luckydog1
Posts: 2736
Joined: 1/16/2006 Status: offline
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Influenced would be a more appropriate word, and there are levels of influence. For example, is your mind as influenced as one of Pol Pot's foot soldiers who murdered the middle classes? Yes, we are both 100% influenced. Do you think you are less? You seem to imply so. Seeing as you're so adamant in these accusations, you'll be able to point to one of my posts where I've suggested freedom = correct thinking. Now's your chance, or are you just accusations and nothing of much substance? Well you say,"For example, we are all free to obtain the information relating to detention without a trial laws, but we're not all free to understand its obstruction of civil liberties, and in particular the obstruction of that person's freedom." I take this to mean people who conclude differently than you are not "free" therefore not thinking correctly/as they should. Are you suggesting I did? Can you post where I suggested anything before 1950 doesn't matter? We were talking about politics and I noted that the acts you keep refering to Iran, nicaragua ect all happened in the context of the cold war, adn you said pre 1950 doesn't matter. I will not waste my time looking it up. If a person is concerned about the outside forces that influence him/her - for example, the media, government, the financial markets, and corporations - then, it is possible to investigate, understand what they are about and gauge their impact on your civil liberties. More knowledge = more freedom, the more a person understands, the more that person can make the right decision for him/her. There are levels of knowledge and levels of freedom. This is subjective, yet you define those who conclude differently than you as less free and with less knowledge, sounds arrogant, and when combined with political power totalitarian. What I also say is your government and military invading Iraq is denying people their liberty I disagree liberty and freedom is not always pretty, under the totalitarian dictatorship they had no liberty or chance to setermine thier own lives, - their chance to determine their own lives - do you think your government denies people their freedom? Using the definition of it being a state of mind, no absolutly not, you can think any damn thing you want. The system likes dissent, because it generates a lot of economic activity. Does it limit some physical activities, of course all govs do. Do it respect most economic and personal liberties, yes. Is it perfect, of course not. This is the question you really need to answer: Why because you say so? But I will anyway. 1) Totalitarian regimes use violence as well as other means to supress some ideas, both home and abroad. But that is not the defining charactaristic of totalitarianism The aim is to maintain power. Usually it is to maintain power in furtherance of other Goals 2) The US government uses armed violence (or installs regimes who use armed violence) in Iraq, Nicaragua, Venezuala, Brazil, Iran and more. Yes we supported some awful govs durring the cold war. The leftists supported far worse govs that killed people by the millions. I understand you were opposed to the cold war. You do not care about the millions dead in N Korea. Just the thousands in Nicaragua.They also pass laws in the US to reduce the potential of mass protest e.g. Patriot Act etc thats not what the patriot act does. Protest goes on all the time, there is no law against it. Unlike places like N korea or Iran. In Iraq there were mass protests just last week, (by Al sadrs people). It is where the leftists rule that protest and speech is curtailedThe aim is to maintain power through economic gain and suppressing disobedience. That is a subjective (and in my opinion very simplistic) view, which I disagree with . Thus: a) Can you point out the difference? Yes one side kills people by the millions to enforce a totalitarian rule, the other side has to use some force to preserve liberty. b) If there is no difference, does this mean you have the same disdain for the US government as you do totalitarian regimes? There is a difference, so the question is moot. You apperantly have more time than I to spend here, So I guess that means you win, you get the Gold star.
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