Well, Don, that stuff cannot *all* be discounted. Sometimes ya' can sneak a little truth in among the conspiracy theories and have it laughed off as if it was *just one of them*. Now, I'm not going to get bogged down in the middle of the microscope here but there are definately some things going on here, which are scarey:
1. There has been an assault on the 1st Ammendment that goes beyond the limitations that a nation "at war" can tolerate. When the Bush administration framed the world situation in the "with us or against us" he sent a chilling message to not only free speech but the media. The media is doing a pretty good job in toeing the line by not consistently printing the numbers of folks at demonstrations against an invasion of Iraq.
2. The 5th Ammendment isn't fairing too well either with the Patriot Act. I know it seem far-fetched but if passed the way it is written, it would allow a home born American citizen who contributes a blanket or can of beans to an organization that John Ashcroft deems linked to terrorists... to be arrested, detained without counsel and eventually deported.
These are a couple of real scarey things that threaten democracy.
Throw in ex-con Johnny "I-lied-to-Congress-and-proud-of-it" Poindextrer to run an intellegence gathering agency that keeps track of everyone in the country, and we got a run away train.
Just thought I'd try to get this thread back on topic.
Sorry, HG, I love the conspiracy theories. Maybe you could just crank up a CT thread? Hey, I'd spend time there...