SOON WE'LL BE LIVING IN A POLICE STATE
By Richard Cohen

"If it is true that all trends start in California, then the rest of the country had better pay attention," says Richard Cohen. The governor of the Golden State has proposed that his police agencies be given the same authority to fight terrorism that Congress recently gave his federal law enforcers. In effect, he is suggesting a state version of "the insultingly named USA Patriot Act", which increased the powers of federal agents to tap phone lines and monitor email and internet sites. Other states are now following suit. Although requested in the name of anti-terrorism, the expanded powers could be used for any purpose approved by a court. As a former statehouse correspondent, says Cohen, this prospect fills me with dread. As a rule, state judges are not up to the standard of their federal counterparts. Often they are lazy or incompetent 'political hacks' who pander to their electorate. State police departments also fail to inspire much confidence. The FBI may not be perfect, but nothing it ever did compares with the crimes committed by certain brutal and corrupt Los Angeles cops. Giving states this new authority would invite abuse. "The last thing we need is 50 FBIs, some of them effectively accountable to no one. Let the Feds handle terrorism. That way, we'll all be safer."
The Washington Post

CTM COMMENT: The new anti-terrorism legislation appearing in Europe can also prevent mass protests against government departments on the basis that these constitute intimidation of government personnel. As continued terrorism causes more laws to be passed, restricting citizen's freedoms, how much less effective will protests by beleaguered citizens become if, by sending more than 20 e-mails to the same destination, the latter may be accused of compromising electronic retrieval systems and thus branded 'cyber-terrorists'!

We see no more clearer example of how the new global infrastructure is coming together to restrict individual powers in the name of 'fighting terrorism' than with the introduction or proposal of these new draconian edicts. CTM's continued aim is to allow free and unrestricted representation to the authorities in matters requiring reform and amendment, free of this own kind of public intimidation.