Questions for Study and Writing

1. In time of war, citizens have often willingly accepted the curtailment of certain rights in the interests of national security. In England during WWII, for instance, people were required to have blackout curtains on their windows. In the United States, there was enforced gas rationing. How would you compare such measures to those included in the Bush administration's Patriot Act? Do some measures seem more troubling to you than others?

2. In his article "The Military Tribunals on Trial," (see link below) Aryeh Neier argues that political realities will end up defusing most of the troubling aspects of the military tribunals. For instance, Neier believes that in the end prosecutors will want to try terrorists in civilian courts, because otherwise the public and the international community will not find the trials credible. What do you think about this argument? Do you think that this was considered when the Patriot Act was being drafted? How do you think writers five years from now will appraise the importance of the Patriot Act? http://www.nybooks.com/articles/15122