Reduced to .... SHOUTING AT WALLS !!

Excerpt from The IHO Syndrome, chapter 6: The land of the free
Expensive silence
(2nd article on the page,...all the rest worth reading)


Americans have a legal right to speak more freely than most people on earth. Our Constitution's first Amendment guarantees that 'Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech'. We pride ourselves on our right of free speech and scoff at those who strike speech they dislike.

Yet no country has completely free speech, not even us. First, I have no right to walk into your bedroom and whisper in your ear, because my right of free speech conflicts with your right of privacy. Our laws consist not of absolute rules that interlock in a formal system like middle-school geometry, but of variable rules that weave a system of compromise. Second, we do not treat all speech equally. We protect speech differently depending on its type--obscene, commercial, political. We ban child pornography always; we ban commercial speech when government can show it violates an 'important' interest; we can ban any speech when government sees 'compelling interest' to do so. Even in free speech land, we accept that speech can harm, like any other action, and that we should sometimes suppress it.

In fact, we long forbade the category of speech called seditious, speech that criticises the government. Under the 1917 Espionage Act, we sent five-time presidential candidate Eugene Debs to jail for making an anti-war speech. Under the 1940 Smith Act, we sent a dozen leaders of the American Communist Party to jail for teaching the Marxist doctrine in the United States--and we outlawed the party. Apart from these two famous examples, we prosecuted thousands of dissidents over nearly 200 years. In 1964, we finally revoked the 1798 Sedition Act that made it illegal to speak or write critically about the government, allowing us to meet the minimal condition for a democratic society for the first time. We have enjoyed our present level of free speech only for a short period, and we can easily lose it.

The most truthful speech often stands at a marked disadvantage,
because as our saying goes, truth is unpopular.

Our attitudes further erode the pursuit of truth. First, many of us never exercise the right of free speech we cherish so much. Second, we have developed awesome skills at silencing critics. We shout at them, we intimidate them, we threaten them, we fire them, we ignore them. Some say we even kill them. A man whose job depends on the assent of others understands this, so he does not say the words that would get him shouted at, threatened, fired, or ignored.


When the towers went down in New York, we had a chance to look in the mirror. Immediately, we asked: What have we done? Why us? The attack made no sense in our view of the world, where America presides as the planet's righter of wrongs.

Then at night Bush appeared and gave a final, abstract answer: 'America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world'. After that, few dared use their right of free speech to suggest more concrete reasons anyone could resent our country. We rallied behind Bush. Those who hated him for stealing the presidency now carried him to the top of the polls. We turned our criticism sensor all the way up, and stoned anyone who whispered the least doubt about the official answer--'they hate our freedoms'.

The irony should not be missed:
We took away their freedom to disagree with the claim that others hate us for our freedoms.



A man who comes up with a thought outside the purple-to-mauve spectrum, finding himself alone, will likely conclude his logic has gone astray.
A woman with enough confidence to speak green or brown becomes not a journalist, but a dissident, and few will hear her.


For those to whom it matters the most,
the freedom of speech often reduces to .....



a freedom to ...SHOUT AT WALLS.




I found this excerpt very interesting, as it appears to accuratly reflect sentiments of segments of the populations in the US, as well as reasoning and explanation for governments actions and reactions.

It implies the failure of the 'weak-truth-teller' when confronted by a 'strong liar', and a system that supports this in government.






[Edited on 19-1-2004 by smirkley]

I agree 100% and i live in Australia... one of our boxers Anthony Mundine (not a popular guy at all but thats neither here nor there) is an islamic convert... the day after the 9/11 attacks he was interviewed on a popular daytime TV show... when asked how he felt about the attacts he replied something along the lines of:

with a foreign policy like theirs who would be suprised some people from the middle east would want to blow up their buildings

this struck up major criticism and the US boxing authority (whatever their name is) put a ban on him fighting in the USA (i'm not sure if the ban still stands)... but if thats not supressing freedom of speech what is?
admittedly he wasnt too tactful in his response, but he's a boxer for #s sake!!! since when have boxers used tact.

So anyway it just shows that we all have freedom of speech but no-one is free from the repercussions from officials for the speech you speak

Wow...

that's good. thanks smirkley, lots to think about...

on a lighter note however,
I often shout at the TV when crossfire is on, and novak begins to open his mouth,

"Strong liars" are nothing but weak fools in the scheme of things. The Whitehouse is fuller of them than ever, but that will turn.

This can be seen in everyday life, and by many in all aspects.
All people experience this from one side of the fence or the other.

The truth shall prevail...
The meek shall inherit the earth,...

But usually only after the complete fall of the lie.

[Edited on 20-1-2004 by smirkley]

It's the irony.
The same irony that makes a government to (deliberately) name an act that takes away a country�s freedoms as 'the patriot act�.
That calls the war on Iraq 'Operation Iraqi freedom' and terms any opposition to government ideology as 'anti Americanism'.

The same irony applies to calling America the land of the free. Right now, most European nations, not to mention many more, are far more free than America could ever hope to be right now; not least since the introduction of the �Patriot� act. They play on your indoctrinated sensibilities. Britain gave shelter to Karl Marx and many other persecuted thinkers of their time when he was forming his ideas and being persecuted for them, even though our Government disagreed with them. We used to pride ourselves on it. That�s a country that recognises freedom. Unfortunately since we sided our whole interest with America years ago that freedom has been reduced dramatically, as it has been politically with any nation that puts its lot in with America. America as the land of the free is a fallacy.


[Edited on 20-1-2004 by kegs]

Originally posted by smirkley
This can be seen in everyday life, and by many in all aspects.
All people experience this from one side of the fence or the other.

The truth shall prevail...
The meek shall inherit the earth,...

But usually only after the complete fall of the lie.

[Edited on 20-1-2004 by smirkley]

Ah yes....


My friend Jon always said it was nicer here than under the atmospheric domes of the Outer Planets. We have had peace since 2062, when the surviving planets were banded together under the Red Star of the Solar Federation. The less fortunate gave us a few new moons.
I believed what I was told. I thought it was a good life, I thought I was happy. Then I found something that changed it all...

I. Overture

And the meek shall inherit the earth...

II. Temples of Syrinx

... The massive grey walls of the Temples rise from the heart of every Federation city. I have always been awed by them, to think that every single facet of every life is regulated and directed from within! Our books, our music, our work and play are all looked after by the benevolent wisdom of the priests...

We've taken care of everything
The words you hear, the songs you sing
The pictures that give pleasure to your eyes.
It's one for all and all for one
We work together, common sons
Never need to wonder how or why.

We are the Priests of the Temples of Syrinx
Our great computers fill the hallowed halls.
We are the Priests, of the Temples of Syrinx
All the gifts of life are held within our walls.

Look around at this world we've made
Equality our stock in trade
Come and join the Brotherhood of Man
Oh, what a nice, contented world
Let the banners be unfurled
Hold the Red Star proudly high in hand.

We are the Priests of the Temples of Syrinx
Our great computers fill the hallowed halls.
We are the Priests, of the Temples of Syrinx
All the gifts of life are held within our walls.

(This goes on and on and on, its a 20 minute song! It pretty much tells us where we're going if we dont wake up!) Rush-2112

[Edited on 20-1-2004 by Ranger]

Ranger...that song,...from one of my favorite albums (yes ... albums) was in my head when I typed that !

But there is alot in that song that appears futuristic, current, and historical.

But dang, so much of it matches up.

RUSH ROCKS !!