We've lost rights?

I have really been bothered lately by people who keep saying that we are "losing our rights" under the current administration. I don't see from where these folks are getting this impression. Had the Constitution been suspended, I do believe that we would have had at least a minor insurrection somewhere in this country, I'm sure. As an example, the following is a quote from a comment made by Duane on the "Belief, Suspended" blog:

"The Founding Fathers left us a country united in the pursuit of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and we've turned it into a unitary state run by an imperial executive... And we will all look back on the days when the federal government suspended our liberties, and borrowed trillions of dollars to support a global empire, and we will shudder with dread."

(Source: http://beliefsuspended.blogspot.com/2007/12/ron-paul-and-dissolution-of-united.html)


So, intrigued, I responded, both to the original post and to Duane:

"And, by the way, Duane, the imperial executive was actually more descriptive of Bill Clinton's rule by Executive Order -- which is similar to Royal Edict -- or "because I am the President and I said so." And exactly what rights have we been denied? I still see the anti-war groups protesting and pretty much doing what they want. We still have habeas corpus and trial by jury and our Miranda rights. So where exactly have we lost any of our rights?"(Source: Ibid.)

I honestly see no difference in the rights that we enjoy now and that we had before the War on Terror truly began. As I said above, we still have a rather active, though rather ineffective, anti-war movement in our country. They seem to be free to move about the country sharing their views. Anti-American films like Lions for Lambs, Rendition, and Redacted are still freely made and financed with American money. Newspapers are free to print their own opinions freely. Ignorant has-beens such as Rosie O'Donnell can call our President "a war criminal."
(Source: www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/2005/cyb20050502.asp)

These are not the acts of a populace who have been stripped of their rights. So, exactly what rights have we lost? Everyone I ask this question always gives me the same answer: "Well, we have lost some rights. The government can spy on us now." So I surmise that they are talking about the famed "right to privacy."

I ask them what right do we have to privacy? The answer comes up the same each time: "Roe v. Wade guarantees a right to privacy."

And my answer is always the same: "In the words of former Senator Fred Thompson, 'I think Roe [v. Wade] was fabricated out of whole cloth.'"
(Source: http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/15/thompson-choice/)

See, that landmark case was based on the aforementioned right to privacy, but there is one problem and it is a bit of a problem when one argues with me on this point. There is no constitutional right to privacy. (Source: http://www.usconstitution.net/constnot.html#privacy)

Where are the stories about libraries being raided and jack-booted thugs running into the houses of those who dare to study the Koran or check out books on terrorists? Where is it that we have people in jail for saying awful things about our country or its leaders? Where are the American gulags for our political dissidents, our refuseniks? Isn't Air America still on the air, convulsively spouting out the we-hate-Bush mantra, with CNBC joining in on cable TV?

Come on, tell me, where are the rights we are losing? Aren't the mosques still open? Are we not still the freest population on God's green Earth in the political sense?

And as to the "global empire" comment, we will do nothing more at the end of this conflict -- and I pray that it does soon -- than we did after World War II. Or are we now no longer exercising benevolent mercy to former enemies? Germany and Japan are now our prosperous, democratic allies. The Arab world may never be democratic or truly an ally, but it will never be an American colony. Despite the fact that we may have a presence there, we are not building an empire; we are defending freedom and will continue to do so. Some people just can't seem to tell the two apart.