[lit-ideas] Who Needs Jacques Bauer?

One of the members of my large Lurking Staff sent me http://www.opinionjournal.com/wsj/?id=110009712
This is a very interesting article that lauds the French "investigative magistrate and counterterrorism supremo Jean-Louis Bruguiere." The article describes the actions Bruguiere is able to take under French law which include wire taps without warrants, holding prisoners without charging them (up to a year), using hearsay evidence, not needing habeas corpus, etc. Burguiere is able to go much much further under French law than the FBI or CIA are able to go under American Law, even under the Patriot Act. And yet Bush is vilified for trampling on American Civil Rights for his Patriot Act -- even by the French -- while they (the French) laud Burguiere for keeping France safe from terrorist attacks by whatever means he deems necessary - as long as they work.
Simon, Mike, and John were interested yesterday in skipping over the intent of my notes and exposing my hypocrisy. Perhaps they could take a break from that and read this article. If they can find hypocrisy in my notes, will they not, after reading this article, express outrage at the hypocrites who demonize Bush for destroying American Civil Liberties while holding up France as an example of Civil-Liberty-Enlightenment? Or perhaps, if they didn't know what was going on in France (not to mention the other European nations mentioned in the article), they'll choose to vilify and demonize France and Burguiere (not necessarily in that order) for exceeding Bush in trampling on Civil Liberties. Certainly they'll have to choose one course or the other. 

What say ye, ye Leftist Torquemadas?

Lawrence

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