Well, this thread is really interesting. And more interesting for me as an European, to see how Americans react about a subject like this;
We heard about the Patrioct Act after 9/11. I remember at that time, many people here said.."ok..the Americans were crazy before this, now they are completely nuts". I think we didn't clearly realize the trauma Americans suffered by that agression - I have really a problem to use the term "terrorist act" as I'm convinced it was an act of war more than anything else-
It is true that Europe suffered terrorism during decades plus more wars than Americans will even never see and when we saw the reaction after 9/11, our first thought was "hey! if we should react like that after every attack, we would be a gigantic concentration camp".
""In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up."
I was thinking at the same sentence while reading this thread.
I don't think "the government" is to blame or to fear. A government is an abstraction; It is an institution. i fear more those who belong to the government..and those who are behind.
In Germany, between the two world wars, they had many different governments - right and left - until Hitler went to power. The policy changed drastically with Hitler. it was not "the government" who suddenly became evil..it was the leader and the men who were into the government who were completely insane.
The same appeared in Italy before Mussolini...or in Iran before the Islamic revolution.
In the USA - and I fear it slowly becomes the same in Europe - the "government" is even not the major power in the country. The politicians are clearly the puppets of a few big bosses, financials and industrials from whom they get the money needed to be elected. Those people are behind and those are the real "government".
So when a decision such as spying the population or reducing the liberties is taken, the true question is : who will make a profit with it?
Find the answer is finding who inspired it.
The left wing has spoken