What the hell? Isn't this thread from over a year ago?
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You serve so you "can protect...fredom of speech"? The fact that anyone in this country can openly question and criticize its policies is called DEMOCRACY and is *supposedly* what our men and women in the Armed Forces are putting their butts on the line for at this very moment.
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First of all, learn to spell the word before you expound on freedom to someone like AIR2MUD who DOES put their ass on the line to protect those that cannot or will not protect themselves.
DEMOCRACY comes from two Greek words, the first demos (the people) and the second kratos (strength), meaning a system of government where the people select the government by election. So why are you referring to that when talking about free speech? The two have nothing to do with one another. By the way, we live in a federal or representative republic (depending on how you look at it), not a true democracy.
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ANY attempt to restrict this right is called FASCISM, my friend.
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Actually, fascism is a system of centralized government, usually with a dictator at its head. The government promotes extreme nationalism and racism, and controls people through terror and censorship. The whole censorship thing might be where you throw the word 'fascism' into the mix, but obviously you need to educate yourself on different forms of government. Just because a government restricts free speech does NOT make it a fascist government. In the United States there really isn't unrestricted free speech, is there?
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Questioning your government, holding it accountable to its CITIZENS, insisting that politicians do the will of the PEOPLE and NOT the will of corporations or Generals or even the President (who is not a King or Dictator or Despot, supposedly, but also SERVES AT THE WILL OF US, THE PEOPLE) is what our Founding Fathers and all U.S. Military have ALWAYS fought for.
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Oh, it's all becoming clear now. I was beginning to think you were something other than a left-wing nutjob, but thanks for not deluding us totally. I whole-heartedly agreed with your first sentence in this section up to the point where you added the parenthesis. Why'd you have to go and do that? Do you really think that the members of this board, to include the original poster, are so ignorant that they need a lesson on who the president answers to (or SUPPOSEDLY answers to, according to you)?
You aren't happy that Bush was re-elected, and that's what this is all about, isn't it? Or is it the little dick syndrome in concert with a Sean Penn fetish?
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READ your Constitution, if you haven't. READ your Bill of Rights.
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Finally, we get to the proper reference. The Bill of Rights, for all of us uneducated WT members (pay attention, AIR2MUD - LOL), includes the first 10 ammendments to the Constitution, of which the first ammendment includes the freedom of speech. So why waste our time with the references to democracy, fascism, blah blah blah when you could have just cut to the chase? Baffle us with bullshit and hope we can't see what angle you're coming in from, eh?
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The right to dissent and criticize IS what makes us different from Saudis, Iraqis...and people held down by repressive governments throughtout the world. It does NO GOOD to pay lip-service to Democracy my friend without understanding its basic tenets!
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No shit, Steve-O. The original poster, Air2mud,was talking about the likes of Sean Penn, which you decided not to include in your quote. I am not a member of the screen actor's guild, so I can't say whether I agree with Air2mud on whether or not people like Sean Penn should be blacklisted. As a matter of fact, I would say that most likely they shouldn't be blacklisted, since you are correct in saying that free speech is our right.
It is the public's duty to see these actor's free speech for what it is.
What you forgot to quote is the crux of the issue, not free speech as you put it. Sean Penn is typical of many in Hollywood. His travel to Iraq in an attempt to stop the war shows he has more money than brains and is a self-proclaimed political pundit with delusions of actually being able to influence heads of state. His quotes are priceless (my comments are in {}):
"We have some good people in politics - it's just that they don't win," he said. "In the same way we have some good movies, but they don't succeed in the US."
{Sean, you wouldn't know a good movie if it was directed by Spielberg and Lucas mind-melded together and starred Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts, and Diane Keaton}
"The electoral process resembles that of the movie-going process: they choose candidates as they choose movies. It's something that we grow to accept."
Source:
http://film.guardian.co.uk/cannes2001/news/0,7803,491771,00.htm
{I love how all his political references refer to the movie industry - this guy lives in his own little dream world!}
"I think that people like the Howard Sterns, the Bill O'Reillys and to a lesser degree the bin Ladens of the world are making a horrible contribution [to society]. I'd like to trade O'Reilly for bin Laden. [O'Reilly] is a grumpy, self-loathing joke."
Source: [url]
http://www.hollywood.com/news/detail/article/1099510[/url]
{This guy would trade O'Rielly for bin Laden? So would I - just so I could personally strangle bin Laden. Howard Stern is making a 'horrible contribution' to society? What about free speech, eh Steve-O?}
"There's a long history of people who capitalize on the lowest common denominator of people's impulses. Adolf Hitler being one of them. Not everybody wants to hit the wall in a violent rage and break their knuckles, so he does it for them...."
{Or you do it for us, Sean. Peace, brother, as long as it's not the media taking a picture all up in your face.}
"These guys--Joe McCarthy, Bill O'Reilly--die like everyone else. And when they do their legacy is one of damaging the spirit of good things, and they become rather broken, pathetic figures. And it is going to happen to him."
Source: [url]
http://www.hollywood.com/news/detail/article/1099510[/url]
{I actually agree with the McCarthy statement a little, but what is Sean's fascination with Bill O'Reilly? Give me a break!}
"I beg you, help save America before yours is a legacy of shame and horror."
Source:[url]
http://www.liberalartists.com/articles/seanpenn4.html[/url]
{Yes, please, save us from more Sean Penn movies before the french (spit, spit) take to them like they did Jerry Lewis}
"I am more patriotic than this president we have, who I consider a traitor of human and American principles."
Source:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4201707/
{You gotta be shitting me, right?}
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Sean Penn's statements show how detached he is from the average person, and moreso any Iraqi!
Why don't you SERVE the country instead of berating it, Sean? I don't necessarily mean military service, but it goes to show that he, and many of those in Hollywood like him, love to go on and on about how the United States and our government are absolutely atrocious. Give me a break. I take this guy about as seriously as I do Martin Sheen.
Air2mud never said ANYTHING about restricting the right to free speech of Sean Penn, or the Hollywood idiots, or anyone in our country. He does bring up a good point about the 'continued pussification (I love that word!) of America', however. Way too many people in this country have had it too good for too long without having to work hard for their freedoms. Freedom is NOT free. They forget the sacrifices of their forefathers, and actually start to listen to and believe the bullshit these actors and celebrities preach on about.
Steve, sounds like YOU need to learn about the 'basic tenets' of the United States and the different types of governments. Make sure you drop the 'my friend' references and replace them with 'comrade' next time, and don't forget to mis-quote the original poster so we can see where you are taking us on your diatribe adventure.
By the way, welcome to Warthog Territory - jackass.
Edited by - thunderstruck on Nov 13 2004 08:06 AM