US Civil War by 2005! Global Nuclear War by 2015!

[SO]

Interestingly enough, yesterday FARK linked to an article on Salon.com describing how law enforcement agencies are using the Patriot Act to go after common criminals.

Civil liberties and legal defense groups are bothered by the string of cases, and say the government soon will be routinely using harsh anti-terrorism laws against run-of-the-mill lawbreakers.

\"Within six months of passing the Patriot Act, the Justice Department was conducting seminars on how to stretch the new wiretapping provisions to extend them beyond terror cases,\" said Dan Dodson, a spokesman for the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys. \"They say they want the Patriot Act to fight terrorism, then, within six months, they are teaching their people how to use it on ordinary citizens.\"

Compare that to Ashcroft's own words in defense of the Patriot Act in December of 2001:

In all these ways and more, the Department of Justice has sought to prevent terrorism with reason, careful balance and excruciating attention to detail. Some of our critics, I regret to say, have shown less affection for detail. Their bold declarations of so-called fact have quickly dissolved, upon inspection, into vague conjecture. Charges of \"kangaroo courts\" and \"shredding the Constitution\" give new meaning to the term, \"the fog of war.\"

Since lives and liberties depend upon clarity, not obfuscation, and reason, not hyperbole, let me take this opportunity today to be clear: Each action taken by the Department of Justice, as well as the war crimes commissions considered by the President and the Department of Defense, is carefully drawn to target a narrow class of individuals -- terrorists. Our legal powers are targeted at terrorists. Our investigation is focused on terrorists. Our prevention strategy targets the terrorist threat.

How anyone can continue to support these thugs is beyond me.