Federal agents' visit chills student

"A senior at UMass Dartmouth was visited by federal agents two months ago, after he requested a copy of Mao Tse-Tung's tome on Communism called "The Little Red Book."

"The student, who was completing a research paper on Communism for Professor Pontbriand's class on fascism and totalitarianism, filled out a form for the request, leaving his name, address, phone number and Social Security number. He was later visited at his parents' home in New Bedford by two agents of the Department of Homeland Security, the professors said.
The professors said the student was told by the agents that the book is on a "watch list," and that his background, which included significant time abroad, triggered them to investigate the student further."

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't they supposed to be using those oppressive, unAmerican, Patriot Act powers to protect us from the dreaded terrorists, who are supposed to be radical muslim fundamentalists? Then why the hell are they bothering with investigating loans of Communist literature? It's because the Patriot Act has little if anything to do with fighting "the terrorists", and everything to do with oppression. Ever wonder why they spend so much time making a big public show of force (like at airports with lots of people around), without actually doing anything to safeguard any part of our vulnerable infrastructure from terrorist attack? It's because the primary goal of the War on Terrors' Homeland Security, is to keep us in terror. The purpose of the Act, is to monitor us, and keep us in line, watching out for any dissent, while they go about their merry way intimidating the world into complying with neo-con goals. This is why the administration is so insistant that the Patriot Act be a permanent law of the land, instead of allowing it to be renewed periodically, if still necessary. Threats from those Islamic terrorist may not abait for years, but it's inconceivable that we should still have to deal with them 20, 50, 100 years from now, so why should the Act be permanent?

As the article shows, the War on Terror does not make us safe, it make us all suspects of sedition.

[UPDATED Dec. 25, '05]

Actually, what the article shows, is just how gullible we can be. I just found out it was all a hoax, the kid made it all up.