Richard A. O'Keefe <ok at atlas.otago.ac.nz> said:
>(2) Last week's *outrage* is bound to create new pressure from US intelligence
>    agencies for more power to intercept electronic communication. 
>
~Two hours after these awful images aired (I drove home all the way -
50 miles - with a knot in my stomach) I saw a Republican guy who was on
some defense or intelligence commision argueing on CNN that this proved
the US should spend more money on the military. His tone was terrible,
and if I weren't already, it would have turned me into an instant cynic
when it comes to US government. That cynic in me is constantly wispering
that cowboy Bush c.s. are just craving for a good fight, I haven't heard
a word of compassion nor seen even the slightest sign of realization that
people may have actually very good reasons to hate the US and that it's
about time to rethink how the US (and other, err, 'civilized' countries)
behave in the 'uncivilized' parts of this world. It gives me a very bad
feeling that all these people have died a horrible death for nothing,
and their deaths will not even be written down as the turning point in
history towards a better world it should be. And I do think that the
spooks (the 'military-industrial complex' in some people's ideologies)
will abuse this to take away basic rights like the right to privacy in
communications the US and friendly states have been (and are) violating
on such a massive scale.

Of course, it is more important that oil stays at affordable prices,
otherwise it would get too expensive to drive that SUV to the local
MacDonalds. Liberty and freedom in the US is not being forced into
compact, fuel-economic cars and to hell with these infidel Afghans who
were useful to the free world as long as there was a Soviet Union to fight
against. The founders of the USofA, who I think possessed intelligence,
insight, sophistication, and - most important - worthy ideals, are
spinning in their graves at supersonic speeds. I'm not religious, but
last week I've been praying their spinning will be heard.

-- 
Cees de Groot               http://www.cdegroot.com     <cg at cdegroot.com>
GnuPG 1024D/E0989E8B 0016 F679 F38D 5946 4ECD  1986 F303 937F E098 9E8B
http://www.anti-dmca.org/