Question from a UK doper.
I keep hearing Americans commenting on the Patriot act. What’s this all about, then?
Following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Congress passed and President Bush signed the USA PATRIOT Act. The Act gave law enforcement sweeping powers, which because of the complexity of the Act I am not going to attempt to summarize. The Act is extremely controversial, with civil libertarians accusing the government of misusing the powers granted as well as changing the traditional parameters for such things as the issuance of warrants and the gathering of information on US citizens. There have been a number of lawsuits regardng various aspects of the Act.
Google USA Patriot Act and you’ll get tons of hits which discuss the Act and analyze various provisions of it. This thread has the potential of turning into a politcal free-for-all so I’m trying to stay as factual and neutral as I can.
This is going to hit The Pit so fast… 
The Patriot Act is either the “saving of the nation” or the “death-knell for personal freedoms.” Depends on who you ask. Take **Otto’s ** advice and Google it yourself.
I, myself, would simply describe it as “ill planned” , “ineffective” and “unconsidered”.
Some of the provisions are quite necessary and useful. Some need to expire under the sunset provisions. Others should never have been implemented in the first place.
Even Russ Feingold, the sole US senator to vote against the Patriot Act, believes that most provisions should be kept in place. But many Republican congressmen are now agreeing with Feingold that some of those more problematic provisions really need to go.
Addressing Patriot Act flaws