Well, if you learned about McCarthyism in school it's basically the same thing.
At this point they are using the Patriot Act to label any criminal a "terrorist" so the criminal is no longer protected by the Constitution of the United States.
However, if the trend continues, it could get to the point that when you speak out against George Bush, you get arrested, labeled a "terrorist" or even an "Enemy of Freedom" and you get tossed into Guantanamo indefenitly with no trial.
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