William Robb described the erosion of civil rights since 11 September: > I am thinking more like the loss of civil rights in Germany, circa mid to > late 1930's....
Seems quite a few folks, both in the US and abroad, have noticed that similarity. Damned frightening, indeed. Personally, I'm glad to see that the current administration in Germany has the backbone to call Bush for what he is. Given that the US was built by the collective toil of immigrants, it's scary how quickly the American public can be whipped into a frenzy of contempt, suspicion, and paranoia regarding recent immigrants, foreign visitors -- even fellow American citizens of foreign descent. > You need more than a regime change, more like a paradigm shift. > Look at how successful the "war on drugs" has been, and then > think about how successful the "war on terrorism" will be. Indeed! Couldn't have put it better myself, Bill. Either way, an informed and thinking electorate is really a prerequisite. Therein lies the rub. Call me a cynic, I guess. There's often a fine line between democracy and mob tyranny. Bill Peifer Rochester, NY
