Noticed the Patriot Act's effects on PayPal?

Most hospitals operate with deficits or lttle or no margin even in the non for profits. They end up absorbing a lot of cost even with "good insurance", that's the deal with the seatbelt law and the high tax cigarettes. The philosophy of laws that are intended to protect you as in the seatbelt law are deeply embedded in any number of life's endeavors. Alcohol is another one why not let dead drunk drivers drive or children be free to buy alcohol?

In the case of Paypal I don't really get it.I assume it would take a whole hell of lot more money than $500, to fund some terrorist, but not being one, or knowing any I can't say for sure. Perhaps our superb intelligence gathering agencies know better. I am certain if they use paypal now (seems silly since a discoverable paper trail is created) and need to transfer more money they will find a way. All this law can do is slow down and complicate the process of legitimate transactions, look at the selling prices on epray! So many items sell in excess of $500 so the larger non Audiogon public is going to be in for a big surprise. Very little Audiogon "high end" equipment/gear we buy or sell costs less not counting ICs etc. I grieve with you on that one!

Don't be surprised to learn that cameras are all over the place. Almost every business has them and there are the Police cameras at intersections. With the advent and explosion of servalliance Drones, our privacy is pretty much shot. I guess we either have fight it or accept it as a necessary evil.

@ nonoise In medicine it is often repeated that drastic problems require drastic solutions. What is a truly drastic problem is ours to be debated, and and the solution cannot cause undo harm and thus may not even exist. Imagine of the cure for a highly aggressive brain malignacy is to remove the brain entirely, what have we achieved? A second common phrase I was taught went like this.. A therapy that kills the patient is not a therapuetic triumph.
So we are left with a number of difficult questions. Is there a cure for the problems supposedly addressed in the Patriot Act? And does that therapy destroy the foundation upom which this country stands being Equality Justice and Indivual Liberty.
I don't know if I personally feel any safer. I can only hope the sacrifices we endure are worthy and function the way we would want and anticipate to function. I don't know at this moment. I think most of us love this country warts and all.
P.S. to the governmental scanners I am not the enemy. Just excersizing my right to free speech.