Posted on 09/24/2001 3:10:00 AM PDT by Ada Coddington
Unfree Republic
by Jeff Elkins
Let the stench of Middle East flesh reach Paradise reassuring them that these filth have gone to hell permanently."
The quote above is representative of many posted on the FreeRepublic.com site in the wake of the WTC attack, and unfortunately its like is not uncommon elsewhere. Americans are angry, predictably and rightly so, but just as predictable are the side effects. As always, that righteous anger will be accepted as a beloved gift by the state and molded into tools of oppression.
It’s funny how that works. Every single state-sponsored war the US has become embroiled in has resulted in an inexorable increase in the power of the state.
It’s also funny that it’s always assumed that human behavior in the past has no relation to how we behave today. Why those people were old-fashioned, we’re modern, educated, etc.
The beginning of this repeating pattern has already become public with the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security. It has an ominous sound, that name, almost Germanic. (I can’t wait to see the uniforms.)
On April 13, 1917, days after our entry into World War One, President Wilson created the Committee on Public Information to promote the war domestically while publicizing American war aims abroad. Bush has replicated that step, with this new cabinet-level department.
Under the leadership of journalistic muckraker George Creel, the CPI was a propaganda apparatus unparalleled at that point in world history. The CPI functioned as a de facto public censor, vetting nearly all published material about the war and helping to draft legislation such as the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918. In the months prior to our entry into the war and especially after our entry when they were nearly criminal, antiwar viewpoints were rarely heard.
The same pattern emerges now: Penn. Gov. Tom Ridge will be President Bush’s George Creel, and just as in those dim days of yesteryear, he’ll have plenty of willing civilian accomplices. And after all, there’s so much more to censor -- Ridge will need all the help he can get. In seeking warriors for the front line of Internet censorship, Ridge needs look no farther than FreeRepublic.com. The atmosphere there is now poisonous.
Again, look back to Wilson's CPI. It encouraged businesses to spy on their employees, parents to spy on their children, children to spy on their parents, neighbors to spy on neighbors, and above all to report "disloyal," pro-German sentiments. State authorities banned the teaching of German in schools and changed German street names. As the madness mounted, those regarded as pro-German were hounded from their jobs, pressured to change their German names, beaten, and in a few cases lynched. Almost all cases of violence, while incited by the state, were carried out by "civilians" in the grip of war hysteria.
Along with this anti-German hysteria, Congress passed several measures designed to rigidly suppress criticism of the war. In particular, the Espionage Act, passed in June 1917, specified a fine of $10,000 or twenty years in prison for "whoever, when the United States is at war, shall willfully obstruct the recruiting or enlistment service of the United States, and whoever, when the United States is at war, shall willfully utter, print, write, or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States, or the military or naval forces of the United States, or the flag."
The Espionage Act was very popular in its day. It was cheered on by mindless lemmings under the influence of state propaganda. Their great grandchildren now inhabit FreeRepublic.com, viciously attacking anyone who questions the wisdom of the state.
Our Congress is considering similar measures under the rubric of "anti-terrorism," and as it was at the beginning of the 20th Century, the FreeRepublic lemmings of the 21st are cheering the morally corrupt politicians along.
It’s not just message posters on the site. The management of FreeRepublic has instituted a "loose lips sink ships" campaign, with new moderators patrolling the forum to delete posts that in their opinion are detrimental to the "war effort."
The FreeRepublic mission statement claims "We're working to roll back decades of governmental largesse, to root out political fraud and corruption, and to champion causes which further conservatism in America."
Sanctimonious hogwash. Everything old is new again – the keyboard warriors of FreeRepublic would be right at home in 1917 shilling for Wilson.
September 24, 2001
Jeff Elkins is a freelance consultant and writer living in North Central Florida. His personal website is located at www.elkins.org.
As long as he keeps his hat on ...
My concern with a "Homeland Security" cabinet position is that it will morph into a kindler, gentler KGB. Do we really want that? Do we really want to surrender even more of the Constitutional Restrictions on government?
Sure, the adults are in charge now - but what happens after things calm down and the Media goes back to supporting a bunch of Socialists and the next thing you know Hillary and Schumer are President and VP? Do you really think they can be trusted with more power? I don't.
...He typed, as the smoke from the bong wafted lazily past the monitor.....
Why not? Would you have rather fought the Germans here?
You've reached the alternate home page of Jeff Elkins.
Elkins.org is currently offline: Email to Elkins.org may bounce.
Redirect email to JeffElkins@Earthlink.net
Apparently being a "freelance consultant and writer" doesn't pay enough to cover his ISP bills.
BTW, this is what Jeff Elkins would like you to know he looks like...
Suddenly, it all makes sense, don't it, fellow keyboard warriors?
I know that I could not even approach 1% of the service to our Nation that you have rendered.
My opinions in certain areas cut counter to the vast majority here at FreeRepublic. For the most part I attempt and generally succeed at civil discussion. The virulent, obscene reactions to dissent weaken FreeRepublic.
God Bless, Jim.
Thy Will be done.
Also, the reason for the "Loose lips sink ships" policy is because a lot of influential people, including troublemakers read stuff like this on their computer and these messaages are going out all over the world. I don't think you would want information going out about where the troops are moving. I wouldn't want information coming out about the troops here in this area where I live. We need to be very careful about disclosing military information until all of these terrorists are captured.
regards.
See the problem here?
"We are in a new world," Gephardt said. "This event will change the balance between freedom and security."
"We need a national ID card with our photograph and thumbprint digitized and embedded in the ID card," (Oracle CEO Larry) Ellison said in an interview Friday night on the evening news of KPIX-TV in San Francisco.
(PM Tony) Blair has opted for a voluntary scheme in issuing the card, rejecting a compulsory "on demand" card because of connotations with Nazi Germany, where lack of proper identity cards could result in instant arrest, according to reports. However, it will be virtually impossible for anyone to live a normal life without the new ID card in England - possession of a valid card will be necessary for boarding an aircraft, buying gas, opening a bank account, starting a job or claiming government benefits.
In a nationwide poll released Sunday, a stunning 85% of Brits would welcome a national ID card system in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the United States, with an overwhelming majority calling for the cards to be packed with information to clearly identify the holder: These include photograph (97%), date of birth (96%) eye color (92%), a finger print (85%), DNA details (75%), criminal records (74%) and religion (67%).
Let's stop attacking each other and remember all the encroachment's to our freedom that we've bitched about since this forum was created. Let's agree to disagree regarding how best to fight terrorism in our midst while still remaining a free and open society.
Most of all, let's not turn into the statist hypocrites we continually complain about, ok?
Traitor. America basher.
There is little point running around screaming what might happen (as far as our rights go) until we have evidence that it is happening.
I think non-citizens are guests here and have fewer "rights". It is not unreasonable to be able to hold someone 48 hours that is a non-citizen that is suspected of crime prior to their leaving the country. The previous rule was 24 hours I believe.
(BTW, I'm not screaming, I'm trying to calmly point out that this forum is in danger of turning into the type of statist hypocrites that we bitched about since it was created.)
Yes, I too, worry about what this might do to us. What if the terrorists force us to use multiple nuclear weapons on their moslem homelands? What if internal terrorists force us to round up arabs and moslems in this country at the slightest offense? What if we have to get tough with liberal and libertarian punks who try to inhibit the war effort? We survived the War Between the States and kept our constitutional republic. I think we'll survive this too. But there will be challenges and tough times ahead.
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