Crashing the Party, by Ralph Nader: on Homeland Security


Ralph Nader: Bush attacks civil liberties while saying he defends them

[After 9/11], the Bush Administration confronted the age-old balance between national security and civil liberties by coming down hard on the latter. But by deed, not by rhetoric. In their statements, President Bush and his Cabinet spoke the language of freedom and liberty, which they said the terrorists and their backers attacked on September 11. They are attacking, the President declared again and again, our freedom of speech, our freedom of religion, and our freedom to disagree. But in a remarkable In the weeks after 9/11, expressions of political dissent or the need for tolerance were frowned upon, condemned, or excluded from radio and television. People were shouted down at public gatherings, summarily cut off on TV shows, fired from their jobs. contrast between words and deeds, even for Bush, the government responded with both the most restrictive single law on our civil liberties since the Alien and Sedition Acts of 798 and, by creating a climate of repression, chilling dissent.

Source: Crashing the Party, by Ralph Nader, p. xi-xiv Oct 9, 2002

  • The above quotations are from Crashing the Party:
    How to Tell the Truth and Still Run for President
    Taking on Corporate Governance in an Age of Surrender    , by Ralph Nader.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Homeland Security.
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  • Click here for more quotes by Ralph Nader on Homeland Security.
2012 Presidential contenders on Homeland Security:
Republicans:
Rep.Newt Gingrich(GA)
Rep.Ron Paul(TX)
Gov.Mitt Romney(MA)
Sen.Rick Santorum(PA) 		Democrats:
Pres.Barack Obama(IL)
V.P.Joe Biden(DE) 		Third Parties:
Green: Gov.Gary Johnson(NM)
AmericansElect: Gov.Buddy Roemer(LA)
>Libertarian: Jill Stein(MA)
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Page last updated: Jul 04, 2012