Comments on: SCOTUS ruling on habeas corpus for Gitmo detainees outlines Bush administration failing http://txfx.net/2008/06/12/scotus-ruling-on-habeas-corpus-for-gitmo-detainees-outlines-bush-administration-failing/ Mark Jaquith's blog about capitalism, freedom, WordPress, the web, and personal topics Wed, 02 May 2012 07:17:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4-beta4-20838 By: Mark http://txfx.net/2008/06/12/scotus-ruling-on-habeas-corpus-for-gitmo-detainees-outlines-bush-administration-failing/comment-page-1/#comment-635869 Mark Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:18:50 +0000 http://txfx.net/?p=1662#comment-635869 No excuse necessary. I always notice the "Freedom isn't free" stickers. I agree, but not in the way that they mean. I agree in the way that you mean -- that the price of freedom is living in a world where crime isn't impossible. In a world where the government fights crime with one hand tied behind its back -- the hand that if untethered would allow it to better strangle its law-abiding citizens. The sticker usually means that they think soldiers dying in Iraq are paying the price for our freedom. They aren't. Few are paying the price of freedom right now. Currently, freedom IS the price, and we're buying a little bit of security, a lot of security theater, and a whole lot of unnecessary government expansion. It is for <em>that</em> that our soldiers are tragically dying. So I support our troops in that I empathize with people who are following orders that, while they don't rise to the level that requires peaceful resistance, are hardly orders that are going to secure their place in history as great defenders of freedom. But if by "support our troops" it is meant that I support keeping them unnecessarily in harm's way, then no, I don't support that. No excuse necessary. I always notice the “Freedom isn’t free” stickers. I agree, but not in the way that they mean. I agree in the way that you mean — that the price of freedom is living in a world where crime isn’t impossible. In a world where the government fights crime with one hand tied behind its back — the hand that if untethered would allow it to better strangle its law-abiding citizens.

The sticker usually means that they think soldiers dying in Iraq are paying the price for our freedom. They aren’t. Few are paying the price of freedom right now. Currently, freedom IS the price, and we’re buying a little bit of security, a lot of security theater, and a whole lot of unnecessary government expansion. It is for that that our soldiers are tragically dying. So I support our troops in that I empathize with people who are following orders that, while they don’t rise to the level that requires peaceful resistance, are hardly orders that are going to secure their place in history as great defenders of freedom. But if by “support our troops” it is meant that I support keeping them unnecessarily in harm’s way, then no, I don’t support that.

]]> By: Steve http://txfx.net/2008/06/12/scotus-ruling-on-habeas-corpus-for-gitmo-detainees-outlines-bush-administration-failing/comment-page-1/#comment-635828 Steve Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:49:12 +0000 http://txfx.net/?p=1662#comment-635828 My answer to: 'Justice Scalia’s dissent states that “[the decision] will almost certainly cause more Americans to be killed.”' Hey, Tony! "Freedom isn't free." Ain't that what youse neocons are saying all the time? Freedom entails some degree of risk, right? Want a risk-free, totally secure life? Move into a prison. But then, that's Justice Scalia's goal, isn't it? If we define "freedom" the way folks like Scalia define "freedom", then the slogan is literally correct: "Freedom isn't free"-- in exactly the way Orwell meant "Freedom is slavery" or "War is peace" or "Ignorance is strength". "Freedom isn't free" and "Support the troops" are examples of "brilliant" (ironic 'air quotes' here) propaganda slogans that can mean whatever the sender needs them to mean while still manipulating the receiver into either actively supporting the sender's goals or at least self-neutering the dissenting receiver every time the receiver repeats the essentially empty slogan. Thus we had "anti-war" movement people (the confused liberal sort, anyway) neutering their own message each time they repeated the empty slogan "of course we support the troops" or the equally empty "Peace is patriotic, too" slogan or "We have to recapture the US flag"-- when patriotism/nationalism/empire is a large part of the problem they're facing and attempting to resist yet don't understand or won't admit. (Please excuse the screed above. I happened upon your site after viewing your very useful "My First Wordpress Plugin" video. Very nice. Thanks.) My answer to: ‘Justice Scalia’s dissent states that “[the decision] will almost certainly cause more Americans to be killed.”’

Hey, Tony! “Freedom isn’t free.” Ain’t that what youse neocons are saying all the time? Freedom entails some degree of risk, right? Want a risk-free, totally secure life? Move into a prison. But then, that’s Justice Scalia’s goal, isn’t it?

If we define “freedom” the way folks like Scalia define “freedom”, then the slogan is literally correct: “Freedom isn’t free”– in exactly the way Orwell meant “Freedom is slavery” or “War is peace” or “Ignorance is strength”.

“Freedom isn’t free” and “Support the troops” are examples of “brilliant” (ironic ‘air quotes’ here) propaganda slogans that can mean whatever the sender needs them to mean while still manipulating the receiver into either actively supporting the sender’s goals or at least self-neutering the dissenting receiver every time the receiver repeats the essentially empty slogan. Thus we had “anti-war” movement people (the confused liberal sort, anyway) neutering their own message each time they repeated the empty slogan “of course we support the troops” or the equally empty “Peace is patriotic, too” slogan or “We have to recapture the US flag”– when patriotism/nationalism/empire is a large part of the problem they’re facing and attempting to resist yet don’t understand or won’t admit.

(Please excuse the screed above. I happened upon your site after viewing your very useful “My First WordPress Plugin” video. Very nice. Thanks.)

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