Thought Crime's.

Luke Skywalker was a terrorist. Timothy McVeigh was a terrorist. I was accused of a thought crime for comparing the two. I said that Luke Skywalker reminds me of Timothy McVeigh in alot of ways. That is not a thought crime. When you consider the fact that governments are waging a never ending 'war on terror' its really not good to be painted as a thought criminal.

It made me think about how the 'war on terror' has an effect on what people can feel comfortable saying. I think its a concern. How long before we all start turning on each other? How long before we fear the children?

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TextAll those innocent contractors brought in to do the job were killed — casualties of a war they had nothing to do with. All right, look: you’re a roofer, some juicy government contract comes your way. You got a wife and kids, the two-story in suburbia. This is a government contract, which means all sorts of benefits. Along come these left-wing militants that blast everything within a three-mile radius with their lasers. You didn’t ask for that. You have no personal politics. You’re just trying to scrape out a living.” — Randal (Jeff Anderson), on why the destruction of the second Death Star was unfair, in Clerks

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Lando and Admiral Ackbar were terrorists too. The Rebel Alliance is pretty much al-qaeda.

www.swifteconomics.com...

A deleted scene from Star Wars where Luke is talking about how the Galactic Empire was communist.

The government could even read something that you wrote on ats and take it out of context and use it against you. There is actually alot of threads on here that encourage a violent revolution. Wether they are having a bad day or not they should be careful what they say.

Loughner's comments were not exactly incriminating but they in newspapers. Your comments could be in newspapers before your trial. Imagine if you were falsely accused of something and a bunch of out of context posts were on the front page of every newspaper.

How long before these people on ats that advocate a violent overthrow of government can be arrested? People are convicted of other crimes for what they put on the internet. I think its only logical that it will happen soon. And will they be able to go back? Look for thought criminals? Its pretty freaky.

I wrote a thread the other day about anarchy and I used imagery like "burn it to the ground" when talking about capitalism. I also said I would like it if we could have duels and stuff to settle differnces. I didnt advocate any violence and it was just a discussion but I think its a worry. Lots of things can be taken out of context or misinterpreted.

Hi, again, theovermensch, glad to see you're still around.

A couple of questions, if I may?

Who accused you of a thought crime? I don't know of any country or jurisdiction prosecuting thought crimes. Or was it just some poster calling out names during a heated exchange?

What new understanding did you get by making the comparisons that you did? What new thought did you get? Or, what new thought are you trying to give us? It's early and I might be missing your point.

Charles1952

Originally posted by charles1952
Hi, again, theovermensch, glad to see you're still around.

A couple of questions, if I may?

Who accused you of a thought crime? I don't know of any country or jurisdiction prosecuting thought crimes. Or was it just some poster calling out names during a heated exchange?

What new understanding did you get by making the comparisons that you did? What new thought did you get? Or, what new thought are you trying to give us? It's early and I might be missing your point.

Charles1952

Hey hey. It was on ats. And yeah,just a posters opinion. I guess Im just saying I find it concerning that something you put on here could be taken out of context and used to incriminate you.

i am totally with you on this.
there has been much "technology" developed since the 1990s, but really long before then but only admitted to publically--nightly news coverage type of thing--and its always couched in the best possible terms, such as, giving crippled people, such as the blind, or ALS victims, who are in differentiating states of paralysis and not able to communicate or even MOVE their bodies for the onslaught on the disease on their musculature.....
and i totally support helping people who are living through this nightmare.
Having said that, these same technoligies also, happen to map our minds, visualize what we think.....and no one thinks to consider or maybe even dares to say, when it is sold as a way of helping people so in need of help, that a line in is a line out.
In other words, if I can employ a technology to tell you what is hidden in a person's mind, then i can also PUT something there, that does not originate from that person's mind.
And ergo, the thought police. And yes, we are very much living in a "thought police" state of being, while the tech and employment of it, is hidden, not spoken of, which makes it ever so much more dangerous....

reply to post by theovermensch


Dear theovermensch,

I guess you have two protections. 1) the hope that ATS will keep all your posts so that you can show the proper context, and 2) the hope that you never come to anyone's attention. You know, a small fish in a sea of millions?

I know it's not much comfort, but it gets me through the night.

With respect,
Charles1952

Originally posted by charles1952
reply to post by theovermensch

 

Dear theovermensch,

I guess you have two protections. 1) the hope that ATS will keep all your posts so that you can show the proper context, and 2) the hope that you never come to anyone's attention. You know, a small fish in a sea of millions?

I know it's not much comfort, but it gets me through the night.

With respect,
Charles1952

Yeah I guess its not a huge concern. In a worst case scenario it could be bad though.

And I do think its stange that they can publish the stuff you write on here in the newspaper. I guess you would already have to be in alot of trouble. But still,there is the worst case scenario to worry about

reply to post by tetra50

Text In other words, if I can employ a technology to tell you what is hidden in a person's mind, then i can also PUT something there, that does not originate from that person's mind.

That reminds me of the guy torturing Winston in 1984.

And yeah,I agree with what you are saying hey. Seems it can only get worse not better.

reply to post by theovermensch


yes, i was thinking of 1984 when i read your thread and replied. it seems time is a recursive circle,cycle, sort of thing, and we are constantly revisiting these issues,as we live in times where it seems imperative to justify evil by there ever having been good, and copy and blame and back it all up with science and facts which really arent that at all..... but making everyone suffer inbetween makes us all willing to accept whatever.....and the innocent become the guilty, and the guilty innocent......
but, just me sayin....whatever....
but appreciate your sentiments on this subject.

Originally posted by tetra50
reply to post by theovermensch

 

yes, i was thinking of 1984 when i read your thread and replied. it seems time is a recursive circle,cycle, sort of thing, and we are constantly revisiting these issues,as we live in times where it seems imperative to justify evil by there ever having been good, and copy and blame and back it all up with science and facts which really arent that at all..... but making everyone suffer inbetween makes us all willing to accept whatever.....and the innocent become the guilty, and the guilty innocent......
but, just me sayin....whatever....
but appreciate your sentiments on this subject.

I appreciate your sentiments and I agree.

Its pretty depressing because there seems no changing the world. Even when we all know its wrong.

Not that I dont hope. I guess the most powerful thing we can do is be informed and aware really.

Never heard of a thought crime before wtf...

Originally posted by Vaxar
Never heard of a thought crime before wtf...

Sorry Im being dramatic (:In the book '1984' you can be accused of a thought crime and be arrested for it. Often schoolchildren will report their parents even. Its kinda like China under Zedong.

Its pretty much saying or thinking anything that could be seen as being disloyal to the government.

I guess with my opening post I was trying to get at the fact that we risk paranoia and hysteria with the endless 'war on terror' allowing governments to erode our liberty more and more all the time.

reply to post by theovermensch


yes, exactly,to be aware, to commiserate, and support each other, for this is the justification of our HOPE and in this way, we can support one another and make that hope something very real.....for if at this moment, you and i reach an understanding, it matters not what a third party states as some kind of truth, arrived at through some faultless, revealing supposed technology, does it? If we KNOW one another, and express ourselves correspondingly, then where there are two, there will be four, and where there are four there will be eight, and so on,
until we reach our own singularity, and the machine cannot dominate us,,for you do realize that this is a precursor to the machine manipulating our very existence....it has already happened. what is now is just a recursive justification for the machine to have explained, historically, why it destroyed and manipulated us.
though it sounds and seems depressive, once you realize this is where you are living, there is some freedom to that truth, I find, because at least you then know where you are, and what is happening and therefore, how to fight it...or not.. because between heaven and earth, and life and death, only YOU really know who you are, what you did and didnt do and what is from your brain and not from your brain, but introduced, in a way that is a psychological rape of your mind. while the particulars of that are frightening, and all consuming in a nightmarish way, knowing the truth of it, that the war is in and of and for your mind, can be a freeing thing, actually....

reply to post by tetra50


Hey thanks for that. I think I am mostly on here looking for some kind of comfort.

Im not sure if most are deluded or in denial or just blissfully ignorant but I find it hard to live in this world. Its a sad place when you really look around.

I always feel guilty that I am so fortunate and sad that I am so helpless to really change anything.

But you are right it is a comfort to be aware of things. And its a comfort to be active and know that others are. And yeah,we make ripples when we are conscious.

I keep hearing people talk about a global shift of collective conciousness. Maybe the world will get better.

reply to post by theovermensch


i hear you, loud and clear...

I always feel guilty that I am so fortunate and sad that I am so helpless to really change anything.

especially this. and i, too, feel this same way all the time. Like, how dare i criticize, when i have a roof, shelter,a bed, etc....and i am never far away from keeping this in the back or front of my mind, when analyzing where we are or may be, according to our perspectives......'
however, i am linked to what you say by the pain we share, that is given to us, i believe, by an outside source, which brings us full circle, around to your OP......and yes, i do believe that a significant quotient of it is GIVEN to us, and not earned.... having said that, i was and remain always one to totally "cop" to what i have done and am responsible for. after all, there is no freedom without personal responsibility, and everything wants to be free. but the thing is, what happens when the "shift" is really about dealing out responsibility where it should not lay....
that is my eternal question, as i have experienced what does not reside within me, nor my actions, nor my thoughts, nor anything authentic to the true me,,,,,,
anyway, and anywho, i have enjoyed your thread, and thanks for that....