[eureka!]

"SARTRE is the pen name of a reformed, former political operative. This pundit's formal instruction in History, Philosophy and Political Science served as training for activism, on the staff of several politicians and in many campaigns."

There's his problem. One quote from Jim (undated and not fully in context) does not the death of a thinking body politic make....

[Pete]

Without commenting on the content one way or the other, I would simply point to the fact that etherzone is writing an article about FR at all- kind of puts things in perspective.

[Marobe]

We must unite behind our Commander-in-chief and do all we possibly can to support him and our war efforts. We do not have a choice in this matter. ........................ Mr Robinson, You may not have a choice, you may take your ball(forum) and go home, but REAL AMERICAN Patriots, always have a choice. We can live free or die and that's fine for me ! God bless the Republic !

[swatter]

Who besides a freeper would read through the entire article. Going back to my old journalism classes, "And the point is?" If this article were written, it could be said it was a waste of dead trees.

[Askel5]

Rather than quote Jim in the wake of September 11 and before the so-called PATRIOT act, der Homeland Defense office and military tribunals started falling into place like a reverse Domino Theory making the West "secure" enough to impose demokracy with Clean Hands worldwide ...

Sarte would have been better off detailing the comments of FReepers on the thread wherein Mrs. Cheney was reported to have castigated some of academia's liberals for too much "self-flagellation" (a sort of Islamic riff on examination of conscience, I guess) and accused them of not being "patriotic enough".

It's that "enough" that's the kicker. While some of us who love our country and fear our government find it patriotic to protest what's happening (using reason and persuasion, not "former radical" Horowitz-style Stunts), there will always be the Mrs. Cheney types whose saccharine demeanors mask a decidedly lethal groupthink at work from the Top down.

The First Duty of Citizenship: Enthusiasm

[DainBramage]

On one hand Jim advocates a "loose lips sinks ships policy" following the attack on our nation,

and on the other hand you have Satire advocating the overthrow of our government.

Hmmmm..which one sounds like the patriot? Duh

[DugwayDuke]

"Do you agree with Mr Robinson? If you do, I trust that you will be front and center at your local book burning feast! When people ask how could the German people allow Hitler to come to power, the evidence is staring you in your face. The people demanded him . . . Now the 'so called' conservatives discard their principles of limited government and marches in lock step to a fascist craving for supporting the nation, while using the excuse of defending the country."

Well, yes, I do agree with Mr. Robinson. It is indeed a far leap to equate Mr. Robinson's statement on conspiracy theories with the rise of Adolph Hitler. The author has this logic entirely backwards. Mr Hitler rose to power on the basis of a conspiracy theory, ie, Germany was stabbed in the back, the Jews did it, etc. Mr. Robinson refused to allow his forum to be used to propagate that very type of conspiracy theory. IOW, Mr. Robinson should have been praised by this author. Instead, this author wants widespread distribution of these conspiracy theories. One wonders who is on the side of Hitler?

One must also wonder if there isn't a peculiar type of mind that finds "Truth" in these conspiracy theories that rely upon such twisted logic.

[Billthedrill]

Attitudes like Mr Robinson, pave the way to a republic, no longer free. Lip service tolerance adherence, that really attacks genuine dissent, does not foster righteous allegiance to country...

What, I wonder, does this mean in English?

Considering the ongoing and vigorous debate we have on FR concerning all of the issues Mr. Sartre brings up, I'm not sure he has much of a case concerning repression of dissent. In fact, a casual glance at what really does happen on this forum on a day-to-day basis makes him sound a bit silly, IMHO.

[Jefferson Adams]

While I do think that the article over-disses Jim Robinson, in every other way it is totally accurate and correct. Those of you who don't see the parallels between the current blind patriotism and what happened in Hitler's Germany obviously haven't read much about Hitler's Germany. Human nature hasn't changed. The people who founded this country were quite aware of the fallacies of human nature, and they tried to prevent it from doing evil to the country they were building by putting in place a government based upon law - a Constitution and Constitutional checks and balances - rather than upon the whims of men. But, over the decades, "our" government (which is supposed to represent and work for We the People) has gradually slipped away from following that Constitution and the checks and balances it provides until today we have government by fiat and whim. The so-called "Patriot" act is the icing on the unconstitutional cake.

I am an American. I used to be proud to be an American. But I'll tell you something - the flag I hung in my living room window after 9/11 had 13 stars, not 50 - because what that 50-star flag represents is no longer the free country that so many gave their lives and fortunes to found 225 years ago. And there is very little sacred honor left among those who "lead" us today.

I wish it were not so. But all the sheep-like "patriotic" bleating since 9/11 is really no different than what the German masses did when Herr Hitler came to power. People, you'd better wake up, and soon - because if you don't, the fate of this country is going to be far far worse than what happened in Germany.

[asneditor]

Geesh! And to think... EtherZone was good back in the day. Too bad they have now resorted to trash stories.

[Wm Bach]

I see no cognitive dissonance in maintaining a "loose lips sink ships" policy while at the same time rooting out government corruption.

Defending the nation from enemies, both foreign and domestic - you can't get much more patriotic than that.

[OWK]

I'm sure this is going to piss off just about everyone, but the criticisms expressed in this piece are valid. Wartime (with it's resultant hyper-emotionalism and hysteria) are perhaps when it is most important to "questions the actions of our leaders" and "second guess our intelligence agencies". Calm and rational scrutiny is not "unpatriotic", and in fact serves a vital role in the preservation of the republic. Vigilance is the price of freedom, and blind devotion serves no purpose in preserving our liberty.

[ImpBill]

Been around here for a couple days now and I believe JimRob is "man of the decade" for what he has accomplished here and for his motivation.

If these are Jim's words: "We must unite behind our Commander-in-chief and do all we possibly can to support him and our war efforts. We do not have a choice in this matter." And if he would sincerely say the same thing if William Jefferson Blythe Clinton, the TRIMPOTUS, were in office then my hat would drop to the floor to dip a bit lower in my estimation of Jim's love of country.

I know I don't possess the strength of character to say I would support Xlinton in the same manner I am supporting Bush.

I do agree with the article from the standpoint that we in our united support should not throw out the baby with the bath water. But I also still believe in the power of the ballot box and if our leaders overstep their mandate we still have the power to oust them. I also believe I trust JimRob and his group of moderators in deciding what threads to send to the ignoble dump heap of deletion. Bottom line is that whether I support them or not is irrelevant as this is Jim's house and his rules. No one is holding a gun at my head making me read and post here.

What the author fails to take into consideration is that in all national conflicts certain liberties have been modified by mere action of the people, not necessarily fiat, until the danger has passed.

[Dales]

on the staff of several politicians and in many campaigns.

Is the author going to state which politicians, so that the body public can judge his motives?

[Hemingway's Ghost]

With the passage of time, every day matters.

This has got to be one of the worst opening lines in the history of English prose.

[callisto]

"SARTRE is the pen name of a reformed, former political operative"

IMHO, Sartre is a not "reformed" but an active political operative using a pen name to hide behind.