accept that they were plain clothes police and he didnt understand what they were saying... to me it just looked like some guys with guns were chasing me...

Racism is sadly to be expected Just look at the U.S. now! It was very worrisome to think that there might be a serious backlash against our Islamic community (and there was.....is), but the government tried to keep it from getting too bad.

That is one thing I really appreciate about Blair, the way he has been meeting with high-level clerics and urging tolerance. After all, he is correct, we cannot allow terrorists to fundamentally change who and what we are, otherwise they win.

Sadly, it seems that the rapid legislative flurry to 'protect our ______ (insert security risk here)' is just that: a series of major changes in how we as a culture operate and view other cultures. Every change is usually divisive, costly, and ususally ineffective. Furthermore, it is exactly what the terrorists want us to do; freak out, and change everything to make us 'safer'

[incoherent scream of irritation, frustration, anger, etc., at terrorists, media, and government (but mostly government)]

A wise man once said:
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

The speaker was Benjamin Franklin (back when the U.S. actually had wise people), and it is a sentiment that we often forget in this era. Terrorists want us to change as much as possible, to become afraid of everyday life, to box ourselves in with new security regulations, defense spending, curtailed freedoms, etc. Even when we do defeat this wave of terrorism, what will be left of Western civilization after the 'National Security State (take 2)' has run its course?

Quite frankly, I am more afraid of what our governments will do to prevent terrorism than actual terrorists. Our constitution is being shredded as we speak, civil liberties are in tatter for the forseeable future ('in times of war, of course we have to make sacrifices'.....but what about a perpetual war that will probably never end?), the international laws and conventions of civilized behavior that maintain stability and structure througout the world are being tossed into waste extraction, and we are behaving no better than the terrorists. Our leaders need to watch a little Star Trek and engage in some healthy idealism.

Don't give Bush and CompanyTM an excuse to 'increase security', right-wing chickenhawk media support, and even let him in the same room as our Constitution (unless he wants to grovel for forgiveness before it)

Although i'm not a religious person, making racist jokes ie. lets burn down the mosques is undoubtably wrong whether you mean it or not and i would be ashamed of people who do it

I perfectly agree in what you say, Jarok. The statement, that comes to the crucial point is your sig:

"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."

The greatest victory over all terrorists out there is to hold up our flags of liberty and freedom, instead of denying it.

In the U.S., we have term limits, which makes two types of politicians almost tolerable:

1. the idealistic 'freshman' who don't understand the realities of politics, and are willing to do what is actually right, until they learn some hard lessons about popularity....after about a week.

2. those who are ending their final term. They no longer care what is thought of them.

As soon as politicians become more interested in keeping their jobs than doing what's right, you get politics as usual.

The real problem is when the public (rightly) wants immediate action, and the media (rightly) gets on the bandwagon, like you said, the people want results, and politicians tell them what they want to hear rather than actually work to solve the problem. Their careers depend on looking 'tough', and suddenly that reelection is more important than actually reading what they do. (ex. the USA PATRIOT ACT)



EDIT:
So I say, "Picard for President!"
(campaign slogan: 'Make it so!')

Interesting debate, I used to think that the world is black and white but its not. The world is mearly shades of grey. When it comes to ideology/points of view there is no right or wrong no better or worse no good or bad. It comes down purely what the masses or ( for the cynics) the few agree on at the time. so fundementally no way of life is 100% right because being human we have flaws thus our ideologies are flawed. So on the point of ideolical superiority of beliefs; all are good and bad.
I think people should forget the idelogical aspect of the situation. People are focussing too much on that they are muslim. It is fundementally immaterial (although many of you will disagree) what wrapper these terrorists come in. They are just criminals using an ideology to be cruel and evil. All I'll say is anyone who preys on the weak for criminal or politically criminal reasons are cowards and should be punished.
The problem comes where no matter what politicians do, it will never be right or correct. If they do nothing, people cry the government isnt protecting its citizens. If they react, people moan that they are shreading civil liberities. So the happy medium will never be found; people will make opinions.

My closing stattemnt. Before you get on your high horses about which ideology is good or bad, upside down, back to front or inside out you should think:-

1) No ideology is perfect,(do you see utopias?)
2) All because you dont follow it doesnt mean its neccessarily wrong.
3) Most ideologies unless quite perverse have agreed beliefs that killing innocents is wrong.

Loki

You're right, the terrorists arent' going away anytime soon. Sad but brutally true. If you get people fanatical and desperate enough, they will resort to non-military violence against whoever is convenient or will get the most attention to them.

All we can realistically do is try to make ourselves safer within reason while also (and most importantly) retaining as much liberty and freedom as possible. Those are, after all, what we're really trying to protect, isn't it? If we become some sort of police state or 'national security state', the terrorists win even if they dissappear and never hurt anyone again. The only way to lose to them is to change who and what we are, and what we stand for.