After the first two shots of the War on Terror on September 11, 2001, the first major battle of the war occurred, and was lost, on October 26, 2001. This was the day the PATRIOT Act was signed into law by President Bush. When your enemy doesn't care what happens on the battlefield, the real fights happen in your deep underbelly, where you make your laws. In this case, the terrorists, by killing 3,000 people in a spectacular fashion, goaded the United States into compromising its values and betraying its citizens.

As a followup, the terrorists won another victory with the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security on November 25, 2002. This department gives a much more menacing facade to the federal government and proved to be the moment when American citizens got the idea that they were viewed as the enemy by their own government. Thankfully, our nation's soul was not entirely obliterated.

http://www.policymic.com/articles/57663/the-war-on-terror-is-over-and-the-terrorists-won

Trending In Our News Feeds – Egyptian army gives ultimatum to President Morsi. The Egyptian army issued a 48-hour ultimatum to President Mohamed Morsi on Monday, in a move that encouraged the 14 million protesters demanding a new government. General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in a statement the army would create a “road map” to democratically guide Egypt if Morsi does not cooperate with protestors. Morsi’s administration worried the army’s demand would “cause confusion in the complex national environment.” International leaders have also begun pressuring Morsi to engage with protesters. The UN human rights office toldMorsi to enter into a “serious national dialogue,” and President Obama encouraged Morsi to respond to the protests. The New York Times has a great profile of the millennial activists who started the Tarod protest movement.

Snowden accuses Obama of political bullying. NSA leaker Edward Snowden issued a statement via WikiLeaks yesterday, breaking eight days of silence since he arrived in Russia. Snowden accuses President Obama of using political tactics to silence whistleblowers. Here are some of the most important quotes from the statement:

On the tactics used by the Obama administration: “These are the old, bad tools of political aggression. Their purpose is to frighten, not me, but those who would come after me.”

On the power of an informed public: “In the end the Obama administration is not afraid of whistleblowers like me, Bradley Manning or Thomas Drake. We are stateless, imprisoned, or powerless. No, the Obama administration is afraid of you. It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised — and it should be.”

Meanwhile, Snowden continues to search for a country that will grant him asylum. The BBCreports Snowden submitted requests to 21 countries, but has already been denied by 10. Snowden withdrew his request from Russia after Putin said he would have to stop leaking U.S. intelligence.

Must Reads From PolicyMic – Congress Just Gave Millennials the Middle Finger On Student Loans (Uchechi Kalu, @chechkalu) – As usual, our elected officials could not reach a bipartisan solution on our behalf. And as usual, millennials will pay a heavy price for political incompetence.
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Most Americans Commit Three Felonies a Day – This is What Happens If They Get Caught(Sean McElwee, @SeanMcElwee) – The United States prison system is a blight on the country’s reputation. What does America’s incredibly high incarceration rate tell us about the U.S.?
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4 Candidates Who Could Take Mohamed Morsi’s Place (Phil Kuck, @phillipkuck) – It is still unclear whether or not Mohamed Morsi will fall. But if he does, who could replace him?
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What It’s Like Being in Africa When President Obama Visits (Diptesh Soni) – The president's visit to Africa has generated plenty of excitement, but if President Obama ventured further into the country, he’d find a continent in need of much more than just democracy.
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Get a rare look into what it’s like to be held hostage by the Taliban (BBC).

This is everything you need to know about the student loan fight (Washington Post).

"People have only as much liberty as they have the intelligence to want
and the courage to take.” Emma Goldman