The Outsider Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Good point. A counter-argument though is that 9/11 represented a major breach in this impervious-ness (is that even a word?). But, the breach hasn't opened the floodgates. As for attacks on American targets outside the US, does the Patriot Act apply in those countries? It could be an indictment of the intelligence-agencies of those lands. Well, to backtrack a bit one would first need to analyze why 9/11 happened in the first place and could the Patriot Act have prevented it? From my understanding, 9/11 was a result of the failure of intelligence agencies to put together the pieces that they had and act in a timely manner to prevent it. I really don't understand how curb on civil liberties was going to prevent 9/11 from happening, which is the main objection people raise against the Patriot Act. No one opposes inter agency cooperation etc. So to put it bluntly, had the provisions of the Patriot Act pertaining to civil liberties and judiciary been in effect prior to 9/11, was it avoidable? I don't think so, but would be glad to hear out arguments against my thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brainfade Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 Well, to backtrack a bit one would first need to analyze why 9/11 happened in the first place and could the Patriot Act have prevented it? From my understanding, 9/11 was a result of the failure of intelligence agencies to put together the pieces that they had and act in a timely manner to prevent it. I really don't understand how curb on civil liberties was going to prevent 9/11 from happening, which is the main objection people raise against the Patriot Act. No one opposes inter agency cooperation etc. So to put it bluntly, had the provisions of the Patriot Act pertaining to civil liberties and judiciary been in effect prior to 9/11, was it avoidable? I don't think so, but would be glad to hear out arguments against my thoughts. Is it possible to backtrack and retro-analyze? Especially nebulous would be the influence of each provision of the Act. I can't fathom how one could go beyond speculation - for instance, what if the FBI had detained Mohammed Atta for questioning when they realized he was skipping his original college and attending flight school? Is that a breach of civil liberties? Would that have tipped them off early? Foremost, 9/11 was a result of the failure to track the F-1 visa holders and rein them in. On the back-end, it was a result of the NSA's failure to share data with other agencies. As a libertarian, I don't like the curb on civil liberties - especially that one can be held in custody on the smallest pretext. It has to go. But, at that time, the country was desperate and it was introduced as a temporary measure (an emergency, if you will). No doubt, it is time to revisit. http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-06-22-common-ground_x.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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