[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"]
[QUOTE="tenaka2"]
you really think the U.S. is more free then the u.k.? (and the book burning comment was unfairly harsh lol) Here are some of the u.s. laws passed since 911, do you think they are laws that represent freedom?
Assassination of U.S. citizens
Last month, administration officials affirmed that power, stating that the president can order the assassination of any citizen whom he considers allied with terrorists.
As a general principle, international law permits the use of lethal force against individuals and groups that pose an imminent threat to a country, and officials said that was the standard used in adding names to the list of targets
Indefinite detention
Under the law signed last month, terrorism suspects are to be held by the military; the president also has the authority to indefinitely detain citizens accused of terrorism.
The Administration continues to claim the right to strip citizens of legal protections based on its sole discretion. (China recently codified a more limited detention law for its citizens, while countries such as Cambodia have been singled out by the United States for prolonged detention.)
Note the word terrorism suspects. It has always been the law that non citizens do not enjoy the Constitutional freedoms as citizens so not much has changed here.
Arbitrary justice
The president now decides whether a person will receive a trial in the federal courts or in a military tribunal, a system that has been ridiculed around the world for lacking basic due process protections.
I'm assuming you mean individuals incarcerated due to military acts. And as such I'm not sure what the complaint is.
Warrantless searches
The president may now order warrantless surveillance, including a new capability to force companies and organizations to turn over information on citizens finances, communications and associations. Bush acquired this sweeping power under the Patriot Act in 2001, and in 2011, Obama extended the power, including searches of everything from business documents to library records.
The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees U.S. citizens freedom from "unreasonable searches and seizures." In Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347, 88 S. Ct. 507, 19 L. Ed. 2d 576 (1967), the U.S. Supreme Court established the principle that a warrant issued by a "neutral and detached magistrate" must be obtained before a government authority may breach the individual privacy that the Fourth Amendment secures. The Katz decision held that "searches that are conducted outside the judicial process, without prior approval by judge or magistrate, are per se unreasonable under the Fourth Amendmentsubject only to a few specifically established and well-delineated exceptions." Over the years, the Court has recognized a number of exceptions to this rule that allow the police to conduct a legal search without a warrant in certain situations.
Secret evidence
The government now routinely uses secret evidence to detain individuals and employs secret evidence in federal and military courts. It also forces the dismissal of cases against the United States by simply filing declarations that the cases would make the government reveal classified information that would harm national security a claim made in a variety of privacy lawsuits and largely accepted by federal judges without question.
Not sure what this means. A prosecutor doesn't present evidence to the defense until charges are brought so it's all relatively "secret" so to speak.
War crimes
The world clamored for prosecutions of those responsible for waterboarding terrorism suspects during the Bush administration, but the Obama administration said in 2009 that it would not allow CIA employees to be investigated or prosecuted for such actions.
We'll have to agree to disagree on this. While some of the actions were beyond reasonable....I don't find embarrassment to be torture.
Secret court
The government has increased its use of the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which has expanded its secret warrants to include individuals deemed to be aiding or abetting hostile foreign governments or organizations. In 2011, Obama renewed these powers, including allowing secret searches of individuals who are not part of an identifiable terrorist group.
Intelligence is nothing new. With terrorism a hot topic it would stand to reason that more surveillance is necessary. Not sure why this is an issue. All countries with the capabilities spy...including the UK.
Immunity from judicial review
Like the Bush administration, the Obama administration has successfully pushed for immunity for companies that assist in warrantless surveillance of citizens, blocking the ability of citizens to challenge the violation of privacy.
The court system has always given immunity when they can get corroboration of crimes of a more serious nature. Again this is nothing new.
Continual monitoring of citizens
The Obama administration has successfully defended its claim that it can use GPS devices to monitor every move of targeted citizens without securing any court order or review.
See the word targeted? That means suspects not average citizens and you wonder why I say hyperbole.
Extraordinary renditions
The government now has the ability to transfer both citizens and noncitizens to another country under a system known as extraordinary rendition, which has been denounced as using other countries, such as Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan, to torture suspects.
Extradition is new to you?
Land of the free? I don't think so.
tenaka2
You're missing some of the key ingredients here. Hyperbole is not factual. But hey......the Queen does have the Tower of London to take care of her problems. See how easy it is to make exaggerations and have truths?If only it were hyperbole, then your post would be relevant.
Again your usual approach of dismissing facts that don't fit with your argument is all to common.
These issues really aren't going to affect the regular cirizens. And frankly if they did....there would be hell to pay. While I'm not saying I agree with them....your usage of them is hyperbole, exaggeration, and misinformation.
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