
Originally Posted by
Djoser
Second only to the appalling loss of life, the thing I found most disturbing about 9/11 was the immediate, knee-jerk reaction of a tremendous proportion of the American people, and evidenced by the immediate policy changes in the supposedly (evil) 'liberal' media.
Our great President, who had done so much to earn his poor approval ratings, was suddenly transformed into a courageous and irreproachable leader--for doing what any mediocre actor of limited intelligence and sensitivity would do.
To question our President instantly became tantamount, in millions of minds, to treason--a gross misreading of the definition of that term in the Constitution:
"Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court."
Doonesbury was yanked from several major newspapers, "Politically Incorrect" was taken off the air, as well as a satire on GWB in the White House, all for daring to criticize him for weaknesses entirely unrelated to that terrorist attack.
Worse yet, he was given carte blanche to do as he chose with his military powers, as long as someone nasty in the Middle East was the target--and anyone who dared question his actions was "unpatriotic", or failing to "support our troops". A much better way to support them being, of course, to send them to the wrong country, where people can blow them up.
He, and his constituents, have blatantly and unceasingly made political use of this situation, and prolonged it by capitalizing on it in their campaign--in which a vote for his opponent was equated with a vote for terrorism.
Legislation has been passed, with little or no protest, removing basic rights guaranteed in our Constitution--and this has already been used to shut down stripclubs, which possibility we are told is absurd and paranoid. (Of course, how silly of me--we all know that GWB really loves strippers, and wants to do all he can to protect their right to perform.)
Now, those of us who fear for the future of the image of our nation, and the needless sacrifice of the lives of our military personnel, in a hyped-up, sensationalised "War on Terror"--being fought in the wrong country--are 'unpatriotic'.
Right...
Fuck these people--they are the ones ruining what this country stands for, by at best giving into fear, and at worst supporting a demagogue of the worst kind, and attempting to stifle all that is best about this country--the right to question the misuse of authority being at the top of the list.
Yes, yes, I know that--as of yet--I can't be arrested for writing this, please spare me the obvious. But there are those out there who would gladly see this sort of post punished, if they could, and who will loudly call me a traitor for writing it.
They call themselves patriots.
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