US, biggest perpetrator of terrorism: Analyst

Press TV has interviewed Rodney Martin, former US congressional staffer from Los Angeles, to get his take on a new poll revealing that most Americans are against the Patriot Act used by the National Security Agency (NSA) as a legal basis for spying on people.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: I like to get your opinion on the findings of this poll. Are you at all surprised?

Martin: No, I’m not surprised. I’m a little disappointed that the majority said they like to see it reformed, but I’d like to see it repealed. There is no need for this act. It has been used to say we need to track terrorism and, you know, though the biggest perpetrator of terrorism around the world is the United States. We don’t need our emails and phone calls listened into, because I dare say it’s being used for other purposes.

Press TV: The fact that many, as you’ve just pointed out, have called for reformation of this act instead of repealing it, goes to show that the US continues to portray that the country is under a threat from foreign outside terrorist forces, and this has become ingrained within the American perception of things, wouldn’t you agree?

Martin: Yes, well people understand as an eight or nine times more likely to be killed by a police officer than by a terrorist. People just don’t understand that, and people don’t want to understand that. They just run around and say ‘oh the terrorists are coming,’ and they’re willing to surrender their personal liberties. They’re willing to say we need this police state until the police state’s boot come down on the back of their neck or on the neck of their family members. And it’s very unfortunate and I dare say that even if a hundred percent of people say that they wanted it repealed, the politicians and political class would ram-rod it through, because our political system doesn’t listen to the electorate and it doesn’t listen to the citizens.

Press TV: Speaking of listening to the citizens, do you think this poll is going to have any impact whatsoever considering the exploration date for the Patriot Act is coming close? Do you think some form of reformation which will give more oversight and more regulation to the way government deals with people’s data?

Martin: None whatsoever and no, does anybody even know the names of judges in FISA Court, none, zero. It will be renewed as written and people will complain about it. We make some federal court ruling striking down some minor provisions and though be reinstated in some other form, but I’m not optimistic. We’re living in a totalitarian state that’s called the United States and live just masked by calling for elections every two years that are rigged by themselves.

ABN/MKA

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