The Terrorism Information and Prevention System, or TIPS, means the US will have a higher percentage of citizen informants than the former East Germany through the infamous Stasi secret police. The program would use a minimum of 4 per cent of Americans to report “suspicious activity”.

Nice. Can we please vote this oil-soaked, coke-snorting rat bastard out of office, please? Please?

And why is it, speaking of elections, that the Democrats can’t seem to mount any sort of reasonable critique of GW and his Cheney’s policies? The only serious criticism (or the only one taken seriously by most) is from John McCain. With no real leadership, it’s no wonder the Democrats have been courting him. More power to them, but I personally hope he goes independant.

In 1989, East Germany's Ministry for State Security (the "Stasi") had 91,000 staff members and 174,000 unofficial collaborators - a ratio of one spy for every 62 citizens.

But if you count drop-in informers the ratio hits 10% of the Adult Population.

All it is, is an organized form of the already current in-formal tip system the Local Police and Feds use.

Something is going on down at the local crack house and you call in, you are a TIPster.

it is not a hallmark of a free or democratic society. puppet boy can't even read his lines right -- i wonder who's really behind this fascism?

Problem is, though they've been able to indirectly snipe at Bush/Cheney on the whole "in bed with business" thang, you only have to count the number of millionare Democratic Congressmen to know that their own house is looking pretty darned crystalline.

The business thing doesn't bother me, since I know that everyone from City Councilperson up to President deals with the Private Sector and with Businesses.

Also, since the Supreme Court decided that a Business has the rights of a Citizen, you can't hold it against anyone, unless you hold any interaction with the public against an elected offical.

What is bugging me, and bugged me about Clinton, is the out and out lying and covering up what happened or is going on.

McCain bothers me since he used to be in the pockets of Keating and lied about it.

Maybe I'll run for President in '08 when I'm old enough to.

I certainly didn't vote for him.

Not that Gore would have been any better - do you think that there is a 'better' by the time they get to the presidency? I think that by the time they are that high in politics, all ethics, morality and compassion has been worn right away.

Must be all that glad-handing.

Good god, am I the only die-hard conservative Doyce knows?

I'm still wishing for the return of McCarthyism. :(

Though I think we are close to bringing back a house sub-committee on Un-American Activities. About time. Damn liberals.