Official lies from Ashcroft, page 1

Originally posted by ultra_phoenix

AV, when you know what the peoples are reading, you know what they have in their minds.

It's a commies-nazis behaviour. If you don't understand it, it's pretty sad.

Books are very powerful. The Bible and the Koran are books. So were Mien Kampf and Das Kapital. Books can be dangerous in some hands. But we should all have the right to read what we want if we are able to interpret them without causing harm to others.

So I can see where you're coming from but I don't entirely agree with you.
The reason they can't read your mind is that you use your own imagination when reading a book.

For example, in the last couple of weeks, I've bought 3 new copies of books that I have read in the past - 1984, A Clockwork Orange and Brave New World.

You could say that these are all political books and I need keeping an eye on. But the problem doesn't take into account my opinion. I can form a totally different view about a book than somebody else. I might read the political doctrines within them, but nobody can tell if I agree or disagree with them.
That's the beauty of a book - it let's you use your imagination.

The only worry is for those who tend to have reading tastes verging on the irresponsible. If you order a copy of the Anarchist Cookbook, maybe you do need looking at. After all, this is nothing more than a technical book on how to make weapons. Why would anyone want that? You could say it's just gathering knowledge but in my opinion, if that is the case you should be smart enough to know that you are taking a risk and that normal society would always wonder why you want a book like that anyway.

The Communist and Nazi attitude to books was loathesome, but there is a big difference between burning your books and just keeping an eye on what you read.

I don't see this as a major problem.
If you get a book like Anarchist Cookbook purely because you want to create weapons to harm others you are irresponsible anyway. You deserve to get caught.
But if you buy that book purely for knowledge, you are normally going to be the type of person who can rationally explain his innocence to any authority that questions you.

I will read what I want. Nobody can stop me unless they can physically stop me from reading them. If there ever is some sinister department that pays me a visit in the future, I will walk away smiling.