The new McCarthy era

Attorney General John Ashcroft has given voice to an executive plan to fight terrorism in the United States and in Afghanistan. The plan shall effectively limit certain American civil liberties, while conspicuously leaving others alone. One civil liberty the Republican Administration's plan shall infringe upon is the FBI's auditing of gun purchasing records by those they detained for questioning in the Sept. 11 attacks, according to the New York Times.\nDuring his testimony before congress, Ashcroft said that those who would criticize the plan would be giving "ammunition to America's enemies. To those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists."\nGranted, the terrorist threat posed by al Qaeda cells around the world are much more imminent than Communist threats in the 1950s were, but how far are Ashcroft's statements from allegations made by Senator Joe McCarthy?\nIt is true the Administration's plan is to heighten safety for American citizens and not a partisan ploy, but one cannot help seeing the similarities. Rather than trying to aid terrorists, the Democrats are trying to make sure that no one abuses a power that becomes a precedent the moment it is adopted -- protecting the American people for the future just as the Republicans are for the present.\nBut it is interesting that the Republicans, who are so interested in this country's well being, won't allow the FBI to investigate possible terrorists' gun-purchasing records since they've been detained. One could say that they are trying to protect their gun lobby.\nFurther, this plan would allow the military to hold "tribunals" where they could try anyone they deem to be a "war criminal" whether in this country or in Afghanistan.\nOf course the plan is in place so the U.S. can indict Osama bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders without bringing them here and allowing them to be on national television during trials.\n"When we come to those responsible for this, say who are in Afghanistan, are we supposed to read them the Miranda rights, hire a flamboyant defense lawyer, bring them back to the United States to create a new cable network of Osama TV or what have you, provide a worldwide platform from which propaganda can be developed?" Ashcroft asked Congress.\nAs mentioned here last week, I'm glad to see this administration understand that simply assassinating bin Laden would only make him a martyr.\nBut, the critics of the Bush initiative are only trying to ensure the civil liberties of the citizens of the U.S. so that after the war, that power cannot be abused in a more dangerous way.\nSenator Patrick Leahy, the senator who had an Anthrax laced letter sent to his office, said, "It (criticism) is to protect ourselves as Americans and protect our American freedoms."\nBut it should be questioned whether or not the plan should be sanctioned at all in terms of its spirit juxtaposed with the thoughts of the creators of this country. \nParaphrased, Benjamin Franklin once said that anyone who would limit his or her own liberty for the sake of short-term security, doesn't deserve that freedom in the first place.\nWell said.