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Another 9/11 - Page 2

The USA PATRIOT ACT is a law that was passed without the legislators even knowing what was in it. It is extremely dangerous, in a lot of ways, but also a strong tool for finding and stopping terrorists. I tend towards not liking it. Some of the most dangerous parts of it are set to expire, this year, I think. It gives police the authority to get secret search warrants, gives law enforcement extensive powers, and provides for wiretapping into computers that can be very chilling to speech rights.

At the moment, these tools are being used only towards terrorism. But there is always the opportunity for abuse, and there isn't much in the way of oversight of the police.

Civil libertarians and deep conservatives are very wary of this law.

Another

I had a hard time deciding where to post this. It's not really entertainment, and we have so many political threads... So here it is.

Link to AP Story

Moore's Anti-Bush Film Wins Cannes Prize

May 22, 11:02 PM EDT
CANNES, France (AP) -- American filmmaker Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," a scathing indictment of White House actions after the Sept. 11 attacks, won the top prize Saturday at the Cannes Film Festival.

"Fahrenheit 9/11" was the first documentary to win Cannes' prestigious Palme d'Or since Jacques Cousteau's and Louis Malle's "The Silent World" in 1956.

"What have you done? I'm completely overwhelmed by this. Merci," Moore said after getting a standing ovation from the Cannes crowd.


Some critics speculated that if "Fahrenheit 9/11" won the top prize, it would be more for the film's politics than its cinematic value.

With Moore's customary blend of humor and horror, "Fahrenheit 9/11" accuses the Bush camp of stealing the 2000 election, overlooking terrorism warnings before Sept. 11 and fanning fears of more attacks to secure Americans' support for the Iraq war.

"Fahrenheit 9/11" made waves in the weeks leading up to Cannes after the Walt Disney Co. refused to let subsidiary Miramax release the film in the United States because of its political content. Miramax bosses Harvey and Bob Weinstein are negotiating to buy back the film and find another distributor, with hopes of landing it in theaters by Fourth of July weekend.

Moore said after the ceremony that he expected right-wing media outlets in the United States to characterize his prize as an award from the French, whose government opposed the U.S.-led war on Iraq. He noted that the nine-person Cannes jury that awarded prizes had only one French member and four Americans, including jury president Quentin Tarantino and actress Kathleen Turner.

Many Americans now realize the French are "good friends of America who tried to do the right thing and tell us this was the wrong road," Moore said. "We owe the people of this country an apology for the way they were debased and treated in our media."

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Edited: FarSeer on 23rd May, 2004 - 12:01pm

Another 9/11 History & Civil Business Politics

I would love to see this movie and see what's the perspective of the Director on it.

Nighthawk, that Act seem very scary to me since it could lead to a misuse and abuse of it in other ways than just against terrorism.

Page 2 Another

I hate to even say this, and I won't go into details, but I personally know of instances where people, who have been in the public eye for years and been very vocal about certain things, have suddenly been "asked" by the government to discontinue their activities on the Internet or face legal, financial, and public consequences. The reason given is 9/11.

It is subject to abuse, the Patriot Act, and it's really scary to have it happen to someone I "know".

Roz

Another

Well, I think if we have to give up some liberty for more safety then so be it. As far as abuses, there are legal channels that can be followed if you feel your rights have been infringed upon. I don't believe money would be a problem either because I am sure there are a number of high powered lawyers that would like to test the bounds of this act in court.

So, while I don't want this country to do everything in secret, I don't have a problem with certain restrictions being put in place, such as federal ID cards.

Another 9/11

Michael Moore has made a career out of fake documentaries that are politically correct for the Left. There are several websites that list the distortions and outright lies in his movies, particularly Bowling for Columbine.

Another 9/11 - Page 2

Well, here is something the Patriot Act allows which I definately have trouble with. Apparently law enforcement can enter your home and never tell you they were there.

The entire article is interesting. However, if you want to discuss the article in terms of anything other than the topic of this thread be sure to start a new thread to do so.

Another 9/11 Politics Business Civil & History - Page 2

"Sneak and peek" search warrants are among the most disturbing aspects of the Act, to me. Also, the idea that law enforcement can bug anyone's computer keyboards, in order to get all their passwords is very disturbing.