Act, they’re usually either horrified or they think you’re joking. It will be interesting to see if the two congressional “leaders” can sneak the Act’s extension through. It’s well known that many of the new GOP members of Congress want to cut back on the Patriot Act’s designated federal powers; and it’s no secret that many progressive Democrats want to do the same thing. It will be interesting to see how strong these congress members’ love of individual freedom and civil liberties really are. Enough to bring together Tea Party libertarians and the more liberal-leaning Democrats in a “strange bedfellows” coalition? That would be sweet — and, if pursued, could lead to other interesting Tea Party/Progressive coalitions, including getting us the hell out of Iraq and Afghanistan. I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for it to happen, but, as Brian Wilson once said, wouldn’t it be nice?
This article appears in May 17-23, 2011.
What is REALLY scary is that more Americans would be up in arms if they repealed the USAPatriot Act than will be angry that they are extending it.
Americans like to use the WORD freedom, but do not have the courage to actually BE free. That would involve accepting the risks that are the natural result of allowing people privacy and freedom.
The Patriot Act is an abomination. It is one of the more glaring pieces of proof that there are not two parties only two sides of the same coin in DC.