[extropy-chat] Tyranny in place

[Lee Corbin]

Russell had written

> Note also that you only answered the lesser half of my argument. My primary
> point was that however small or large the external threat, compromising our
> most basic civil liberties - allowing our governments to turn inward against
> ourselves, not outward against the enemy - is _not effective_ as a response.
> It adds a second problem _without doing anything to solve the first_.

First, let me apologize to you and to Samantha for the highly sarcastic tone
I took in my last missive. (I haven't yet read your reply; which is probably
why I'm calm right now   :-)

Second, I readily admit that I pay too little attention to your "primary point"
above. I am ready to learn, and there are probably other readers too who
are ready to learn.  Isn't it a question of balancing risks?  I.e.,  threats from
"enemies" within (our governments) must be weighed against threats from,
say, Islamic terrorists, right?

Is the point that the two western governments (the U.S. and the U.K.) have
now adopted policies which pose a danger to their own citizens that surpasses
ourside threats to their societies?

But neither the Blair government nor the Bush administration is likely to
declare their internal political opponents "enemy combattants", or are
they? What is the chance that a citizen of one of those two countries
(who, say, is inside the country) will be so prosecuted?  (Frankly, I
consider the probability to be near zero that any particular citizen is
at risk from either terrorists or from his government; do you agree?)

Thanks for your ready replies to people's posts, Russell.  (Of course, 
I appreciate careful and reasoned explanation from anybody.)

Lee

P.S.

> But it is very dangerous to allow a situation to arise where criticism
> of certain policies is no longer permitted.

Oh, well, sorry, but I'm lost here too.  Have many people been arrested
for so doing?  Or is it just that it appears that things could dramatically
change soon, and that the arrests could begin?  What prohibitions against
criticism are you talking about, anyway?