Display:
Maybe I'm being optimistic, but I don't think violence is likely because most of them will be cowards. Their idea of heroics will be watching a Chuck Norris movie and saying 'Fuck, yeah!' a lot.

If real shooting starts, with real pain, you won't see them for dust.

A tiny, tiny proportion may graduate to blowing actual shit up, but they'll be the most psychotic ones, and not representative of the majority.

I lurk on some of the wacko boards just to see what the crazies are zeitgeisting, and they're not particularly unanimous about anything much - not even about HCR.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Sun Mar 21st, 2010 at 06:50:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I'm only saying the preconditions exist.  

If they do escalate and if we go by history it will be more KKK than IRA.

by ATinNM on Sun Mar 21st, 2010 at 07:02:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The more that these guys go on, the more that I think that the US needs something like the provision in the German Basic Law that forbids anti-system parties from participating in politics.  The idea being that if you refuse to operate within the rules of the system, you have no right to take power in it. It would take a constitutional amendment, but it would be well worth it.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg
by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Sun Mar 21st, 2010 at 07:28:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I'd prefer to keep 'em within the System.  As long as they think they can impose their demands through "legitimate" political action the less the incentive to go terrorist.
by ATinNM on Sun Mar 21st, 2010 at 08:09:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]
... the Democratic Party would have been in danger of being certified as an anti-system party.


I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.
by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Sun Mar 21st, 2010 at 10:00:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Daily Kos wasn't known for threatening violence.

Violent fantasies seem very much like a tea bagger hobby.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Mon Mar 22nd, 2010 at 07:53:51 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Yes, terrorism.... as defined under the law of most US States and the Federal government is the use/threat of violence in order to influence public opinion.

Individuals/organizations that threaten the use of violence to influence public opinion have no place in a democracy.  And the trick with the Germans, is that they have a strong tradition of a civil service that defends democracy.  The bureaucracy there isn't politicized, there's the idea of an independent public interest that supercedes that of any one party.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Mon Mar 22nd, 2010 at 10:25:47 AM EST
[ Parent ]
And the trick with the Germans, is that they have a strong tradition of a civil service that defends democracy.  The bureaucracy there isn't politicized, there's the idea of an independent public interest that supercedes that of any one party.

Whereas Americans generally have a hard time telling the difference between nonpartisan and bipartisan.

The brainless should not be in banking -- Willem Buiter

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 22nd, 2010 at 10:33:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Whereas Americans generally have a hard time telling the difference between nonpartisan and bipartisan.

Jesus, ain't that the truth. Of course the recognition that there is an independent public interest implies that society does in fact exist.  

And for the neo-liberals in charge (don't think that Democrats are exempt from this) society is like Santa Claus.  It only exists if you believe in it.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Mon Mar 22nd, 2010 at 11:13:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Seems to be based on runaway self-centeredness, caused by WWII parents spoiling their children, and then from consumerism overcoming Depression caution. Really, just Marx made true.

Align culture with our nature.
by ormondotvos (ormond no spam lmi net no spam) on Wed Mar 31st, 2010 at 07:26:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]
It is also true that waterboarding is torture. Truth got in the way of what Resident Bush's regime wanted to do?

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.
by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Mon Mar 22nd, 2010 at 10:43:03 AM EST
[ Parent ]
It is also true that waterboarding is torture. Truth got in the way of what Resident Bush's regime wanted to do?

And that's precisely why the Bush administration argued that a legal basis for this treatment existed because the individuals against whom it was used fell under the category of "unlawful combatants" and thus were not afforded the protections provided by the Geneva Conventions. Note that even where the Bush administration intended to break the spirit of the law, they were forced to find a basis for their actions in the word of the law. This shows how having a law that is independent of the political process it regulates constrains action.

The point being that if there was a constitutional provision to ban organizations that employ political violence or the threat of it, groups like the teabaggers wouldn't have Republican congressperson speaking at their rallies.  They would be marginalized.  

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Mon Mar 22nd, 2010 at 11:21:30 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Not only is there no constitutional provision to ban violence, but violence is supposedly a patriotic right and duty against an evil and tyrannical etc etc etc government.

Tea bagger knuckle-draggers can persuade themselves that shooting the Pres is a patriotic thing to do.

It's really a constitutional issue - the constitution explicitly frames violence as a legitimate tool of policy.

This is one of the key differences between the US and Europe. I don't think Lisbon, for all of its flaws, suggests that armed overthrow of Brussels is in any way a good potential plan.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Mon Mar 22nd, 2010 at 01:24:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
This shows how having a law that is independent of the political process it regulates constrains action.

How has the MCA to remove jurisdiction to military tribunal, circumscribe civil litigation, and define  "enhanced interrogation techniques" constrained lawful treatment of persons ("alien unpriviledged belligerents") in US custody, actually?

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Mon Mar 22nd, 2010 at 05:44:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
... to actually find a basis for their actions in the word of the law, they were only forced to go through the motions of pretending to find a basis for their actions in the word of the law.

Why would there be any doubt that if the hypothetical constitutional provision existed, they would have used it as an enemies list? Remember that they added, for example, green activists and advocates of non-violence on terrorist watchlists after 9-11.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Mon Mar 22nd, 2010 at 05:59:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Free speech is, but inciting to riot, or riot itself, are not permitted actions.

"advocacy of violent overthrow of the government" is a good phrase to google.

From Yates:

    "[T]hat indoctrination of a group in preparation for future violent action, as well as exhortation to immediate action, by advocacy found to be directed to "action for the accomplishment" of forcible overthrow, [directed] to violence "as a rule or principle of action," and employing "language of incitement," ... is not constitutionally protected when the group is of sufficient size and cohesiveness, is sufficiently oriented towards action, and other circumstances are such as reasonably to justify apprehension that action will occur. (p. 321)"

http://www.answers.com/topic/yates-v-united-states

Align culture with our nature.

by ormondotvos (ormond no spam lmi net no spam) on Wed Mar 31st, 2010 at 07:35:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I'm not really happy with the German example. The last effort to forbid the NPD failed because it was infiltrated up to its highest levels by the secret service.
And conversely being a socialist is enough to attract attention from the Verfassungsschutz.

Parteien: Verfassungsschutz behält Linkspartei unter Beobachtung - Nachrichten - DerWesten

Der Präsident des Bundesamtes für Verfassungsschutz (BfV), Heinz Fromm, hält eine Beobachtung der Partei Die Linke weiterhin für erforderlich. Der Partei gehörten immer noch ,,offen extremistische Zusammenschlüsse wie die Kommunistische Plattform" an, sagte Fromm der Tageszeitung ,,Die Welt" vom Montag. In programmatischen Aussagen sei zudem nach wie vor von einer ,,Veränderung der Eigentums- und Herrschaftsverhältnisse" die Rede.

You will note that the Left is not accused of political violence but of planning to change the distribution of property.

Wait this is important. Someone is wrong on the Internet.

by generic on Wed Mar 31st, 2010 at 10:24:17 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I concur. I'm actually much more worried what the DHS could do with a threat of domestic terrorism. Now possible to liberal cheers.

Wait this is important. Someone is wrong on the Internet.
by generic on Wed Mar 31st, 2010 at 09:53:26 AM EST
[ Parent ]
possibly

Wait this is important. Someone is wrong on the Internet.
by generic on Wed Mar 31st, 2010 at 09:54:07 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Display:
Login
. Make a new account
. Reset password
Occasional Series