The virus that destroyed Democracy.

[carolinalady]

Recently we have begun a national conversation on a fundamental cornerstone of our democracy-Freedom of Speech. Many people are justifiably concerned.

This "attack on talking" as I like to frame it, is not an overt assault, rather an insidious virus slowly creeping into society. The majority of people continue to blithely go about the daily business of their lives and are forgetting to cover their mouth and nose when they sneeze. They are not washing their hands as often as they should. Next thing you know "WHAMO" they are down for the count, completely incapacitated and vulnerable as the virus attacks the very fibers of their being. Antibiotics won't fix it; the war is waged between the foreign body and the person's immune system. Those that take care of their bodies and their immune systems are much more likely to have an easier time destroying the offending virus. Those that do not can suffer irreparable harm, possibly death.

Such is the way with our right to speak our mind and tell a truth to whomever we choose. Our government wants to incapacitate our press. Anyone who speaks a truth that illuminates a shady practice may be tried for treason and go to jail. Watch what you say on the phone or on the internet, you may be labeled as a terrorist which allows Big Brother even more access to your personal life.

There are some who try to dismiss these things by saying, "It is the price you pay in the internet age". They dismiss the intrusion into our daily lives by saying, "It is the price you pay to be secure". They can't see the virus, so they don't take their Vitamin C.

What people don't get is that this virus can evolve and grow stronger. One of our national pastimes in this country is our love of complaining. We are experts at it. We can even complain while saying, "I'm not one to complain, but..." Our ancestors taught us not to complain while they complained to us about their hardships. We watch American Idol, we complain about the results, yet we tune in each week to see what we can complain about next.

Personally, I believe that this is the basic reason we are in the situation we are today. Back in the days of my beloved President Clinton, life was pretty good. Our government was in the black, we were not in a full blown war. Our phone conversations were private, and our jobs paid a decent wage. Not much to complain about, which is why I think people jumped on the impeach Bill bandwagon. A juicy scandal gave us something to exercise our complaining skills like nothing else.

Today, we have so MUCH to complain about in our personal lives that people don't have the energy or zeal to really focus on what is going on in our government. Without attention, the virus is getting stronger. First the press will be contained, then our "communication patterns" will be analyzed. Someday, our "right to complain" may cause you to be labeled "an enemy of the state". McCarthy-need I say more?

So the next time you hear someone complaining about constantly being reminded to take their vitamins and wash their hands, maybe you should tell them to enjoy their complaint because they might not get to do it in the future.

[Asgaya Dihi]

1. Interesting take on it

Personally I always thought something else was more responsible, but they could be connected. People always ask how we could have become a nation that tortures and worse, the answer to me is pretty clear. We've been practicing it at home for ages, it's no wonder that we can do it to others.

There's a video that the BBC did that explores the connection between the torture we've seen and our own prisons, I'm not sure you'd know which was which if it wasn't labeled. We can do it to them because we've been doing it to our own.
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article8451.htm

There's the fact that we're the single most imprisoned nation in the world and have been for years now, grew from average to horrendous in just three decades or so, and ended up as the most racist state prison system in the world that I'm aware of.
http://www.prisonsucks.com/

There's a lot more but I don't want to take over the thread... but it's clear enough to me, and all for a policy that never did a days worth of actual good. We did it for nothing. We can do this to others because we've become so comfortable doing it to our own, as long as the middle and upper classes do well who cares about those who don't vote or buy much? Lack of talking about it doesn't help though, like I said they could be connected.

[Poppyseedman]

2. Freedom of speech is not absolute

As for the press being contained, I think what you really mean is the information the traditional press used to disseminate, as we go though our information technology refit, the press will either change or go the way of the dinosaur. The government can never contain the information the press passes on. The internet will forever be means of passing on the truth unless we are in a totalitarian state. The virus can be contained.

One small correction, The piece of legislation that allows the government to look at our phone records and more was passed under Bill Clinton.

[carolinalady]

3. As long as the internet is free.. n/t

[Poppyseedman]

5. Not to nit pick, but

the internet is not free.

It is currently unregulated, until your Congressman can figure out how to tax it without being thrown out of office.

[Odin2005]

4. Sadly, I think political correctness has something to do with it.

When society tells people that criticizing certain concepts and demographics is taboo it makes a mockery of the concept of freedom of speech. We may not like the opinions of bigots, but we must defend thier right to speak thier mind. Another problem is that schoolchildren are tought not to ask questions but accept what is taught as recieved truth. Freedom of speach is a fundimental requirement of a free society, one you start regulating speach that doesn't fall under slander, libel, or things like screaming "FIRE FIRE" in a crowded room you are starting a slide down a dangerous slope.