When I read lead stories like this in the New York Times:
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 - Broad new surveillance powers approved by Congress this month could allow the Bush administration to conduct spy operations that go well beyond wiretapping to include - without court approval - certain types of physical searches of American citizens and the collection of their business records, Democratic Congressional officials and other experts said.
...I begin to wonder if Democrats and Libertarians may be finding good reason soon to align for the long term. It used to be that Democrats and Lib's held each other in mutual suspicion--Dem's being the party of the "nanny state" or "big government." Civil liberties was always there as common ground, but there was common ground on the "leave the individual alone" front with Republicans, too.
Now, after 7 years of Bush-Cheney big brotherist-like tactics, I have to wonder if Republicans can ever plausibly lay claim to libertarian territory. Look at Giulani and Romney--their position is more secret prisons, more surveillance, more security, less liberty. Permanent war requires permanent suspension of the Bill of Rights.
Who will stand up against such incursions on the Republican side? When will that party dislodge itself from the Rovian security for election wins strategy? My guess is...they've got nothing else to run on for a long time. Fiscal restraint is gone. Small government is gone. They have nothing but security as their issue and that means more 1984 style violations of privacy and civil rights. Can the American people stomach that? Methinks not. Me hopes not.
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