Next comes the book burning
They hate us for our freedoms says Bush and his lackeys. So their solution is to take away our freedoms so they won't hate us anymore. Today, President Bush signed away more of your freedoms by raising "indecency" fines for radio and television broadcasters from $32,500 to $325,000 per offense. And we make fun of the Iranian Ministry of Virtue and Vice? The religious police force confiscating satellite t.v. dishes in Tehran lest the public see and hear things the religious rulers disapprove of. Here in America we have the Christian Coalition and they placed legislation to increase the indecency fines as the No. 5 item on its 2006 legislative agenda.
And for all you strict constructionist, original intent, freedom loving conservatives out there, I leave you with this thought: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." It's from that obsure document that is becoming more and more a museum peace. A document that enshrined our freedoms, that put on paper our rights and the government's limitations. Now it's just a "remember that constitution thing?" Now it's a nation of men not laws. Of "trust me" government. Of state secrets justice. We're a nation at war, so what's one more freedom being curtailed?
Speech can't kill you but the terrorists can, they tell you. "I am a strong supporter of the First Amendment, the Fourth Amendment and civil liberties. But you have no civil liberties if you are dead," Republican Sen. Pat Roberts says. They never seem to quote from the U.S. Constitution, in this case the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. Even for the cementheads in charge, "Congress shall make no law..." would seem to be without any nuance for those who don't do nuance. Just tell me when the book burning begins. I want to get my marshmellows ready. We can use the U.S. Constitution for kindling. I think Republicans have already started.
And for all you strict constructionist, original intent, freedom loving conservatives out there, I leave you with this thought: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." It's from that obsure document that is becoming more and more a museum peace. A document that enshrined our freedoms, that put on paper our rights and the government's limitations. Now it's just a "remember that constitution thing?" Now it's a nation of men not laws. Of "trust me" government. Of state secrets justice. We're a nation at war, so what's one more freedom being curtailed?
Speech can't kill you but the terrorists can, they tell you. "I am a strong supporter of the First Amendment, the Fourth Amendment and civil liberties. But you have no civil liberties if you are dead," Republican Sen. Pat Roberts says. They never seem to quote from the U.S. Constitution, in this case the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. Even for the cementheads in charge, "Congress shall make no law..." would seem to be without any nuance for those who don't do nuance. Just tell me when the book burning begins. I want to get my marshmellows ready. We can use the U.S. Constitution for kindling. I think Republicans have already started.
posted by Crankyboy at 11:27 AM
6 Comments:
It's not hyperbole, it's not comic license, we have taken on the attributes of a fascist state where the law, ethics and morality are what they tell you they are - und you will like it.
We are a nation of snivelling cowards and cowards don't deserve liberty.
Die Gedanken sind frei,
wer kann sie erraten;
sie fliehen vorbei
wie naechtliche Schatten.
Kein Mensch kann sie wissen,
kein Jaeger erschiessen;
es bleibet dabei:
Die Gedanken sind frei.
If Tienanmen Square happened here, the Republicans would explain why it was justified, and how the people who were so unpatriotic as to protest deserved the worst punishment.
It seems that the administration has merely increased the fines on pre-existing regulations because the fine level was too low for a deterrent effect. Congress, in our republican form of government can over-ride any regulation by setting a statutory standard. The actual subject of the regulation has been litigated and upheld as constitutional. These are not new regulations. Not every standard of decency is necessarily rooted in religion. Believe it or not the Constitution has several provisions beyond the individual rights protections in the Bill of Rights that prescribe a system that allows through a representative democracy contraints on individuals for the pleasure of the majority. There are probably a couple things you would prefer didn't occur in the presence of children. I could be wrong.
BTW I'm not a Republican.
"merely increased the fines on pre-existing regulations..."
Call it what you want, it's government censorship whip you obviously support. It's government telling you what taste people should have in art. I don't want five politically appointed nannies on the FCC telling me what i can watch or hear. It's interesting that when Howard Stern says it it's indecent but when Oprah or Dr. Ruth says it it's education. It's a matter of taste and I don't want government telling me that when Howard Stern talks about "oral pleasure" it's indecent but when Oprah, in the middle of the morning, talks about "rainbow parties" with teenage girls it's educational. And by the way, the standard is whether the content violates "contemporary community standards." Since Stern was no. 1 in most of his radio markets, hasn't the community spoken? Haven't the people voted through rating that they don't think he is indecent? How can the no. 1 broadcaster in a city be violating community standards? The community made him no. 1. It's because five idiots on a government panel, the FCC, decided they didn't like what they hear. In fact, it's 3 people since a 3 to 2 vote can issue fines or take away broadcast licenses. We just see it differntly. I don't want three people deciding what is in good taste and you do. Congress shall make no law...except three people on the FCC can fine you out of the ability to broadcast. And more than one Republican in Congress wants to also regulate cable and satellite broadcasting which means even if you enter into a contract and seek out and pay for what you might consider "indecent" the government can still regulate it. So much for small government, so much for freedom, so much staying out of people's lives. Can't wait for you to defend cleaning up the internet because if their ever was an indecent place the government needs to clean up it's the net.
It's funny we're talking about indecency fines, and the television programming is full of blood and killing. To me, that is indecent. Nudity, on the other hand is a family value. Obviously I'm mixed up.
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