chilling effects of USA "Patriot" Act...

Today's NYT has an article about the chilling effects of the Patriot Act for e-commerce.

Ashcroft tries to defend this garbage legislation, but the fact that it exists has numerous detrimental effects on e-commerce inter alia.

Just because they haven't issued any Patriot subpoenas yet, doesn't mean that people shouldn't worry.

It is interesting to note that Amazon.com relies on a Colorado case to deny the feds the information they are seeking.

The real problem here is that the Act was supposed to catch terrorists. But unfortunately, there are no safeguards on the types of cases the feds can use their expanded powers to pursue...especially with regard to the 'war on drugs' (remember those anti-drug ads with the kids saying they helped bin laden by smoking pot??)

So what potential effects will the Patriot Act really cause?

1. terrorists will not go to a library to surf the net when they can just sit at starbuck's.
2. terrorists will still get what they want by paying cash.
3. people will be investigated for reading books that are on some secret 'black list' (watch out bukowski lovers -- the feds are watching you!)
4. people will be investigated for purchasing fertilizer and other innocuous home and garden supplies
5. students will continue to have the FBI show up and threaten them at school for expressing their political beliefs (if they do not coincide with the bush-ashcroft philosophy)
6. we are no longer the home of the free, but rather the home of the afraid (not of the terrorists, but of our own government).
7. Jefferson will be rolling in his grave. (sorry pal, your lofty idealism barely lasted 225 years).
8. Freedom loving Americans will emigrate in droves to Canada (which, by the way, has a nearly zero homicide rate, despite having a larger per capita rate of gun ownership than the US).