Essay On The Patriot Act

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The Patriot Act and The Changing Discourse Surround Anti-Terror Legislation

This essay concerns The Patriot Act, a piece anti-terrorist legislation passed by the U.S. Government on October 26th 2011. The Act was orientated specifically towards the prevention of terrorist attacks similar to those which occurred on the 11th of September of that year, and granted new powers in terms of surveillance, indefinite detention of those suspected of terrorist crimes as well as the permission to search financial, phone and email records without prior notice or court orders. The Act's status as a piece of emergency legislation, together with its focus on security over individual rights to privacy and control of personal information led to it becoming one of the most controversial pieces of U.S. Legislation passed in the 21st century. This paper will discuss the act alongside these controversies. Specifically, it will use it as an example of what can be seen to be a shifting paradigm in UN responses to terrorism and a growing tension between anti-terror legislation and human right groups. The act itself can be seen to be a key point in a shifting international response to the 9/11 attacks from complete support of the prevention of terror by any means necessary to an increasing focus on the preservation of human. The essay will also draw attention to the small scale domestic attempts to prevent the proliferation of measures which were perceived to be in danger of compromising civil liberties and US values. By investigating both of these elements this will claim that The Patriot Act can be understood as an essential point of reference in continuing debates surrounding the necessity of counter-te...

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...ttention to the changing rhetoric and statements of international institutions such as the UN as well paying attention to the small scale domestic bills intended to protect freedom of thought and expression within the United States itself.

Works Referenced

Dhanapala, Jayantha. 2005 “The United Nations' Response to 9/11.” Teorrorism and Political Violence. 17. 17-23.

Henderson, Nathan C. 2002. “The Patriot Act's Impact on the Government's Ability to Conduct Electronic Surveillance of Ongoing Communications.” Duke Law Journal. 52. (1) 179-209.

Weinberg Leonard et al. 2004. “The Challenges of Conceptualizing Terrorism.” Terrorism and Political Violence. 16 (4) 777-794.

UN. Security Council Resolution 1368. 2001.

UN. Security Council Resolution 1373. 2001.

Sanders, Bernie. 2003 “The Patriot Act's Threat to Libraries.” American Libraries. 34. (2) 32.

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