View Full Version : UK paper calls for assassination
"Please God, not Bush!" (http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguide/columnists/story/0,,1333748,00.html)
[b]On November 2, the entire civilised world will be praying, praying Bush loses. And Sod's law dictates he'll probably win, thereby disproving the existence of God once and for all. The world will endure four more years of idiocy, arrogance and unwarranted bloodshed, with no benevolent deity to watch over and save us. John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinckley Jr - where are you now that we need you?
I thought this was just unbelievable. I can't believe the author wrote it and I can't believe the paper openly published it.
I think the U.S. government should overtly or covertly shut down any major paper/radio station/television station calling for the assassination of a U.S. president. Heck, I think the U.S. should treat the author as an enemy and "deal" with him.
andyfox
10-23-2004, 11:37 PM
Isn't incitement to violence a crime?
vulturesrow
10-23-2004, 11:43 PM
Under certain crimes, it certainly is.
lastchance
10-23-2004, 11:48 PM
I didn't get that vultures...
And this is pretty damn funny.
vulturesrow
10-23-2004, 11:51 PM
Andy asked if incitement to violence is a crime. I didnt word my answer very well. Short answer, in certain cases, yes it is. This particular case probably wouldnt apply. I still find the article to be rather crass either way.
lastchance
10-23-2004, 11:52 PM
Ahh... Thank you. I just find the whole situation of this article absurd.
andyfox
10-23-2004, 11:53 PM
One can call for the assassination of somebody? Could I take out an ad in the New York Times calling for the assasination of, say, a United States senator and not be arrested?
lastchance
10-23-2004, 11:55 PM
Depending whether it was serious or not. I sincerely doubt this guy was serious, and if he was...
vulturesrow
10-23-2004, 11:57 PM
I guess my point in this one is that it might be hard to make stick from a legal point of view. Maybe not. I am not a lawyer. But incitement to violence can be sucessfully prosecuted. Im just not sure how hard it is.
andyfox
10-24-2004, 12:35 AM
Hopefully one of our lawyer posters will see this thread.
Hey Andy,
How have you been? I havent posted at all lately because I have been spending 16 hour days on a consulting gig in Baltimore as well as trying to run my little company. I haven't even watched the news much and I didnt see hardly any of the three debates.
How do you handicap our bet? Seems like a complete dead heat. Is it trending either way?
I think your answer is such a democrat approach - thinking of things as a matter of law enforcement /images/graemlins/smile.gif I think anyone who calls for the assassination our our president is an enemy of the state and should be dealt with as such.
lastchance
10-24-2004, 02:05 AM
Was that serious or sarcasm? I thought it was sarcasm for the first time, but I just can't tell on the 'net, after twice. Actually, looking back on it, it was probably sarcasm. I seriously doubt this guy was being serious (guardian person).
Not like Freedom of Speech matters, of course. :P (yes, I'm being sarcastic)
andyfox
10-24-2004, 02:10 AM
I agree. But how do we deal with an enemy of the state? Charge him with a crime, if he's comitted one, and convict and punish him. I'm asking if calling, in a serious manner, for the assassination of a public figure, is a crime. I would think and hope that it is.
Sounds like you're busy in a good way. Nice to hear.
I give you a slight edge on our bet. Pretty hard to tell from the polls, seems like every day there's something new. But if I were betting today, I'd take Bush.
nothumb
10-24-2004, 02:36 AM
[ QUOTE ]
Each time he recalls a statistic (either from memory or the voice in his head), he flashes us a dumb little smile, like a toddler proudly showing off its first bowel movement.
[/ QUOTE ]
Good line.
I haven't really followed this Battle of the Bulge. I saw Paul Begala say that if he'd been wearing a wire he wouldn't have been so incoherent and feeble. Still, if he's not used to wearing a wire, it could amplify his already glaring weaknesses...
Freedom of the press in Britain is not nearly as strong as here, so if Tony gets wind of this and decides to take a swipe at him I'd say he'll be in hot water. Of course, saying it here would probably get him an extraordinarily rough cavity search and five to ten (which might result in more cavity searches, etc.)
Gee Dub, isn't Britain supposed to be our ally?
NT
PITTM
10-24-2004, 04:37 AM
the fact that it is a writer for a british paper who is a british citizen makes it completely irrelevant. although many republicans think otherwise, we cant enforce our laws on people in other countries.
rj
[ QUOTE ]
One can call for the assassination of somebody? Could I take out an ad in the New York Times calling for the assasination of, say, a United States senator and not be arrested?
[/ QUOTE ]
Just what beef do you have against Senator Clinton?
[ QUOTE ]
Gee Dub, isn't Britain supposed to be our ally?
NT
[/ QUOTE ]
The UK is our ally, but Blair can not vouch for every nutcase over there, nor can I vouch for all the nutcases over here (even those that may play poker).
Foggy
10-24-2004, 07:38 AM
[ QUOTE ]
John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinckley Jr - where are you now that we need you?
[/ QUOTE ]
Can't see anywhere where you could prove incitement...Hinckley's the only one alive and he knows that Jodie wasn't impressed with his last effort!
MMMMMM
10-24-2004, 10:00 AM
[ QUOTE ]
Hopefully one of our lawyer posters will see this thread.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, I'd like to see Chris Alger handling this prosecution.
nicky g
10-24-2004, 01:18 PM
I think a little bit of context to this column might be useful. Charlie Brooker is a comedian who writes a purposefully bad-taste satirical TV review column for the TV section of the pull-out listings guide given away with the Saturday edition of the Guardian. The point of it is to be absur and offensive. If you want to check out some of his other stuff go to www.tvgohome.com (http://www.tvgohome.com) which is pretty funny and in very poor taste. I agree he went a bit too far with the bit at the end but it's not like this was the leader article in the comment section; it was in the joke review column of the TV listings guide.
The once and future king
10-24-2004, 01:29 PM
Same article, what he said about Kerry.
Throughout the debate, John Kerry, for his part, looks and sounds a bit like a haunted tree. But at least he's not a lying, sniggering, drink-driving, selfish, reckless, ignorant, dangerous, backward, drooling, twitching, blinking, mouse-faced little cheat. And besides, in a fight between a tree and a bush, I know who I'd favour.
The once and future king
10-24-2004, 01:37 PM
[ QUOTE ]
Freedom of the press in Britain is not nearly as strong as here, so if Tony gets wind of this and decides to take a swipe at him I'd say he'll be in hot water.
[/ QUOTE ]
What makes you think this?
Our press is allowed to absolutely rip the piss as far as satire is concerned. We have writers and comedians write/perform massive disrepectfull piss takes of all our magor political figures. If there was any kind of backlash from the Establishment there would be uproar.
Your press still is alot more deferantail than ours especialy towards the President. Our press is more hadicapped in a officail secrets kinda way, but not in criticisms of the administration/establishemnt etc.
Please forgive typos as I am quite drunk.
nicky g
10-24-2004, 01:37 PM
"Throughout the debate, John Kerry, for his part, looks and sounds a bit like a haunted tree."
Best description of Kerry yet.
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