Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 7504

There has been much talk about the government's propensity to crack down on those who oppose the war on terrorism.

There is another angle which is not being explored, but should be. Consider the following, from the left-of-center New Republic (a magazine with which I often disagree, but which I always respect).

http://www.thenewrepublic.com/102201/trb102201.html

Discuss.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Apr 2001
Location:
Posts: 16671

"the American left has been warning that war fever threatens free speech"


that is such a crock! "the American left" is the most intolerant of anyone when it comes to expressing offensive (to them) opinions.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: California
Posts: 4252

Well I am an unreasonable bastard when it comes to being "Flexable" over constitutional issues.

I believe that document needs to be strictly adhered to in order to prevent our government from degrading into a society where justice is metered out soley in accordance with social standing.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Apr 2001
Location:
Posts: 16671

I responded as soon as I read that cause it inspired immediate response from me.


My opinion of freedom of speech is anyone should be allowed to say anything they want unless they are in a position to know classified information and what they say breeches confidentiality of that classified info.I also think everyone who hears that opinion has the right to express their opinion of that opinion.
While rich, elitist reporters sit at their desks while service men and women are putting their lives endanger for the freedom those fuckers need to run their pie holes I would hope they would be a little considerate and not use the podium they have been given to make the people doing the country’s business’ job harder and complicate things further...but most of them are probably self involved and are more concerned about their espresso than the welfare of the society they belong to and cant be arsed to sacrifice anything. Of course they have the right to say and do what ever they want, and everyone else has the right to respond (non violently) how they want. The government asking people to watch what they say doesn’t bother me, shooting them in the head, fining, threatening or jailing them would. People who work in the government have the right to freedom of speech too.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Helsinki. Finland
Posts: 233

Fuck, I wish political correctness goes out of the fashion soon.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 7236

Chips? I just looked around that site and it did'nt seem very 'left wing' to me. I would call it a centre to centre-right site personally.

tis funny you know, the more and more I see american politics the more I come to realise that what americans call left/leftist/left wing is more often than not something which would be called right wing in the UK and Europe.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: zanzibar
Posts: 10413

When natalie was here from Italy she said that we don't really have facists and communists here like they do in europe. She noticed everyone here is actually pretty center and we don't have much of the extremes. That was her perspective anyway.

Now I should read the article.

D

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: zanzibar
Posts: 10413

Also, I was recently sent a free copy of the New Republic. I am not quite sure why.

D

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 7504

The New Republic is very independent-minded, grant you, but they consistently come down on the Democratic side on the big issues. They've endorsed the Demo candidate in each of the last four elections; they also supported the demo campaign finance reform bill, the Clinton plan to nationalize health care, and so forth. Their primary allegiance is to the Democratic Leadership Conference, the coallition of the demo center that gave us Bill Clinton.

In British terms, the New Republic is best seen as supportive ofthe "third way." They're big Blair fans. From the LD persepective, I'm sure they seem right wing...they are to the right of, for example, New Statesman.

The position of the Democratic left-center in America at the moment tends to be supportive of the war at the moment, so TNR probably comes across at the moment as more supportive of the right than they usually are. You will note, though, that their "idiot watch" feature is liberally spiced with the more diseased rantings of the right on war issues, though they left out the Washington Tiomes column calling for a nuclear strike.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Beatrice, Nebraska
Posts: 18490

While we're on about free speech, I heard something about some Senator from Wisconsin (big surprise) trying to push through a bill that would limit video game advertising to games with an ESRB rating of "E" only.

Is this true, and if so, what do you think?

__________________

[Ignore Sig]

The pinnacle of Failbot technology.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 7236

quote:

---

Originally posted by CHiPsJr
From the LD persepective, I'm sure they seem right wing...they are to the right of, for example, New Statesman.

---

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged