Politics: Observe the Parallels

Laura K. Donohue covers in vivid detail how the United Kingdom has gradually redacted many of its freedoms for the chimera of 'security' over the course of the troubles in Ireland. I began this post by thinking I would quote some of the piece, but the whole thing is excellent so just go read it. But here's the conclusion:

The question "What should we do to respond to al Qaeda?" is important. But al Qaeda isn't the only threat the United States faces, and it ought to be secondary to what should be our main concern: How do we protect our basic values from attack?

Like Britain, the United States today faces the charge that it does not respect individual rights. Its response to the terrorist attacks -- shifting the presumption of innocence, conducting assassinations, limiting due process, engaging in inhumane behavior and sanctioning torture -- does little to prove otherwise.