Patriot Act renewed under banner of fear

That insanely invasive legislation, the Patriot Act, was swiftly renewed by the House and Senate last night in a 257-171 vote. The passage was prompted by the recent London bombings and U.S. fears of impending terrorist attacks in the States. House Republicans pointed to the attacks in London yesterday and on July 7 as evidence of the need to reauthorize the Patriot Act with relatively few modifications. While the law has "helped avert additional attacks on our soil, the threat has not abated," Sensenbrenner said. (Washington Post) The ratification made permanent virtually all of the provisions in the law, with the exception of two, which will have to be re-considered by Congress in ten years. The remaining two provisions - giving the government the power to demand business and library records and to conduct roving wiretaps - would have to be reconsidered by Congress in 10 years. (NYTimes) Oh, well I mean, what's ten years really? At the rate we're going, we'll have obliterated ourselves long before then.