As we all know, the United States is at war with terrorists. Other countries have successfully won wars against terrorist organizations, but some have paid dearly for their victory.
President Alberto Fujimori of Peru was victorious in his war against the Shining Path, saving millions of lives. But along the way, he dissolved the Congress, rewrote the Peruvian Constitution and nationalized the police force. Fujimori's own government also became corrupt in the end as he was ousted from his controversial third term in a transfer of power that was anything but peaceful.
Some would even say that centralizing power in Fujimori's government was necessary to fight terrorism. But this is not what the United States needs.
Giving wartime powers to the presidency and military tribunals with no clear enemy state to defeat and thus no way to determine when the war is completely "won" is a step in the wrong direction. So is relinquishing our rights to privacy in exchange for greater "security."
We should be extremely careful in the powers we give to our government in the name of fighting terrorism.
Michael J. Goble
Taylorsville