Why try to preserve civil rights in America?

[Boojatta]

The mere existence of the ACLU suggests that the preservation of civil rights in America is not in the American national interest. If a cause is truly in the American national interest, then there is no need for an organized special interest group dedicated to that cause.

Does anyone have any comments?

[Brigid]

1. Who wrote that?

Stalin? If we allow our liberties to be stripped from us, then we are not the country that George Washington and the gang sacrificed so much to found. If fighting for our liberties means using a special interest group to do it, then that's what it takes.

[Boojatta]

4. Something similar was written by John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt

Endnote #1 from The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy:

Indeed, the mere existence of the Lobby suggests that unconditional support for Israel is not in the American national interest. If it was, one would not need an organized special interest group to bring it about.

They suggest that "unconditional support for Israel" is not in the American national interest. Perhaps because that suggestion is uncontroversial, few readers pay attention to the reasoning that allegedly supports the suggestion.

It's unfortunate that they didn't identify the parts of their paper that they consider to be at least a little bit controversial.

[MadMaddie]

2. Is it really a special interest group? The ACLU has

taken on black clients, white clients, women, gays, Limpballs and other characters in the name of protecting every Americans right. If protecting all Americans rights to free speech etc is now being called a specal interest group....that means the right is now trying to redefine what the ACLU does....

The ACLU represents what's good about America....protecting all Americans.

If you don't have groups like the ACLU who then will protect the little guy?

[Boojatta]

3. If some African-Americans, whites, women, and gays eat potatoes, then

can we conclude that the National Potato Council is not a special interest group?

[patriothackd]

5. Does the ACLU really protect the little guy?

Can you name the top five RECENT cases they've taken on to protect either people of color or little guys?

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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[craneguypaul]

7. Why try?

Our civil rights must be preserved, if we allow the Conservative right unchallenged social manipulation we are doomed to replay the travesty played out by the Nazi's early last century. The psychological manipulation being used by the hate talk radio demigods and the republican party is no real secret. In his book "Escape From Freedom" Eric Fromm explained the need for totalitarian leadership in Judeo/Christian society. We must teach our children to question authority. We need to challenge our fellows when ignorance and predigest are expressed. The real trouble with doing that is it often leads to hurt feelings, the need for tact and diplomacy can't be overlooked. We are trying to open hearts and minds, not make new enemies.

[Boojatta]

9. Kick

[wuvuj]

10. I have no fear...

...for I AM THE PERFECT CITIZEN!

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20010155-83.html


"The NSA issued a brief explanation of the new project in response to a Wall Street Journal story that described Perfect Citizen as a government system designed to monitor vital agencies and private utilities against potential cyberthreats. The project would establish a series of sensors installed throughout various computer networks that would raise an alarm in case of a pending cyberattack, according to the Journal.

But in an e-mail statement attributed to NSA spokeswoman Judith Emmel, the agency denied that Perfect Citizen would involve any type of monitoring activity or sensors, and labeled it as "purely a vulnerabilities assessment and capabilities development contract." She added that "it does not involve the monitoring of communications or the placement of sensors on utility company systems.""

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

11. vigilance

The cost of freedom is eternal vigilance.

[Boojatta]

12. Kick in response to the thread ...

Obama and the Israel Lobby, General Discussion