Year: 2006

The stifling of American citizen’s freedom of speech by the U.S. Government is not a new concept in the history of our country. I suspect that the many people in this country have not a clue as to what the following examples are or what drove their inception.
In 1798 congress passed the “Sedition Acts”. Making it an offense punishable by a fine or imprisonment, to write, print, utter, publish, or procure any false, scandalous, or malicious writings against the government of the United States, either house of Congress, or the President of the United States, with intent to defame or irritate the heck out of them.

The Espionage Act in 1917 made it punishable to interfering with military recruitment and its amendment (Sedition Act of 1918) a year later added “… utter, print, write, or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States, or the Constitution of the United States, or the military or naval forces of the United States…”.

In the Smith Act of 1940 once again citizens are subject to fines and imprisonment “…for willfully . . . with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates, sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence, or attempts to do so; or. . . “. It is still around you can read it 18 U.S. Code § 2385

Two weeks before the Alien & Sedition Acts passed On June 1, 1798 Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to his friend John Taylor.

“This is not new,” Jefferson said. “It is the old practice of despots; to use a part of the people to keep the rest in order. And those who have once got an ascendancy and possessed themselves of all the resources of the nation, their revenues and offices, have immense means for retaining their advantage.”

Jefferson did what he could to stop his generations Patriot Acts but failed.

“I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we’re really talking about peace.” Bush at the Department of Housing and Urban Development
Washington, D.C.
June 18, 2002, 10:30 A.M. EDT

Society based upon the principles of Ingsoc and its very wise ideals of the Philosopher Big Brother. Our mission is to show our support to the Government in its actions to bring about the Utopia presented by George Orwell in 1984! This includes War on all those who oppose us, because War is Peace. Censorship, such as Chaney talks abou the policy, because Ignorance is Strength. And the wonderful Patriot Act, because Freedom is Slavery! As a member of our glorious society you will know yourself to be safe because Big Brother is watching out for you in 1984 + 20.

Any reports of failure are almost certainly lies, the work of thought criminals. Kindly ignore them.

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The Iraqi government was elected while a few hundred thousand or so foreign troops moved around their country shooting and blowing up anything that moved. Is that how we envision democracy at work?

Americans don’t get that our dreams of Democracy are not necessarily the Democratic ideals that Iraqi’s envision. There are underlying ideologies which lead to a sectarian division. When I say I am an American, it is not inclusive of a religious doctrine. The election was held. Now the American Ambassador issued a warning stating that we are not going to use our resources to support sectarian goals.

I would think that the continued chaos keeps most Iraqis freaked out enough stay in their houses if they can. The kidnapping of foreigners keeps other onlookers away because of fear. The Death Squads stifle meaningful opposition. The suicide and car bombings churn the civil upheaval between the Shittes and Sunni.

Speaking after talks with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who echoed the U.S. ambassador’s call for a government of national unity, the normally calm and diplomatic Jaafari, a Shi’ite Islamist, said Iraq knew its own best interests.

“When someone asks us whether we want a sectarian government the answer is ‘no we do not want a sectarian government’ — not because the U.S. ambassador says so or issues a warning,” he told a news conference.

“We do not need anybody to remind us, thank you.” Reuters

Friday, the governor of the province of Karbala in the Shiite south announced that he was suspending all dealings with American troops and barring them from government buildings for “behaving irresponsibly.” IHT

Hello, do you hear butt out . . .