(Theoretically. In practice the airlines would go out of business before hitting equality.)

… “all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government” … — The Declaration of Independence

We must stand up, speak out, take political action and if necessary fight and die, to protect our freedoms and liberties from the attacks of religious fundamentalists both inside and outside our governments.

Seriously, though. This is a typical machiavellian tactic used quite frequently by Rove an associates. Now, I don’t think this happened specifically because the admin wanted something like this supposedly foiled attack to take place right after Lieberman looses his renomination bid but I wouldn’t put it past Osama and his ilk to pay attention to the politics in the U.S. so that they can keep someone who helps his cause in office, like Bush & Co. I mean, anyone who squeezes deliberately suffocates freedom and goes blundering into situation incompetantly with the military helps Osama more then any other reaction. Consider if we’d sent humanitarian aid to troubled spots around the middle east rather than bombs. Would we have the huge growth in terrorists we have since 9/11? No. Of course not. So, my take is Bush and Friends are being played like a fiddle by Osama while at the same time, this keeps them in power too, as Rove knows. Everyone benefits from this situation. Hitler knew it, Stalin knew it, every fascist government knows it. Everyone benefits except the average citizen. We just suffer under increased tyranny.

Which ones and how would the implementation of such a structure do so? The major difference between MI5 and the FBI seems to be that MI5 has no police powers and merely collects information.

Computers are a much greater threat to our freedom. Should they be eliminated? Babies and bathwater.

The reason Muslim kids in the UK and elsewhere have become radicalised is because a) we let them (otherwise you break race relations laws) b) the president of the USA is on our TV every night ‘preaching’ about ‘ISLAM FACISTS’, and c) Israel (supported by the US President) is bombing Lebanon back to the middle ages, like they have done already with Palestine….. (till 1948 the Zionists were the terrorists invading the Arabs’ country ). I guess the young Muslims feel desperate and hopeless. It reminds me of the school playground where the BIg (very big) Bully and his friends ‘terrorise’ (or control the territory by controlling the sweets/ (oil??) ) the other kids…… the little kids in the end always get even, maybe taking years or decades in the process. of achieving justice.

My point…. we must have a real ‘hearts and minds’ campaign to enable the moderates to triumph. …. and the USA population should start to understand what is really going on in the world. It is a pity that the US media is so trivial, and media spin doctors are so strong.

In looking at the answers.com definition of fascism, the following bits jump out at me:

“suppression … through terror”
“militarily belligerent”
“unquestioning obedience to its leader”
“liberal and democratic values are disparaged”
“protection of business and landowning elites”
“preservation of class systems”
“portrayed to their publics as embodiments of the strength and resolve necessary to rescue their nations…”
“rejection of reason and intelligence”
“portrayed themselves as champions of law, order, Christian morality, and the sanctity of private property”

Yikes… I just scared myself more than I was already…

It’s great that they stopped them but they did it without starting a war in Iraq or eroding the bill of rights.