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It's hard to see how the Patriot Act helps to fight terrorism. Terrorists are not stupid, they know how to cover their tracks in advance. Look at the provisions of the act and you can see how easy it is for non-law abiding citizens to get around the new powers - which tends to suggest that it is aimed more at controlling the law-abiding folk:
1. Security services can now look at your library records
Terrorist: "No problem, I'll study the books at the library without checking them out - or I'll use a fake ID to obtain a library pass
2. Security services can read your mail/email and tap your phone without your knowledge
Terrorist: Duh! Who uses their own phone and email account for secret stuff anyway? I phone folk with stolen/pre-paid cell phones or with payphones and all I do for email is connect to my annoymous hotmail account with a computer connected to the net with a stolen cell phone/ pay phone" As for paper mail, it's simply too insecure to use"
3. Security services can gather detailed phone/internet activity information from your supplier.
Terrorist: As above, I don't use traceable phones/internet connections to do 'business' - so if you want to know how many times I called the Pizza man and how long I was on the phone to the bus company, it's no problem with me."
3. Security services can search your home without your knowledge
Terrorist: "Well hello! Do you really think that I will keep anything incriminating at my (temporary) home???
And so on...The only people who would be vunerable under this legislation are law-abiding citizens who never felt the need to cover their tracks...
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