Terrorist victory in the UK

[unixronin]

Yeah, you heard me right:  Terrorist victory.

What victory?

This one.  In the UK as in the US, terrorists have not cowed the people, who are for the most part standing there with defiance on their faces and "Bring it on, you miserable cowards!" on their lips.  But they have cowed the government.

Civil liberties may have to be "eroded" to protect Britons from terrorism, the head of security service MI5 has said.

[...]

[Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, head of MI5] said civil liberties were valued and there was no wish to damage those "hard-fought for" rights.

"But the world has changed and there needs to be a debate on whether some erosion of what we all value may be necessary to improve the chances of our citizens not being blown apart as they go about their daily lives," she said.

In the US, four years ago this day, a successful terror attack shocked the nation ... and the government caved, and did exactly what the terorrists wanted:  It took away freedoms and liberties from the American people that the terrorists could not possibly ever take away by themselves.  Now it looks as though the July 7 bombings in London may have achieved the same end in the UK.

Are our governments just too STUPID to see what's happening?  Or is it just that they and the terrorists are playing perfectly into each other's hands?

Comments

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Indeed.
In the words of Daniel Webster:

"Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority.  It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions.  There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern.  They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters."

[jmkelly.livejournal.com]

Good quote. In exchange, here's one from John Adams:

"Power always sincerely, conscientiously, de trés bon Foi, believes itself Right. Power always thinks it has a great Soul, and vast Views, beyond the comprehension of the weak; and that it is doing God service, when it is violating all his laws."

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'm snagging that one for my quotations file.