Comments on: Feds Disavow Gitmo Lawyer Boycott Remarks

Pentagon Spokesman Renounces Official Who Urged Companies To Boycott Firms Representing Detainees

[exusmcsgt]

jn122736-

I wrote a piece titled "Requiem For America The Beautiful" the day before the U.S invaded Iraq lamenting much which you describe here.

On 9/12/01 we had the sympathy and support of virtually then entire world. Bubba has taken that and turned it into disdain.

[jn122736]

To cbgb31 and all those who would defend Mr.Stimson%u2019s actions:

Mr.Stimson%u2019s action is reprehensible and should indeed be condemned. But the greatest danger to the freedom and safety of our country come from those who lack the courage to defend themselves.

As Benjamin Franklin famously said, "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety," This is much more than a clichi, it is an axiom (truism).

Just look at what we have lost or had taken from us since 911. What has happened to the brave Americans who made this a nation respected, even revered, by most of the world.
I love America but I feel shamed by what we have done since abandoning Afghanistan and invaded Iraq.

[exusmcsgt]

webdepot-

Slander and defamation suits might be more applicable.

[webdepot]

Unfortunately, the Repuk-a-Cons have fallen hook line and sinker for the NeoCon propaganda machine. It is kinda useless to try to debate those Repuk-a-Cons that post here... Obviously they lack the intelligence and intellect to assimilate facts and from those facts draw a logical conclusion.

It is really sad that so many Americans are so willing to give away our rights for the sake of..... what... so called security... They do not understand the basic truth that just as it is impossible to stop a determined assassin, it is impossibe to stop a determined terrorist. All it takes is the discipline to not communicate in any venue that can be intercepted, no leaks, and focus on the act. Thay have one great advantage over the common assassin, they are willing to die during their act whereas the assassin would be looking for a way to do his deed and still escape.

What Stimson is doing here is nothing short of extortion, threatening the economic well being of a business because they are performing a service to illegal prisoners. Obviously, the government doesn't want some of the best legal minds defending these "innocent until proven guilty" hostages against their average ability military prosecutors. Stimson should be charged with extortion for his remarks.. Feedom of speech ends where threats begin.

[exusmcsgt]

webdepot-

I stand corrected, it was Goering. Thanks.

[webdepot]

Actually, it was Hermann Goering's quote from the Nuremburg Trials. The full dialogue appears below:

"Naturally, the common people don't want war, but after all, it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy. It is always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it is a democracy, a dictatorship or a parliament. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country."


Joseph Goebbels also had an infamous quote that applies directly to this administration: (he was Hitler's Minister of Propaganda)

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State."

[exusmcsgt]

nikosk1-

Himmler also said during the Nuremberg war trials:

"Of course the people don't want to go to war. But they can be brought to thier leader's bidding by labeling those who oppose war as being unpatriotic."

Think back to the run-up to the invasion. Dissenter's rallies were labeled "anti-war" by the administration while supporter's rallies were labeled "pro-American".

Himmler would have been proud, I suspect.

[exusmcsgt]

nikosk1-

It was Himmler.

[exusmcsgt]

SharnCedar-

You may have a point to some degree, but I see two areas that also need to be considered.

1. The press is feed press releases by all the contenders which they print. The media (except for Fox News) tries to portray both sides of an issue. Many poeple are intellectually lazy and easily accept the slant provided by a candidate's press release.

2. The fear factor. Bubba successfully employed the fear factor in 2004 against Kerry. It's easy to scare people into doing what you want of them. Between the religious right who believe that Bubba is God's representative in the White House and those who Bubba managed to scare enough to vote for him, he eeked out a slim majority.

I believe the guilt for Bubba's second term lies not with the media, but rather, with the self-righteous, the intellectually lazy, and the weak at heart.

[sharncedar]

"Fellows - You have to concede one important fact. Enough people voted for President Bush to reelect him. If you need to blame someone, look in the mirror if you voted for him."

I disagree you can blane Americans for Bush and his anti-American revolution. The media industry lied and misled the public every day, just as they are still doing. They propped up his candidacy and his administratino with false reporting every day, and still do.

For example, how many Christian "right" people would have voted for Bush if they knew he was a cocaine user, if some of his disparaging comments about Americans were published, if his insider trading role in Enron was known, if his "politician's conversion" to being against abortion the week before he announced his candidacy for governor was discussed or reported.

The media industry conspired to put Bush in office and to keep him there, just as they conspired to remove Jimmy Carter or to weaken Bill Clinton (after first conspiring to elect him). 60% of the people in America don't pay attention to politics and will vote for whoever the media presents to them.