The Politics of Fear - Political Forum

baxter · 05-23-2007, 06:20 PM

After the Cold War and the fear of nuclear war with the Russians, comes the fear of terrorism and the Middle East. With all these different alert level colors and the Department of Homeland Security, these fears are used as weapons to reduce our civil liberties. Like the fact that there are hundreds of innocent detainees on Guantanamo bay imprisoned without trial for years, or starting a war in the Middle East. The government frightens the people into accepting these reforms.

What liberties infringement do you feel on a regular basis?

What is the next step?

The next fear?

The next reduction of civil liberties?

Think for myself · 05-23-2007, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baxter

After the Cold War and the fear of nuclear war with the Russians, comes the fear of terrorism and the Middle East. With all these different alert level colors and the Department of Homeland Security, these fears are used as weapons to reduce our civil liberties. Like the fact that there are hundreds of detainees on Guantanamo bay, or starting a war in the Middle East. The government frightens the people into accepting these reforms.

What liberties infringement do you feel on a regular basis?

What is the next step?

The next fear?

The next reduction of civil liberties?

I think the next liberty infringed upon will be freedom of speech. Once the government has that, then whoever may be in power will be free to do as they wish. As it stood just a couple of years ago, anyone who was against the war was not a patriot.

baxter · 05-23-2007, 06:29 PM

I agree with you. It has already happened in the past with McCarthyism and the hunts against the communists, which is a preposterous violation of a person freedom of speech (and you could even say thought).

Scribbler1 · 05-23-2007, 07:00 PM

I don't think freedom of speech will ever be suspended. For one thing, it can't be enforced at the local level. They can't post a speech cop in every office, for example.
And if they even tried it, I'm certain there would be such a groundswell of anger that it would be virtually guaranteed most people would be voting against anyone currently in Washington. There is no way, IMO, ANY politician would vote to support such a thing.
And if the people try to vote against the current Congress and these people return to office ANYWAY, people will believe their vote doesn't count and it's likely a revolution will be the result.

It's really not a good idea, unless they mean to make it a permanent thing.

Bobcat1 · 05-23-2007, 10:32 PM

Personally, this is why I think the Founding Fathers gave us the right to bear arms. It is the ultimate insurance for free speech.

FRYandBENDER · 05-23-2007, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Think for myself

I think the next liberty infringed upon will be freedom of speech. Once the government has that, then whoever may be in power will be free to do as they wish. As it stood just a couple of years ago, anyone who was against the war was not a patriot.

The liberals are pushing the fairness doctrine.

Bobcat1 · 05-23-2007, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FRYandBENDER

The liberals are pushing the fairness doctrine.

Fry, what is "psychotronic victomhood"?

Bobcat1 · 05-23-2007, 10:43 PM

And does it pay well?

FRYandBENDER · 05-23-2007, 10:51 PM

I'm not sure exactly. We had a guy on here for about a week that posted videos from youtube where you "see" a laser shooting from the sky. He was saying that the government was shooting lasers at him from satillites in space. I forget the other details. Anyways, I clicked on his profile and that was what he had for his bio. I'll try to dig up the thread if you want to see some of the stuff he was saying.

FRYandBENDER · 05-23-2007, 10:57 PM

need help boston