Orwell’s name is more worn out than airline jokes, but there’s a reason.
Today’s Moment of Clarity
Today is the anniversary of the day used to justify warrantless searches, citizen scrutiny, expanded wiretaps, and legalized torture.
We call it Freedom Day.
It’s nice to see the pendulum of attacks swing over to the far right. Seems like it’s been stuck to the left a lot.
Us moderates will continue to duck as it moves back and forth.
Should have send someone down to the world trade center that morning to arrest those highjackers and read them their rights.
I’d have preferred that passengers had the right to carry sidearms if they so chose.
Try not to shoot anyone today.
I think more people should be worried about Huxley than Orwell. Orwellian changes are obvious and easy to rally people around. Huxley’s world is soft and warm and fuzzy and easy to say yes to.
No, this is a day to remember those who were slaughtered by islamic terrorists, you know, those islamic terrorists that you and your libertarian buddies keep telling us don’t exist. Why don’t you just come out and admit you’re a truther like your god Ron Paul? You’ll feel better about yourself if you do, and we all know it anyway. It’s a shame really, because i’m one of many people tired of the Republicans who should be flocking to the libertarian party, unfortunately, once you scratch through the attractive veneer of small government, you find idiotic shit like this. Libertarians got attention last election cycle because they siphoned off some truthers and anti war wackos from Obama, but it didn’t help them any and because of libertarians hostility towards Christians and their embrace of the blame America first credo, they’ll never draw Republican votes they way they should be doing. Have fun pretending like you’re a big brave boy standing up to teh neocons Trey, i’m sure it makes you feel like a big man.
I think “truther” is becoming the new “racist” as a substitute for a coherent argument.
What have I ever said that supports the mindless assertions of the truthers? Cite specifics.
Well Trey, at least when Dave resorts to name calling and making baseless accusations he is at least semiliterate. Unlike recent blog postings that accuse all of us wacky Libs of being Klan members.
Dave. I am a die hard Libertarian, there is no doubt in my mind that 9-11 was caused by Islamic fundamentalism. If there is any idiocyabove this it is in denying the Bush put rockets on the sled that was already moving down the slippery slope of Big Brother nanny state gov’t.
Nothing in Trey’s statement was untrue.
I also have no hostility towards Christianity, I believe that the teachings of Jesus Christ were inspired and inspirational. That does not change the fact the the so called Religious Right in this country is more removed from the teachings of Christ than i am from my dreams of meeting a Skittles Shitting Unicorn.
Wait, so you’re saying the skittles shitting unicorn isn’t coming?
Aw, man, this is bad. Real bad.
Although my point of view is largely libertarian, I have to disagree with at least some of the sentiment express in the statement above.
Warrantless searches – I suppose you mean the searches at the airports. I agree that the searches are largely ineffective. I strongly disagree with the politically correct nature of the searches. That said, I’ve also stood in front of Parliament in London during the heyday of IRA bombings and watched Bobbies ask to look inside of backpacks and duffle bags. Although jolting, far more distressing was the notion that one of those folks might actually be carrying a bomb.
Expanded wiretaps – The rules on warrantless wiretaps were written prior the implementation of today’s telecom network in which calls and data are delivered in packets that crisscross international borders before reaching their destination. Further, the sort of monitoring that many objected to had been going on for many years. It did not involve listening to particular conversations or reading piles of e-mails. It was a monitoring of the traffic, where it originated, where it ended up – looking for patterns. Unfortunately terrorists are going to use technology to their advantage.
Legalized torture – We can debate all day about the waterboarding. The rest of the tactics I read about do not amount to torture. I am not talking about Abu Ghraib, either. That was illegal and was prosecuted as such.
The goal of fighting terrorists and terrorism should be prevention, not an after the fact capture and prosecution.
Fair and well said, Frank.
those islamic terrorists that you and your libertarian buddies keep telling us don’t exist.
When it comes to religions, Baptists exert far more influence over my day to day life (blue laws, prayer in school, concealing my weekend activities) than some neolithic towelies 5000 miles away.
Remember the Maine!
The Lusitania. The Zimmerman telegram.
Pearl Harbor.
The Gulf of Tonkin incident.
9/11.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. And, to quote P.T. Barnum, “There’s a sucker born every minute.”
@Vines and Cattle
You are correct. Those Baptists, however, are not out to kill me. For all we hear about how awful they are most are pretty decent people, albeit ones that you would not likely socialize with.
Those Baptists, however, are not out to kill me
That’s what they want you to think…
Yep, you can’t hardly go to Wal-Mart without tripping over the Baptist suicide bomber.
Skittles shitting unicorn. So, there.
“And, to quote P.T. Barnum, ‘There’s a sucker born every minute.’”
You’re living proof.
Amanda-
I’ll see your Walmart reference and raise you a:
http://peopleofwalmart.com/
Stop it, Destiny.
I think “truther†is becoming the new “racist†as a substitute for a coherent argument.
Glad you feel that way, maybe now you know how people feel about you and your cult of Paulians calling anyone who disagrees with you “neocons”.
What have I ever said that supports the mindless assertions of the truthers? Cite specifics.
When have you ever written about islamic terrorism other than to mock it as nothing but a boogeyman dreamed up by neocons? This post itself comes right out of the truther playbook. How brave of you to use 9-11 to once again stand up to the big bad neocons, and i can’t help but laugh at the irony of you complaining about people using 9-11 for political purposes. Oh, i know, you’ll say your just being true to your libertarian beliefs. What a coincidence that those beliefs overlap so much with those of truthers.
Dave,
You have not posted against pedophilia.
Does this mean:
1) You support pedophilia?
2) You don’t believe pedophilia exists?
or
3) You are a pedophile?
Must be one of the three. Using your misapplication of reason.
I have my own suspicions.
It’s really too bad that Trey Garrison has no balls. They need gun nuts like him in the infantry. He could put the infant back in infantry.
Dave,
You have not posted against pedophilia.
Does this mean:
1) You support pedophilia?
2) You don’t believe pedophilia exists?
or
3) You are a pedophile?
You’re not very bright are you Trey? I guess you’d have to be pretty dense to allow Wick and the boys at D to keep you around as their little token rightie lapdog. In case you missed it, i didn’t say you’ve never written about islamic terrorism, i said you’ve written about it and dismissed it, much like truthers, thanks for playing though. I’m sure your readers will believe your adamant denials of not being a truther even though you subscribe to so many of their ideas.
This is not a defense of Trey. I simply have to state a pet peeve. I am wholly suspicious of people who manage to use single word descriptors as both insults and statements of both their position and those at whom the name calling is directed. Such reductionist reasoning does indeed indicate a reduction in reasoning ability. The use of such zippy little labels quickly leads to a decline in the level of discourse.
Included, but not all inclusive, in the list would be: leftie, rightie, deniers, wingnut, truther, birther, facist, nazis . . . . Anyone else want to add to the list?
Richard Gage, practicing architect for more than 20 years, with a new article summarizing all the facts from 9/11 which have never been satisfactorily explained:
http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.commentview&comment_id=158