"Snowden fan club"?

[sabrina 1]

90. Good post, thank you. To address your points about where people stood on the Patriot Act and most of

Bush's policies back then, I have learned that some of our leaders were not opposed to them, but in general, most Democrats, ordinary people, were FRIGHTENED by the way they were using 9/11 to chip away at our rights and definitely opposed them.

I know we have more freedom and rights than countries like Iran eg, but our leaders have a habit of supporting some of the most oppressive regimes in the world, the Shah being just one example.

Our foreign policies seem to making us MORE enemies than friends and more Americans are asking questions about the justification of these policies which have often caused incredible suffering to millions of people in other countries.

We seem to believe that bombs and other WMDs can enforce 'democracy' on other nations. That doesn't seem to have been very successful.

As for Bush/Cheney policies and the concerns of almost all Civil Liberties organizations about them, I don't for one minute believe that those people, Bush et al, care one bit about this country, other than as a means to use its military power to enrich themselves and their Corporate friends. I have nothing to dissuade me from this. Bush himself was fairly honest about it when he stated he wished he was a 'dictator' as that would make his 'work' easier.

I believe there are factions in this country who hate that the people have the rights they have and I also believe that because of that, 'the enemy within perhaps' the people have to constantly FIGHT to preserve those rights.

To relent even a little on the question of Constitutional rights is to allow those who would be more than happy to take them away, have a free hand to do so. Not holding war criminals accountable eg, or Iran Contra criminals etc, has only presented more of a threat from them.

I don't believe I have ever accused anyone of not being a patriot. But I vehemently disagree with those who make excuses for the destruction of our rights.