FC: Why liberty suffers during wartime -- a historical view

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,47051,00.html

   Why Liberty Suffers in War Time
   By Declan McCullagh (declan () wired com)
   2:00 a.m. Sep. 24, 2001 PDT

   WASHINGTON -- Anyone worried about the fate of civil liberties during
   the U.S. government's growing war on terrorism might want to consider
   this Latin maxim: Inter arma silent leges.

   It means, "In time of war the laws are silent," and it encapsulates
   the supremacy of security over liberty that typically accompanies
   national emergencies.

   Consider this: During all of America's major wars -- the Civil War,
   World War I and World War II -- the U.S. government restricted
   Americans' civil liberties in the name of quelling dissent, silencing
   criticism of political decisions and preserving national security.

   [...]




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