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Posted By tehranchik 1 year, 4 months ago in News

The bulwark against tyranny is dissent. Open opposition, the right to challenge those in power, is a mainstay of any healthy democracy. The Democratic and Republican conventions will test the commitment of the two dominant U.S. political parties to the cherished tradition of dissent. Things are not looking good.
Denver’s CBS4 News just reported that the city is planning on jailing arrested Democratic convention protesters at a warehouse with barbed-wire-topped cages and signs warning of the threat of stun gun use. Meanwhile, a federal judge has ruled that a designated protest area is legal, despite claims that protesters will be too far from the Democratic delegates to be heard.

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    tehranchik1 year, 4 months ago

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    Sounds similar to what's happening to protestors in China during the Olympics.

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      gamahuche1 year, 4 months ago

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      Good post, TC.
      I'm still trying to figure out how the "Land of the Free" can effectively eliminate peaceful protest by ensuring that "dissenters" are cooped up in a pen as far away from the action as possible and prevented from exercising their stautory and human right of freedom of expression.
      In order to be legitimate people must be allowed to be heard. Otherwise people might just as well stay home and blow bubbles in the bath. [Could be far more fun too, with the right company..]

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        AnteUp1 year, 4 months ago

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        How does Homeland Security keep our Democracy safe if they
        are the ones thwarting it?
        I was shocked during the last election when someone said that
        Clinton (WJC) had done it too and that I should pipe down.
        I didn't believe them and looked it up. They were right - he had.
        It was wrong for his campaign and it is wrong now - PLUS their
        measures of intimidation are becoming more abusive and
        much more repressive.

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      ameliog1 year, 4 months ago

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      How's congress coming along with fixing or scrapping the Patriot Act? Or are we still expected to give in to the government every time they say "boo".

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        ProudBlueTexan1 year, 4 months ago

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        The latter; Americans are gutless.

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          AnteUp1 year, 4 months ago

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          ProudBlueTexan ~
          I think American's are in denial and Congress HAS been gutless.
          I sure didn't get the Congressional action I expected - even though
          many of those we rooted for WERE elected.
          Waxman and Levin and others have had the hearings that confirmed
          abuses of power. They exposed the use of taxpayer dollars being
          used to work against the welfare of the public, and SO much more.
          I'm so excited - NOW, it's going to change!
          Then DOJ says they're not going to do anything - our guys do not have a veto-proof majority - those subpoenaed to testify thumb their nose at
          the Committees, and what the Hell happened to Pelosi and Hoyer?
          See - I was part of their "ORIGNIAL" base - not the one they are trying
          to attract now. Been a very bad week for me - I'm still wondering where
          the presidential candidate I voted for in the primaries went!

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        avoth1 year, 4 months ago

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        "The bulwark against tyranny is dissent."

        Actually, it's the right to dissent with the firepower to back it up. And it's those who complain loudest about right-wing "tyranny" who want to disarm us most.

        Typical hypocrisy of the left.

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          quackpot1 year, 4 months ago

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          It would make for a constructive discussion if you could be more specific about what types and how many weapons you mean when you say "firepower to back it up".

          Do you really think that the amount of firepower to which you refer would be sufficient to back up you plea?

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            CHAM1 year, 4 months ago

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            Unbeatable firepower comes in the form of moral and ethical behavior and the absolute refusal to allow a corrupt official to stay in office.

            Amount of firepower? A majority of concerned citizens who will vote for the good, irrespective of party.

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            jordan111 year, 4 months ago

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            Actually, it's the right to dissent with the firepower to back it up. And it's those who complain loudest about right-wing "tyranny" who want to disarm us most.>>>>

            I don't 'complain' about right wing tyranny, I fight it with my vote and my voice. And if push were to come to shove, I'd be punching back.
            YOU are a victim of propaganda. I've yet to know a democrat/liberal/progressive or whatever though my life, who wants to disarm this country. I have a gun, & I'm keeping it.
            So knock off the brushing with your wide paintbrush. You do this nation no service in deepening the ridiculous divide we already have.

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            lloydm651 year, 4 months ago

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            Desent is not only good,it's essential anytime we let our leaders ,and our courts make decision based solely on their opinion,we give up some of our liberty.I have been scorned for bashing the Dixie Chicks for their attack on Bush.I did no such thing.I just don't believe in doing in a foreign land. and then returning to Dallas for a sell out concert and would not even answer when ask about it.Thats not desent, its simple low life politics.I really believe the were put up to it.

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              bigurn1 year, 4 months ago

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              The Democrats appear to be taking unusual steps to corral the various factions that operate at the tips of their coalition. The most unusual step is keeping the protests so far from the main event. It is, indeed, antithetical to their pronounced beliefs.

              It is politics as usual, which is the not-unexpected conclusion. This is the Hope and Change.

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                tehranchik1 year, 4 months ago

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                Here's a comment by ciera-marie from another article.

                "Not just in Denver. The City of Minneapolis added on to it's jail, so did The City of St. Paul, both have added tasers (in the thousands) and there are police officers coming from out of state to help aid both cities. There are party heads of the RNC here already. Heck I think some arrived the end of July. It's just every where a local would go to eat all the RNC party planners are there.

                I mention this because I bet it's the same in Denver. All the Republicans in Denver probably want to leave. I know most Dems here that can afford to leave the state during the RNC will leave.

                I personally think both conventions should let people peacefully protest instead of assuming it will get violent and automatically planning for the violence. Sure protests have turned ugly in the past. However it doesn't have to be that way."

                This isn't just a republican/democrat thing any more. It's become fear and loathing in our country. The pictures that have been taken of the facilities to house the protesters look like something right out of guantanamo.

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                  CHAM1 year, 4 months ago

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                  Thank you terhanchik and Ciera. That is indeed the problem. The contest between the Republicans and Democrats is really who gets the big slice of the corruption pie.

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                  jordan111 year, 4 months ago

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                  You're a typical CON.

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                    jordan111 year, 4 months ago

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                    Dang it! I'll try again. You're a typical CON. If you weren't, you'd be joining the voices that this is WRONG from any political party, but you had to sneak that "hope and change" nonsense in to lay it at Obama's feet.

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                thehurricaine231 year, 4 months ago

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                Protesters need to change their strategy here. We must adapt to the police state and their brutal tactics. What would work best is not large marches where we can be easily targeted and controlled. We need thousands of affinity groups spread throughout the city. These groups could descend upon hundreds of areas at a time, stretching authorities resources to the breaking point. I for one would rather go undercover and cause serious disruption than all march and sing songs and chant b/s slogans.

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                thehurricaine231 year, 4 months ago

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                Why doesn't some of the right wing groups that have long written about these places expose them as well? It's sad that conservatives and liberals fight each other when we should be united together as working class individuals. Just look around, we all are being oppressed by the elites who control our country. We are all paying $4 for gas, while the value of the dollar declines. The WTO sells every worker out, left wing or right. The conservatives I know live and worry about much of the same things as the liberals I know. "No War, But Class War"

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                  quackpot1 year, 4 months ago

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                  Unlimited budget for guns and instruments of repression while schools have bake sales to raise funds for what should be essential educational services?

                  Seems like some folks in power have our priorities a bit confused with their wet dreams of power.

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                    AnteUp1 year, 4 months ago

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                    I wrote a "nasty-gram" to one of the cable news networks over their coverage
                    - actually it was their LACK of coverage - at the beginning of August on another issue.
                    After, "Regards" and my name, I added:
                    "Please do not pass my name along to anyone. I'm still hoping to be on the outside of the fence if and when our "camps" are ever made operational here!"

                    I thought was thinking ahead - but it seems as if "they" might be ahead of ME,
                    judging by this article. Every time these fears circulate I wonder if they would ever
                    use the crowd-control weapons I have read about. They've got microwave and
                    sound wave gadgets that can be mounted on the backs of vans and jeeps to
                    be directed at crowds - even individuals. I try not to be an alarmist, but I've
                    never heard of them being used in our combat zones. It's still logical to
                    assume that their research - and OUR tax dollars - were not used so that
                    they could perfect them and put them on a shelf. I hope I am wrong.

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