2021 will mark the twentieth anniversary of the Patriot Act; the sweeping security law rushed through Congress in the days following 9/11. At the time, the drafters intended to respond strongly to the tragedy that left Americans feeling vulnerable.
While it may have been well-intentioned, our founders would be aghast at the powers afforded by it— which the federal government abuses under cover of fighting international terrorism. The Biden administration is taking this a step further, which will mimic the Communist Party of China's failed social credit system, in an effort to combat what they call "domestic terrorism."
This week, President Biden's Department of Homeland Security set up a "domestic terrorism intelligence team," according to a report written by Politico. According to the report:
"...leaders also plan to...assess which online narratives may be most likely to incite violence. And, according to the officials, it will try to gauge the threat people may pose based on behavioral assessments — rather than ideology."
So how are government officials observing this data and making these behavioral assessments?
With the help of BigTech companies, of course!
Biden's DHS is consulting with social media and other private companies to monitor the speech and activity of our American citizens. Even the Postal Service is abusing citizens by spying on social media to identify "extremism."
Some argue that since this speech and activity is "public," there shouldn't be a warrant required for this coordinated government surveillance.
In 2006, former vice president Dick Cheney similarly argued that government eavesdropping is critical to the security of the United States.
The Biden administration is continuing in Cheney's footsteps by hindering our Fourth Amendment with the goal of hindering our First.
The Uniparty isn't stopping there.
Democrats in Congress are building support for a new law—which I dub the Patriot Act 2.0—which will further roll back our freedoms in the name of making us safer.
Representative Bradley Schneider has introduced what he calls the "Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act," which would invent "a Domestic Terrorism Unit in the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security, which shall be responsible for monitoring and analyzing domestic terrorism activity."
Sadly, three Republicans in Washington have signed on as co-sponsors: Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska, Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, and Representative Fred Upton of Michigan.
All of these members of Congress aren't really interested in protecting us from domestic terrorism.
Last year, they called the city-burning ANTIFA and BLM rioters "mostly peaceful protesters" and indulged demands in defunding the police while car jackings surged 500%.
People lost their lives, and hundreds of American businesses and neighborhoods were destroyed. They implemented "bail reform" while murder rates in cities spiked 30%.
If politicians in Washington were serious about protecting our great country from domestic threats, they wouldn't start by crafting new laws designed to protect their own corruption.
Securing America's frontiers and clamping down on illegal immigration would also do far more than any surveillance law to protect ordinary Americans.
But beltway insiders from both parties want to maintain power and authority over American citizens' lives and have proven they will ignore our Constitutional rights to achieve it.
Catharine O'Neill served at the Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development from the first day to the last day of President Donald J. Trump's administration. The issues that she focused on included religious freedom, immigration, UN reform, and protecting life. Read Catharine O'Neill's Reports - More Here.