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First Amendment

• 11.20.09
  Blowfish protect us from violence
  Bash the Messenger, First Amendment (0)

  Here it comes. First they go abstract on us and generalize the Fort Hood killing to blame it on extremism. Not extreme views about one's religion justifying violence, but extremism in general. Then after they've expanded the definition, they'll contract it and say the way to stop future Fort Hood instances is to clamp down on extreme rightwingers who don't believe the government should control the population through health care, or who oppose abortion, or who value the 2nd Amendment protections. Expand, then contract. Repeat as needed. I call it the ...
  
  
• 10.29.09
  Net neutrality and blocking popular websites
  First Amendment, Regulation (0)

  The FCC seems to be interested in implementing some sort of "net neutrality" regulation. If people think that means ISPs wouldn't be able to block certain types of traffic, they should also be aware that the Homeland Security Department is asserting that is has the power to order ISPs to shut down popular sites during emergencies. Well, everyone agrees that the government needs the power to do almost anything to ensure our existence as a country in the face of a grave threat, don't we? In other news, President Obama has declared swine flu ...
  
  
• 09.17.09
  It’s always time for bickering
  First Amendment (0)

  Wrongo. The time for bickering is NEVER over in a free society. Obama: The time for bickering is over.
  
  
• 06.02.09
  Obama’s WMDs
  First Amendment, Words from President Obama (0)

  Not only does Obama have no exit strategy in his war on capitalism, but he has his own equivalent of a WMD rationale. This one is for a war on another front. Now he's warning about vague cybersecurity threats as a rationale so he can be given great power to somehow protect the internet from these terrible threats. And it's ironic that on the same NetworkWorld page with an article that tries to drum up support for Obama's newest war is this item over in the "Most Read" sidebar: "20 years after Tiananmen, China containing ...
  
  
• 04.17.09
  The education of Jan Schakowsky
  Dissent, First Amendment (0)

  Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois has a lot to learn about democratic values. I heard some background buzz about tea parties the past few days but didn't pay a lot of attention until I read this: The "tea parties" being held today by groups of right-wing activists, and fueled by FOX News Channel, are an effort to mislead the public about the Obama economic plan that cuts taxes for 95 percent of Americans and creates 3.5 million jobs." It's despicable that right-wing Republicans would attempt to cheapen a significant, honorable moment of American history with a shameful political stunt. ...
  
  
• 02.06.09
  Debbie Disses Dissidents
  First Amendment (0)

  It's a good thing we have a First Amendment to protect us from Senator Debbie Stabenow's ideas about "accountability" and "responsibility." SENATOR DEBBIE STABENOW (D-MI): I think it’s absolutely time to pass a standard. Now, whether it’s called the Fairness Standard, whether it’s called something else — I absolutely think it’s time to be bringing accountability to the airwaves. I mean, our new president has talked rightly about accountability and transparency. You know, that we all have to step up and be responsible. And, I think in this case, there needs to be some accountability and standards put in place. She doesn't ...
  
  
• 01.31.09
  Non sequitur of the day
  First Amendment (0)

  You know, Church and State are supposed to be SEPARATE in this country. That is the way the Constitution was established.. SO PLEASE, STOP SPREADING YOUR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. SERIOUSLY. That was a comment in response to an anti-abortion ad featuring the President of the United States. The person who wrote the comment is probably one of those who was never taught the difference between church & state on the one hand and religion & politics on the other. Actually, this one seems to be an even more serious case than that. The ad isn't even political. ...
  
  
• 12.03.08
  Bailouts for mainline churches
  First Amendment (0)

  Michelle Malkin says there is bipartisan talk of a bailout for the newspaper business in Connecticut. No, really. Yes, there have been spoofs about the need for newspaper bailouts, but in this case they really mean it. What next? Bailouts for mainline Christian churches whose fat endowments are getting skinny? All in the spirit of the same First Amendment that covers the church as well as the press? I wonder what these people think about the principle that there is no such thing as federal aid without federal control. But ...
  
  
• 06.22.08
  It’s not over yet
  First Amendment (0)

  The 17th century isn't over yet. The Inquisition is still going strong. James Hansen, one of the world's leading climate scientists, will today call for the chief executives of large fossil fuel companies to be put on trial for high crimes against humanity and nature, accusing them of actively spreading doubt about global warming in the same way that tobacco companies blurred the links between smoking and cancer. (URL) Or is this instead an example of the scientific method?
  
  
• 02.14.08
  Equal time for John McCain
  First Amendment (0)

  Republicans at The Wall Street Journal and The Weekly Standard are putting a lot of energy into bashing conservatives who refuse to support John McCain. According to Newsweek, there's a semi-organized effort to work over those conservatives. Here's an idea, though. What if for every hour these Republicans put into bashing and hectoring McCain's conservative opponents, they match it with an hour spent convincing McCain to support the First Amendment, starting with a repeal of McCain-Feingold? That would be a force to be reckoned with.
  
  

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