Ian, Agreed. I think one can frame the issue in terms of a freedom continuum. Governments serve their people well to the extent they maximize the freedom available to citizens. Governments fail to the extent they destroy freedom.
The Bush administration's destruction of freedom seems to go beyond even the internment of Japanese and hunt for communist sympathizers in both fact and ambition. Freedom suffers due to the Bush administration's desire to accumulate power. The global accumulation of power reduces freedom on a global basis and energizes terrorism. The terrorism (real and imagined) energizes efforts to "make us safter" and the vicious cycle continues. The Bush administrations behavior seems to flow from a strategy assembled to answer the question - how to create stability in a world with a single super power? Their behavior seems rational with respect to a global domination, but only the insane can believe in global domination. This all hardly seems unique in human history, but the consequences grow with the power of the weaponry. Let's hope the citizenry wake up before the cycle of destruction goes much further. Best regards, Dan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ian Andrew Bell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "Meaghan Townsend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2003 7:26 PM Subject: @F: [POLITICOS] "As Long As It Makes Us Safer..." > > These words, not the threats of violence from Hesbollah, Hussein, Kim > Jong-Il or any other host of maniacal purveyors of violence and > oppression, are the most sinister words in the media today. In fact, > they could be the most powerful words in the continuing erosion of > democracy around the world. > > They are the typical "Man in the street" response to a growing list of > major trespasses on the U.S. Bill of Rights being carried out by the > Bush Administration in its ironic quest for further hegemony over its > loyal subjects. > <snip> ___________________________________________________________ FoIB Mailing List - Bits, Analysis, Digital Group Therapy http://www.ianbell.com
