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IP:Re: Eisenhower warned us two parts
From: Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 19:02:26 -0500
Sometimes I wonder if anyone actually won the cold war. While we have a long way to go, we are dangerously close to the type of government that we fought against. The pressures of the cold war brought us Joe McCarthy and the pressures of the cold war and post cold war are bringing us proposed laws that slowly and painlessly offer to strip what is left of the Bill of Rights. Time to remember Ben Franklin again (and again): "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Ben Franklin, ~1784 Dave From: Stanton McCandlish <mech () eff org> Subject: Re: IP: Eisenhower warned us To: farber () cis upenn edu Date: Mon, 1 Dec 1997 15:31:29 -0800 (PST)
Defense experts say Pentagon needs to change focus Copyright (C) 1997 The Associated Press WASHINGTON (November 28, 1997 3:47 p.m. EST) -- After decades of gearing defense planning toward the threat of large-scale war abroad, the Pentagon should focus more on the risk of biological or other unconventional attacks on America itself, a congressionally chartered panel has concluded.
While I agree that we don't need a Cold War war machine anymore, I'd warn that some of what this new direction will translate into is almost certain to be increased US government espionage against its own citizens, increased domestic surveillance, and more civil rights abuses here at home. I'll bet on it. The rash of anti-privacy legislation and bills to grant anti-democratic powers to law enforcement from 1995-7, in the wake of fears (and the OKC reality) of domestic terrorism is really horrific to behold. Most of it didn't pass, but all of it and worse could in the future. National digital IDs. Roadside tracking of all vehicle movements. Increased and faster sharing of databases between agencies. More FBI, et al., infiltration of "dangerous" or "suspect" organizations (like maybe civil liberties groups opposing FBI "national security and crimefighting imperatives" such as encryption restrictions, perhaps?) More secret trials and deportations of immigrant suspects. Increases to police and intelligence. eavesdropping authority. All of this is *already* coming. I just expect a new DoD focus on "the homeland" to step up the pace. **************** I then said:
Ever wonder who actually won the cold war. We is become like them more and more
and asked if I could send it out on IP and he said: *************************** Yep. Though we forget a lot of our own history. Not just the McCarty era and the mistreatment of Japanese-Americans in WWII, not to mention CIA and other intelligence actions against our own population in the late 60s, including MK-Ultra. But the Woodrow Wilson administration in the early part of the century was the closest America has ever come to a police state, yet kids today are being taught in history classes that Wilson was a good guy becase women's suffrage happened during his presidency. <sigh> Things are getting very Wilsonesque these days... Dave Farber typed:
Ever wonder who actually won the cold war. We is become like them more and more
-- Stanton McCandlish mech () eff org Electronic Frontier Foundation Program Director http://www.eff.org/~mech +1 415 436 9333 x105 (v), +1 415 436 9333 (f) Are YOU an EFF member? http://www.eff.org/join ************************************************** "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Ben Franklin, ~1784 **************************************************
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