AID AND COMFORT..?
Did you listen to the President yesterday? When referring to his critics, he said he welcomed debate, but in reference to his most severe critics, he accused them of giving "aid and comfort" to the enemy.
Was this merely a spin written by his speech writers or suggested by his advisors for its psychological effect on the citizens - if they got too critical they were not only being unpatriotic but actually aiding the enemy?
Or was it a subtle (or not so subtle) warning of a possible consequence to his detractors, perhaps not immediately but in the future?
Aid and comfort to the enemy is one of the definitions for treason, and the penalty for treason is death.
There are nations who have or have had laws making it a crime with severe punishment for speaking ill of the ruler. As we head more and more towards becoming a Fascist government, will the time come that in true Hitleresque fashion it will be considered treason to oppose our ruler? Will our right of free speech and peaceful dissent be abrogated?
Scary thought, isn't it? Was our President merely trying to shame us, or was he warning his dissenters to back off?
Was this merely a spin written by his speech writers or suggested by his advisors for its psychological effect on the citizens - if they got too critical they were not only being unpatriotic but actually aiding the enemy?
Or was it a subtle (or not so subtle) warning of a possible consequence to his detractors, perhaps not immediately but in the future?
Aid and comfort to the enemy is one of the definitions for treason, and the penalty for treason is death.
There are nations who have or have had laws making it a crime with severe punishment for speaking ill of the ruler. As we head more and more towards becoming a Fascist government, will the time come that in true Hitleresque fashion it will be considered treason to oppose our ruler? Will our right of free speech and peaceful dissent be abrogated?
Scary thought, isn't it? Was our President merely trying to shame us, or was he warning his dissenters to back off?
posted by Anonymous @ 1/11/2006 05:15:00 AM
2 Comments:
At Wednesday, January 11, 2006 9:08:00 AM ,
lauren said...
Unfortunately, I think our President often tries to shame the American people who do not support his personal or political agendas. Have you noticed that not supporting the war has become synonymous with not supporting our troops?
Part of what makes America great is the fact that we have a forum and an ability to voice dissenting opinions. Debate and criticism will occur in politics; it always has and it always will. The President seems to be forgetting that we are a nation based on that beautiful "Right to Free Speech" tenet.
How can the President say that one gives aid and comfort to the enemy simply by not agreeing with him? Is he suggesting that we all agree with him on everything all of the time? As you pointed out, Hitler did the same thing. You agreed with him, or you got booted the hell out of your country.
Now, I don't think any of us are suggesting that America is become like Nazi Germany. But to have people in power suggest that Americans become sheep that blindly follow the shepherd...
At Wednesday, January 11, 2006 6:45:00 PM ,
JBlue said...
I'm definitely going to write about this topic because I had an interesting experience today.
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