h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A new US law, proposed by Ashcroft will affect citizens & especially naturalized citizens. The following is extracted from various sources.

I ask you to please read it and form an opinion, maybe even act to oppose this oppresive proposal by a man who was defeated for office by a dead man and then came back from his own political demise in his new reincarnation as the US AG...

The new law, proposed by Attorney-General John Ashcroft, will adversely affect all citizens and further destroys this nations basic foundations.

The proposed law, entitled the Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003, would allow authorities to arbitrarily arrest American citizens, wiretap their telephones, rescind their citizenship and send them back to the countries of their origin.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) says the proposed law goes
further than the US Patriot Act, adopted after the Sept 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks "in eroding checks and balances on presidential power
and contains a number of measures that are of questionable effectiveness, but are sure to infringe on civil liberties."

The justice department is refusing to comment on the draft bill.

It first leaked by the Washington-based Centre for Public Integrity. The centre obtained a draft, dated Jan 9, of this previously undisclosed
legislation, and is making it available in full text.

A copy of the 120-page draft, reviewed by the ACLU, contains several provisions that the ACLU and other civil liberties and human rights groups clearly find unacceptable.

This proposed law "would radically expand law enforcement and intelligence gathering, reduce or eliminate judicial oversight over surveillance, authorize secret arrests, create a DNA database based on unchecked executive suspicion, create new death penalties, and even seek to take American citizenship away from persons who belong to or support disfavoured political groups," says Dr David Cole, a Georgetown University Law professor and author of "Terrorism and the Constitution".

ACLU legislative counsel Timothy H. Edgar says the proposal threatens to
fundamentally alter the constitutional protections that allow citizens "to be both safe and free."

The ACLU says Section 501 of the justice department bill would allow the
government to strip citizenship from any American who provides support for a group designated by the federal government as a "terrorist
organization."

Other provisions in the bill include permitting wiretapping of Americans
for 15 days (Sections 103, 104) without a declaration of war by Congress
if the executive branch decides unilaterally that a potential attack has
created an emergency. It would be the sole discretion of the attorney
general to allow the wiretapping and would not need a court order to
authorize it.

While the justice department would have to check in with a judge after the 15 days, the information gleaned during that period could still be
retained and used against an American citizen, the ACLU said.
The draft legislation also proposes statutory authority for secret
detentions and the termination of court-approved limits on police spying.

"These provisions are only a sampling of the civil liberties concerns in
the attorney general's proposal," the ACLU said.

Do the words 'witch-hunt' and 'McCarthyism' spring to anyone else's mind?

It is the same as the original Patriot Act that was whittled down. The same as the Total Information Act. They were ALL exposed and this is another oportunity to do the same. I have been talking and talking only to be told - BUT times have changed and this is war.....Well NOT that much!

Considering that the over 300 page Patriot act was passed WITHOUT them reading it during such tragic times!!!The Act was considered alarming and way out, in the 90's when Ashcroft first wrote it.

They keep changing the name and I am so afraid the first day of *war* or that week it will be passed. Passed the same way on a day too busy to read it Ridiculous excuses

If a much needed health bill ever gets passed I am afraid it will be *attached* to it! Which ought to be illegal It is obscene what has slipped thru by including stuff within bills on totally unrelated problems.

Thanks for posting a "New Name" for the same frightening request.

This is what the press is for and some have been doing their work!The copies published before were drafts not YET released. I have a link to the Total Info Act on my page and the original Patriot Act.There are other smaller bills trying to stop it, even some Rep.

The McCarthyism is especially apt since I think back then it was "subversive" not "terrorist" organizations that came under police scrutiny or governmental attack.

This is nothing more than an attempt to chill opposition to government policies such as were practiced in the 1950s and are still being practiced or revived.

Only certain alleged actors have been substituted. Instead of Communists, there are Terrorists, instead of Cold War, there is the War on Terrorism, instead of the Iron Curtain or Evil Empire there is the Axis of Evil or Al Quaida. As before, this really can't enhance American security. It can only curtail American civil and human rights as well as the civil and human rights of others.

All of this is the consequence of American imperialism being challenged at home and abroad. People should maybe think very carefully before associating this legislation with patriotism unless they really believe America should have an empire.

In the latter case, they should still think carefully about how empires inevitably degenerate into totalitarian states who oppress their own citizens nearly as viciously as they oppress their imperial subjects. In time, frequently, there is no difference.

May as well live in Iraq!

Well, Analiese, I couldn't have put that better.

That was extremely well put Analiese Let's hope that there are enough people who will stand up and point out how ridiculous the McCarthy episode was, and that it should not be allowed to happen again. It seems as if it already is happening, but things are very different today. We have the internet, we have almost instantaneous coverage, and you'd better not forget that Dubya

There WAS a lot of talk and programing in the US about Macarthyism in the beginging of 9-11. It has slowly dissapeared as the Patriotic Duty has been stressed more and more
The Patriotic duty to NOT disagree has been prevalent.

I do not understand why the Dems have been so quiet. That IS scarey.

I think the reason the Democrats have been so quiet is revealed by the 2000 election. The major parties are so close in practically everything that no one, if the leaders themselves, can distinguish between them.

Yes that is the sad truth. However since the Rep have been in office differences have been notable.

Ashcroft being "defeated for office by a dead man" had escaped my memory. He has a horrid background, they certainly knew who they were putting in that position!They are all people Daddy Bush had around him.

Yep, that's why I call them, Bush and Company, horrid acts while you wait! International delivery. No interest until 2004. But don't delay. Get your cut of the Home Security budget now before the Dems get a hold of it and give it to the indians so they don't lose South Dakota.

http://www.bushwatch.net/ashcroft.htm
Ashcroft info on his background.

Fill the people with fear to control the people.

We have nothing to fear but the fearmongers themselves.

Check this site:

http://www.toostupidtobepresident.com

here's one that is a little more serious:

http://www.blah3.com/index.shtml

This post has been removed.

Where is that reproduced from ??

Dang, it's kind of confusing having a '?' for a username

Does it matter where's it's from? The author is the editor of a highly respected academic periodical that is very popular in higher education. Is that okay, Gosho?

It does matter where it's from - if it's copyright, then reproducing it here breaks the <./>HouseRules</.> and it will have to be removed. If it reproduction with acknowledgment is allowed by the author then that doesn't break the House Rules, but it should be stated, and a link to the original piece provided if it comes from a website.

Can you tell us if it fits either of those two categories?

http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/ontherecord.html

This is a New weekly news program by Bill Moyers ,the links are excellant. All the government documents released, have links there.

There are take *action* links too.

This is reputable site that includes just about any link needed for all politcal/social issues/press/ both parties/legislation on a weekly basis.

The Bushwatch site/sometimes humorous throughly liberal slant.