🚀 go-pugleaf

dissidents.
*   
*   "If those guidelines are interpreted broadly and proactively, as opposed
*   to defensively, as has been the case for many many years, I feel confident
*   ...we have sufficient authority," Freeh told a Senate Committee.
*   
*   William Safire, the conservative New York Times columnist with libertarian
*   leanings, was appalled, asking if there wasn't anyone in the government
*   who remembered how the FBI played the game in the bad old days?
*   
*   "To the applause of voters fearful of terrorism," Safire wrote, "the pro-
*   activists declare their intention to prevent crime. This would be followed
*   by surveillance of suspect groups by using new technology, the infiltra-
*   tion of political movements deemed radical or violence prone; and the
*   stretching of guidelines put in place 20 years ago to restrain yesterday's
*   zealots."

Fear, loathing, hysteria, and a massive misdirection of resources:

*   At about the same time that the FBI agent was knocking on Mrs. Bernard's
*   door, the bureau had 21,000 allegations of savings and loan fraud it was
*   unable to investigate, and at least 2,400 inactive financial crime inves-
*   tigations awaiting consideration. In the San Diego area, for example,
*   lack of available agents meant the FBI would not even consider investi-
*   gating bank fraud cases unless they involved losses of at least one
*   million dollars.


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