George,

I am very much disturbed that the Supreme Court has taken this country one more step towards fascism in its decision to allow the seizure of anyone's property with little or no justification. It was disturbing enough that ever since the Reagan administration, any citizen's property can be taken away by federal, state, or local authorities simply by accusing the *property* of a crime (I am not making this up), but now the authorities have the power of seizure without even an accusation? The idea that the government can seize property at all is disturbing enough, considering that such actions were originally banned by the Magna Carta, but the ability to seize property without even the previous flimsy requirement of *suspicion* of the *property's* involvement in criminal activity is truly frightening.

I thought this previously, but now feel obliged to say it with even more conviction: how can anyone in this country think that they own anything? Our Constitution and even the U.N. Charter ostensibly protect private property rights, but the authorities can take away anything you own at any time.

There is a rapidly decreasing distinction between this so-called "land of the free" (now a practically Orwellian phrase) and a country under absolute state control. Many things besides the Court's ruling prompt me to make this next statement, but I feel I might as well state what comes to mind though it is not strictly limited to the article to which I am responding.

It is sadly indicative of the seemingly cyclical (rather than progressive) nature of history that the U.S.A. has gone from fighting a long and bloody war against fascism in the 1940's to actively embracing the centralized power structure, warlike and megalomanical politics, and merciless disregard for individual rights which are hallmarks of the system which was once seen as the opposite of democracy.

Brendan Ferreri-Hanberry (electronic mail, July 1, 2005)