tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9237907.post112911778682712769..comments2024-03-06T00:30:08.915-08:00Comments on Secular-Right India: Civil Liberties: A RethinkUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9237907.post-1129161306540199082005-10-12T16:55:00.000-07:002005-10-12T16:55:00.000-07:00Rishabh,Your post was too tempting to pass up. I d...Rishabh,<BR/>Your post was too tempting to pass up. I don't see too many people extolling the virtues of the woolly-headed Europeans (maybe I should get myself some centrist/leftist friends!). I wonder what happens to that oasis of freedom, The Netherlands, when they have a few more <A HREF="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4675421.stm" REL="nofollow">Bouyeri's</A>. Wonder what version of the Patriot Act they'll put in place. Watch the U.K. and Australia as they enact their own versions.<BR/><BR/>My point (to reiterate PR's point) is all civil liberties take a back-seat to the freedom to <B>live</B>, which is what is under threat. I'm not being dramatic here.<BR/><BR/>There's no negotiating with some folks - unfortunately, the only way they'll respect you (and let you live) is if you kick their butts!<BR/><BR/>Best regards.libertarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05258039856928341788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9237907.post-1129133651886220792005-10-12T09:14:00.000-07:002005-10-12T09:14:00.000-07:00Rishabh:Thanks for sharing your perspective.We tak...Rishabh:<BR/><BR/>Thanks for sharing your perspective.<BR/><BR/>We take exception, however, to your calling Patriot Act "extremist" -- which it is not -- and suggesting that US civil rights situation is "not good" right now. What are you talking about?<BR/><BR/>Primary RedPrimary Redhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16140741949208891119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9237907.post-1129127784612874952005-10-12T07:36:00.000-07:002005-10-12T07:36:00.000-07:00Primary Red said... Of course civil liberties m...Primary Red said...<BR/><BR/> Of course civil liberties matter, but life matters above civil liberties.<BR/><BR/>This is exactly what one Interior Minister of one Western European country said. The anti-terror laws here are one of the stringent in the Western world which enables long periods of detention for terror suspects with no access to lawyers. <BR/><BR/>I too am sick and tired of the ACLU. From being a defender of liberty, it has become an apologists for extremists and anti-government anarchists. Given the naxalite and hard-left infiltration in Indian political left, this is the last things which India needs.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9237907.post-1129122668803131252005-10-12T06:11:00.000-07:002005-10-12T06:11:00.000-07:00Of course civil liberties matter, but life matters...Of course civil liberties matter, but life matters above civil liberties.<BR/><BR/>In places where terrorists hunt down our national innocence, we must have no illusions about the needed severity of our response. And if this involves trading-off civil liberties for lives of innocents, the latter takes precedence. The last thing we want is American-style ACLU extremism in India, which cares only for "civil liberties" even if this has damaging implications for national security.<BR/><BR/>Having said this, there is indeed an Indian heavy-handedness in evidence even absent good rationale for it.<BR/><BR/>The real issue therefore is not that India is poor at balancing civil rights with security needs, rather it is not selective enough on where such trade-offs should be brought into play.<BR/><BR/>Best regards.Primary Redhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16140741949208891119noreply@blogger.com