Do the ends justify the means?

Ok, I am piggybacking from Cami's blog and my comment from her blog (www.chattycami.blogspot.com) that lead to my discussing the current Bush spy scandal.

The Republican spin-doctors claim that if they had not "bent the rules" (aka breaking the law) that the Big Bad Arabs would have made another terrorist attack. I suppose that we will never know, but I do know that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance court is there for that reason. They even make provisions for surveillance to begin before a court order is obtain just for flexibility. If this is the case, ignoring due process and the constitution are unforgivable.

What really gets me is that the administration claims to be spreading freedom and democracy in its invasion of Iraq and yet fails to follow the very principles they preach. They have corrupted the essence of the rules and laws we abide by as Americans in order to keep us safe from the same people who we forced our “democratic” values upon.

When the Oklahoma City bombing occurred, do you think they broke the law to do surveillance on midwestern white men? I doubt it. Their first look was at the people Middle Eastern decent in this country. The irony is that the first major terrorist attack came from our own citizens so angry at the government’s involvement in citizen’s lives that they became militant terrorists to make a point.

Don’t get me wrong; I abhor all terrorist activity, domestic or international. The issue is that the administration’s tactics have bastardized the very principles that this country stands on, giving fuel to all extremists, white or brown. If we are going out into the world touting democratic values and freedom, our president and this administration should be above reproach.

I am afraid to admit that our country is no longer a democracy but rather an oligarchy, a government ruled by a family or small group of people. George Bush and administration, etc. where is the country I love and what have you done to it?

I pray this Christmas that those who head our government have a change of heart, realize their hypocrisy, bring back our troops from Iraq and change the way they operate.