From: "Michael Dawson -PSU"
Yes, and the left makes itself look stupid and hyperbolic by stressing this issue so much, to the exclusion of the bigger problem, which is the continuing upward transfer of wealth and downward creation of danger and disease.
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CB: Not at all clear that "the" left stresses this issue so much,nor that the left excludes or subordinates to warning of this danger to emphasis on CLASS STRUGGLE ( at least some of us still emphasize CLASS STRUGGLE). It's really easy to talk about _both_ threat of barbarism and class struggle; in fact , they are related topics, and certainly not mutually exclusive.
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The Bill of Rights has not been suspended. Courts are already finding parts of the Patriot Act unconstitutional. The vast majority of people have not lost any rights yet. True, the PA is a terrible precedent, but painting it as Hitler's wedge is crazy and politically suicidal.
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CB: Unless it is such a wedge, in which case not talking about it is crazy and suicidal. Pretty hard to prove conclusively , as you imply, that there is no threat of a new level of U.S. tyranny.