Why would anyone reasonably expect that John Ashcroft, Bush or anyone else will be the last persons in the History of the United States of America to try to infringe upon your rights in some way?
They are not rogue generals coming to work everyday in a BlackHawk. They are people, who represent others and work within the framework of the Constitution and democratic process. If there is a problem.. then it seems to me that the problem must be with the very system of government itself and not the individuals.
... but, aside from rhetoric, no one can talk specifics about how the Administration is doing anything that the system itself does not allow. If they are, then they are breaking the law. If they are not, then it seems that people would be more concerned with changing the laws that allow a government to take away your rights as citizens.
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Specifics...
The portions of the act that allow the eavesdropping on your personal communications across the net are in direct opposition to both the spirit and the letter of the fourth amendment and parts of the fifth amendment of our constitution. That people aren't jumping up and shouting about it is because people are scared. People want the security that was grabbed out from under their feet on 9/11. They think, well, it's a good thing because thety (the government) will only use it to find terrorists and terrorist supporters, they aren't going to watch little old me. Well, DEFINE terrorist. I saw a commercial last night that basically said that if you smoke pot, you are supporting terrorists. Hmm.. wonder how many folks would be investigated under that definition. Ashcroft has made numerous remarks that basically state that if you don't agree with George W, then you are unpatriotic... How far is it from UNPATRIOTIC to TERRORIST or TERRORISM SUPPORTER. Want to know, ask some of the folks who had to go before Joe McCarthy's committee back in the fifties. Many are still alive and many still are fighting the communist label, although it was in no way illegal to be a member of the communist party or to preach communist ideas. These folks were ruined because they spoke their mind or more often then not, someone ACCUSED them of speaking their mind.
As far as working within the constitution, history proves you wrong... In addition to McCarthyism, there is the Internment of the Japansese at the beginning of WWII and the one I will elaborate on a bit which is COINTELPRO.
COINTELPRO was a program by the FBI in the 60's and 70's that allowed the FBI to "investigate terrorist organizations". It was used to spy on the Black Panthers, AIM, The Chicago seven and various other "DOMESTIC" groups. Most of whom it was later found were in violation of NOTHING. The simple fact that they were in opposition to the current administration's viewpoint made them "dangerous" and therefore under the program's guidelines, the FBI was allowed to harass the members, infiltrate, CREATE evidence, all sorts of good stuff.... They even murdered U.S. citizens within the U.S. borders. Look up COINTELPRO, read about it, you will see what I mean.
Many of the administrations in the executive office (both republican and democrats) have used various domestic organizations to harass and intimidate their political opponents. They have used the IRS, FBI, INS, basically, any department they can to investigate folks just to get political dirt on them and destroy their careers.
Do I think that Ashcroft, Bush, et al will be the last to try... No Way... Do I think that we should give them THE RIGHT to investigate anyone freely, without reasonable cause, without any form of due process... again.. No FUCKING WAY....
Power corrupts.. and absolute power corrupts absolutely... Those powers must be kept in check and it is a much more reasonable proposition that "if you do not want them to have the power, don't give it to them" rather than "Well, they won't abuse it, they said so".
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