My Favorite Quote by a Republican

[xadrez]

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."
-Theodore Roosevelt

[cardcounter0]

Well, that Theodore guy isn't going to get invited to any Bush speeches, that is for sure.
/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[xadrez]

Theyre saying he might be affiliated with Al Qaeda, Saddam, Stalin and maybe even Castro /images/graemlins/shocked.gif

[Il_Mostro]

Things really have changed...

[Broken Glass Can]

This is a stupid thread for the simple reason... GWB agrees with TR's statement.

You can criticize GWB all that you want. Of course, he or others can just as easily point out where you are wrong in your criticism.

We just finished a national election with non-stop criticism by the media and the Democrats. Unfortunately (for those Democrats), the people of America saw through the phony criticisms.

[Il_Mostro]

Whether GWB agrees with that is probably open for debate. It does seem, though, that there are a lot of people, here not the least, that certailny does not agree with it.

[Broken Glass Can]

[ QUOTE ]
Whether GWB agrees with that is probably open for debate. It does seem, though, that there are a lot of people, here not the least, that certailny does not agree with it.

[/ QUOTE ]

You sound pretty stupid suggesting that 2+2 posters and GWB are against free speech.

Pure Demagoguery.

[Koller]

[ QUOTE ]
You sound pretty stupid suggesting that 2+2 posters and GWB are against free speech.

[/ QUOTE ]

Most people in America don't even know what freedom and free speech mean.

Topless Sunbathing in public places is still illegal and like in North Korea death penalty rocks.

[Broken Glass Can]

[ QUOTE ]
Most people in America don't even know what freedom and free speech mean.

[/ QUOTE ]

I see... so you're saying Americans are stupid.

Another "intelligent" European has been heard from. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Il_Mostro]

Considering the number of times I have seen people here being named "self-hating american", "unamerican", "communist"... for voicing oppinions that are contrary to the ones of the current administration I really don't think the name-callers admit to that quote.

[Koller]

[ QUOTE ]
so you're saying Americans are stupid.


[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
We just finished a national election with non-stop criticism by the media and the Democrats. Unfortunately (for those Democrats), the people of America saw through the phony criticisms.


[/ QUOTE ]

[Il_Mostro]

[ QUOTE ]
I see... so you're saying Americans are stupid

[/ QUOTE ]
Are you claiming they are not? I'd say they are, as are most europeans.

Depends on what you mean by stupid, I suppose. If you mean knowledgable about the world and what goes on around the globe I'd say definately, most people are stupid (ignorant)

[adios]

During the Woodrow Wilson administration a Democratic Congress made a law stating that it was illegal to criticize the president and enforced it.

[Il_Mostro]

Do you have any references? I belive what you say, but I'm interested.

[xadrez]

[ QUOTE ]
Considering the number of times I have seen people here being named "self-hating american", "unamerican", "communist"... for voicing oppinions that are contrary to the ones of the current administration I really don't think the name-callers admit to that quote.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you Mostro, This was exactly my point in creating this thread.

[andyfox]

Another, albeit older, example:

http://earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/milestones/sedition/

[adios]

Yep and thanks for adding that. My point was that the suppression of the Bill of Rights is not unique to one party or one era. Even FDR had internment camps. Todays complaints about the erosion of civil liberties are worth making but should be kept in a historical perspective.

[elwoodblues]

[ QUOTE ]
My point was that the suppression of the Bill of Rights is not unique to one party or one era. Even FDR had internment camps. Todays complaints about the erosion of civil liberties are worth making but should be kept in a historical perspective.

[/ QUOTE ]

And the historical perspective teaches us that we will and should look back with disdain on those actions.

[Il_Mostro]

Btw. From Outfoxed (the only example of FOX news I have been able to see) I remember a lot of these type of allegations, people who do not support the war are un-american. Perople who do not support GWB are un-american. I don't know how common these type of comments are, but it was clear that they do exist, and on national TV.

[adios]

World War I and Dissent in the U.S. (http://www.fff.org/freedom/fd0204f.asp)

[Zeno]

There was substantial anti-German fervor leading up to and during WW1. H.L. Mencken was harassed in this timeframe by the U.S. Government. He, more or less, voluntarily curbed his writings about certain subjects. The FBI had a fifty-seven-page file on him, the justice department had him under surveillance, and war department censors opened his mail. In typical Mencken style, he had this to say about the ordeal when it ended.

[ QUOTE ]
The war actually treated me magnificently. Its first shock gave me a business chance which brought me leisure, enabled me to escape form daily journalism, got me enough money to make me secure, and so helped me to write five books. Moreover, the ensuing festivities filled me with new ideas, greatly changed my aims, and flooded me with such an amount of material that I'll never be able to use a tenth of it. Still more, I had a lot of capital entertainment - some rough, gaudy debates, some curious adventures with spy-hunters, and even a taste of life in the field. So I'd be an ass to complain.

[/ QUOTE ]

From The Skeptic, by Terry Teachout, Hapercollins 2002, p 131-132.

-Zeno

[Il_Mostro]

[ QUOTE ]
You sound pretty stupid suggesting that 2+2 posters and GWB are against free speech.

[/ QUOTE ]
When are you going to tell me why I sound stupid? Anytime is ok for me, really. If you can you can try to explain to me why calling someone "unarmerican" or "self-hating american" when they oppose the sitting government is in line with the quote above.

[Il_Mostro]

But you do sound pretty stupid when you
A) do not defend your statement
or
B) admit you where wrong.

On a side note, why is this so common around here? When I am called down I try do argue my point, and if I can't I admit I can't. You do neither, are you so afraid of being shown that you are wrong?

[PhatTBoll]

I can't believe nobody has said this yet, but here goes:

There is a huge, huge, huge difference between criticizing somebody's speech and punishing them for it.

[mojorisin24]

Correct. Bush faces extraordinary protests wherever he goes, yet he has nary a word to say about them. Of course, it would be unpresidential for him to say anything, but regardless he still never does. The idea that Bush himself cannot or will not withstand criticism is patently absurd.

[tolbiny]

I do believe he is calling his lawyers- don't you remember that loyalty oath you took before you were allowed to watch the Bush rally? Turns out you should have read the fine print.