Is this a crazy idea? I see our government and our freedoms collapsing around us....?
437547
Yes, it is crazy.\n\nSix generals (five retired two-stars and one retired four-star) out of 4,000+ are bitching because they disagree with Rumsfeld's management style.  Okay, he is a hard guy to work for, no argument.  But their main gripe is that Rumsfeld is turning the military into something it needs -something these guys disagree with.  Rumsfeld has also tried to resign twice, and it's true that Bush won't let him, because he (as well as most of the military & civilian leadership at the Pentagon) know full well that what Rumsfeld is doing IS important.\n\nSecond, the government is asking for those search records to track down who's been surfing child-porn sites, and to see who's been trying to build bombs (but mainly it's done to take down the perverts).\n\nTexas cops raiding bars and arresting drunk people...not sure where this story came from or if this is just an isolated incident.  But public intoxication *is* a crime.  It also may be the people arrested were harrassing and/or threatening someone else, also a crime.\n\nA report coming out that marijuana doesn't have any medicinal uses?  Well, reports on what is good & what isn't keep going back and forth.  Give it about another 18-24 months and you'll see the opposite.  Again.\n\nThe war (I assume this refers to Iraq) being a joke and a lie.  I'm not sure I should dignify this with a response, but the truth is that, contrary to what gets reported on the news, Iraq has in fact been much improved over the past three years.  It should be noted that the entire number of American casualties (though I agree that even one death or maiming is a tragedy) is so low as to be unprecedented.  Iraq is stabilizing, and the way things are going, a significant number of troops should be home by the end of the year.\n\nOil prices are, like every other commodity in the world, subject to that force known as 'economics'.  In this case, there's so much demand (and not so much to go around) that the price keeps rising.  Meanwhile, because we're talking about billions of people buying their product(s), oil companies have become extremely wealthy.  It may not be 'fair', but that's economics for you.  Nobody ever said economics -hell, the world in general- is 'fair'.\n\nImmigration reform.  Well, if you understood how many people in the country are truly pissed off about these people a) breaking the law to get here, b) undercutting wages for legal workers, and c) getting preferential treatment in some cases over legal immigrants, you might understand why so many people are up in arms.  And it *is* a serious threat to security.  If ordinary illegals can cross, then so can those wackos from MS-13, so can drug smugglers (and these guys do), and so can terrorists (Although in a lot of ways, MS-13 guys ARE terrorists).\n\nThe guy in South Carolina?  Well, everyone has different things they're offended by, and he's just exercising his rights to be a concerned citizen.\n\nAs to this 'plan'...like I said, yes, it's a crazy idea.  Remember, the people who would enforce things are as human as everyone else, and I doubt you could find enough people -civilian or military- to go along with this.  Bush doesn't want to be a dictator; he's just extremely stubborn in doing things.  Mind you, he's annoyed me a lot of times, either for doing what I see as something dumb, or for doing something I agree with, but not communicating *why* it's a good idea.\n\nBy the way, it's spelled "martial law".  "Marshall" is someone's last name.\n\nAnd despite what a couple of people seem to be concerned about here, no, the FBI, CIA, NSA, Secret Service, etc., do NOT monitor these sites.  They (especially the law enforcement guys) are extremely sensitive to such things, since they're tasked with upholding the law.  They only check into such things when they get a tip (e.g. some idiot on
308393
I don't see how we can.  Our rights are slowly being stripped from us.  NOT every one has the same rights as the next.  I have more freedoms and rights here in Europe than I did living in my own country of America.  and that's sad.  Its really sad.  i really don't see how we are the land of the free.  I don't see how we are the land of opportunity.  Only if you got the money do you get the Rights and privileges this country claims to have.
304411
While our country falls apart and the american dream becomes more dissolved. Our forefathers would be ashamed of our current government. The great USA is becoming more like communist Russia and communist Germany. We are no longer free. Our freedoms are being infringed upon. The very thing our Government says its fighting, they are inflicting on the american people. There is no representation and Americans were not asked if we agreed with this spying. Power is corruptive and the checks and balances have not stopped corruptions. I am appauled that our government in fear of terrorism has been coerced to change the way we live forever. There has always been terrorism, look at Adolph Hitler, Mousilini, and more, but in all these times what made America different was democracy, we had a choice. We now have no choice in our freedom and big govrnment is making decisions not for the people but against the people. Are we truly free? I think not.
872549
Sounds like a bad idea to me too.  And I am a liberal.  Of course I didn't know we liberals wanted us to be more like France until I saw your email.  It kinda surprised me to hear that.  Gee you'd think I'd have known I wanted something like that.  All this time I thought I wanted us to be like we used to be, not like France is.  I thought I wanted stuff like the return of the constitutional writ of habeus corpus, and end to the build up of millions of dollars of new debt each month (mostly to China) which if you think about it is going to impose a heavy burden on the next generation, an end to divisiveness as preached by the current administration, a reasonable minimum wage, real action on illegal entry into our country, an end to our administration lying to us and the world in order to wage war, an end to spying on US citizens, and real support in the war on terrorism by supporting efforts in Afghanistan.\n\nHey, wait a minute!!  That isn't like France at all!!!  I get it now, you are just another person practicing divisiveness by blindly following a party line and making unfounded, untrue unresearched judgments against those you and your party disagree with.
387827
That is without a doubt the best idea I've heard recently.\nYou should run for office!!
888684
I think that most people in our country today have no idea what it is like to go without!!  Most of us in America have no idea what injustice and No freedom means, therefore so many of us take it for granted!!! There is no perspective...there is nothing in most of our experience to compare it to!!! All of the groundwork was laid out for us by our forefathers!!! If we don't take an active seat in forming the laws, our country could come out of hand ....my best recommendation is to let everyone in your circle know how very important it is to retain our freedoms and use our tools for stabilizing this free country we are living n today!!! In world History we have seen mightier fall!!!
771338
We are in more trouble that I dared hope.  God help us all.  \n\nThe idiots have been elected by the idiots that voted for them and we are all along for the ride.  \n\nMaybe we sane should secede from the country and take our money with us and see how far you socialists get.  None of you work or pay taxes and without our taxes lets see you try to support yourselves without the handouts we used to provide.
537566
I am not ready to give up on it either but I would fight it a differ ant way, I would disband the military as we know it, keep the Navy and Air force intact. I would build a purely defensive force and guard our own borders against all alien people, put more into intelligence, I know this is radical and probably not to well received but it is my opinion as to what is wrong. We spend to much on overseas and not enough here. There is a better use for the money.
390887
Are going???????  ...Don't you really mean to say: Have already gone?    ...Indeed, we are looking at a very sad and dangerous heading for our hard-fought democracy.   Poor founding fathers have been shaking in their bones for some time now, I'm afraid.   I truly wonder: Have we really taken good enough care of the wonderful and immeasurable heritage they had left us?   It is much harder to recover our lost liberties than to lose them.   ...The worst crimes in this world have always been committed and justified in the name of the best and the holiest of intentions.
1071582
According to the Repugs., yes. How dare you question your government!? This is the mentality that has "crashed" our great country in only 6 years.
290290
I do not agree with what our government is doing, but I believe that has a lot to do with the Bush administration. I've never been so disapointed int my own country before. Honestly, I am scared of our well being because of what they are doing.
736449
I'M  WITH YOU.\n\nAll these security measures that have been implemented to give us  "security" will one day be used to regulate and control us.\n\nDear old Benjamin Franklin once said, "Those who would surrender freedom for security deserve neither."\n\nThink about it. If a government or people in the background that influence a government was/were afraid the people may one day get fed up with them and stage a revolt what measures would they put into effect to prevent that?\n\n1) control their ability to move around quickly.  \nAirport security, travel records of buses and trains.   ID's.   There was even talk of a (GASP) NATIONAL ID!\n\n2) track all large money deposits.\nRequire banks to report anything larger than $5,000.  It would take money to stage a rebellion so tracking it would warn the government who is moving money where. They just get a warrant to search your property and find the tools of a revolt and lock you  up before you can do anything to get rid of the abusive bastards.\n\n3) Squash them like a bug. \nUse the military act to lock up suspected terrorists with NO trial and they NEVER see a lawyer.\n\nDo you realize that with the passage of the most recent law, the government can designate anyone (you) as a terrorist and lock them up forever?\n\n4) Use issues that will divide the people.\nThat will prevent them from working too closely together.  Abortion, gay rights, health care, and now the Iraq mess. That should hit about 95% of the population shouldn't it? Get them fighting, arguing amongst themselves so they don't concentrate on what is really happening in the background....\n\n5) Use cameras.\nSo we can watch who goes where and catch anyone talking against the beloved people in power.\n\n6) Pretend we don't mind if they have guns to defend themselves, but slowly learn who has them so they can be collected one day.\n\nGee does any of that sound familiar?\nIn the last five years all of that has been put into place. More regulation than in the whole 200+ years since this country declared independence.\n\nAmericans are about to be subjugated and they are too complacent to know it.
721835
Good for you Sarah, you've done some reading and made up your own mind. That's as refreshing as it seems to be unusual these days.\n\nKeep reading. The World is a dark place right now and your present Government has a lot to do with the clouds coming over the horizon.
993938
I think that is perfectly feasible. Really sux that we are so doubtful and untrusting of our government; but, ever other promise over the past 6 years, has been either a lie or just false.
58496
It very well could be. Liberals demand government basically take care of ALL people basket to casket. What PRICE do WE as individuals pay for that? Ask a Russian or any Eastern European immigrant you happen to meet. I know 2 and they both say the Democrats sound like communists. Just an observation.
740969
id look past all that crap and opt for rights and freedoms before there taken away .forget the pc brigade as long as in your heart you can say your not racist say what you feel question our government point out how our boarders are open and your not happy about it in reality weve been conditioned .the problem is we are fed all this crap and people have the right idea on these matters yet for the wrong reasons .we are fed constant terror the general population bitch and moan about subjects and dont realise that nesesary rights and freedoms are being taken away as a result its called problem ,reaction,solution heres an example a man was sentenced for thought crimes last week he had planned dirty bomb attacks in the US , now this man had no funding and no way of carrying this out thought crimes? as you can imagine the reaction from the general population  ,surprise surprise the next day in the paper mi5 say theres 30 terror cells in the uk planning dirty bombs ?everyones like oh shit!! ,the next day blair in the paper pointing out the laws he wants to pass one being holding a terror suspect for 90 days with no charge  and no soliciitor (they can make people disapear )now thats there solution .these laws end up getting used against us .a man booed mr blair as he was going past in a car, 5 mins later the man was searched and his details were put on the terrorist suspect database or whatever bullshit name they give it ? we are being shafted world wide our governments are controlled by world banks (new world order,illuminati) the whole fabric of our society is based on lies and coruption.people need to stop relying on government as throughout history they have tryed to enslave the people .EVERYONE NEEDS TO ASK QUESTIONS they cant lock us all up for questioning our own government the people we suposedly put up there .this is so vast its quite hard to exsplain it goes very deep in substance and time .click on these two links:\n\npdf:the police state road map\nhttp://www.policestateplanning.com/\n\nterrorstorm:a history of government sponsored terror.\nhttp://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=786048453686176230&q=terrorstorm
63970
You have a very good point and for all i know you could be the very person you are talking about. If i was the NSA i think i would be asking that very same question. They probably are reading this. But  I think we have the right to our own opinion and i dont think my opinion about the goverments going to change anytime soon. I would tell them too that they could be doing better things with there money, than spying on me or you.