Below is my column in The Hill on continued scorched earth tactics of Democrats in attacking any witnesses raising free speech concerns over government censorship.
Here is the column:
“At long last, have you left no sense of decency?” Those words were first asked by lawyer Joseph Welch in his confrontation with Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R-Wis.) during the Senate’s infamous Army-McCarthy hearings. This week, nearly 70 years later, Welch’s words seem more relevant than ever after House Democrats savaged two journalists who attempted to explain a government effort to censor citizens.
It was only the latest of a series of hearings in which FBI agents and other whistleblowers, experts and journalists have been personally attacked for raising free-speech concerns. Last week’s hearing showed definitively that we live in a post-decency era.
The latest attacks came as journalists Matt Taibbi and Michael Shellenberger testified about breaking the “Twitter Files” story, detailing how the FBI and other agencies secretly sought to censor or ban citizens from social media. In her opening statement, Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands), the ranking member of the House Judiciary subcommittee, attacked them as “so-called journalists” and said they were “a direct threat” to the safety of others by reporting the censorship story.
Taibbi pushed back, saying that “I’m not a ‘so-called’ journalist” and giving a brief description of his award-winning career at Rolling Stone magazine and other publications. Yet other committee members also attacked the honesty of the two journalists. And after failed efforts to claim they were Elon Musk’s corrupt “scribes,” or limited by him in their investigations, the committee members attacked their ethics.
The witnesses were attacked on everything but their choice of socks. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) even claimed that “being a Republican witness today certainly casts a cloud over your objectivity.” When Wasserman Schultz impugned the two journalists’ honesty and ethics, she immediately “reclaimed (her) time” to prevent them from defending themselves. When the subcommittee chair gave them a chance to answer her claims, Wasserman Schultz and her Democratic colleagues objected that a witness was allowed to defend himself after being blocked from doing so.
In an earlier attack, Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) prevented Taibbi from answering a question and dismissed his effort to defend his position, saying: “This is how it works now. I’ll ask the question and you try to provide an answer if you can.”
After attacking the very notion of investigating the government for possible censorship efforts, the attacks then took a particularly menacing turn as some members began to demand confidential information on the journalists’ sources. Taibbi pushed back and said he could not reveal information on his sources, but that only seemed to make the Democrats more irate.
Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) pressed Taibbi to say that Musk was a source. Taibbi again replied, “I can’t give it to you, unfortunately, because this is a question of sourcing, and I’m a journalist. I don’t reveal my sources.”
And that’s when it got ugly.
Garcia effectively declared that she had trapped Taibbi because the “only logical conclusion” was that Musk was his source. When House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) objected to badgering a reporter for his sources, Democrats piled on. Plaskett declared that if Taibbi wouldn’t comment on Musk, it must mean the Twitter owner was the source in question.
It was a chilling but defining moment.
For several years now, many Democratic members have embraced censorship on social media and resisted efforts to uncover government efforts to silence citizens. As someone who grew up in a liberal, Democratic family in Chicago, I knew that a commitment to free speech was one of the most compelling values of the party — back then. Today, free speech often is treated as harmful and dangerous.
President Joe Biden is arguably the most anti-free-speech president since John Adams, and the Democratic Party is largely committed to censorship and speech regulations. Some Democratic figures, including Plaskett, have declared that hate speech is unprotected under the First Amendment — a categorically untrue claim.
As the evidence mounts of an even broader censorship effort by the Biden administration, the Democrats’ attacks have become more unhinged and unscrupulous. After shredding any fealty to free speech, they now are attacking journalists, demanding their sources and claiming their reporting is a public threat.
Plaskett even attempted to defend the Federal Trade Commission demanding that Twitter turn over the names of journalists who have communicated with the social media company. Other Democrats have similarly shrugged off this outrageous demand by the FTC, headed by Chairwoman Lina Khan, a former Democratic staffer with the Judiciary Committee.
For many of us, this week demonstrates the final severing of many House Democrats from both free speech and free press values.
What is left is raw rage and politics.
There is a major difference between today and the McCarthyism of 1954. Back then, when attorney Welch objected to the Republican senator trashing his client, the press lionized Welch. Yet, as noted by Shellenberger and Taibbi, today’s media have remained largely silent as fellow reporters were attacked for covering the Twitter censorship story.
If Joseph Welch appeared today to support free speech, he might very well be dismissed as some QAnon conspiracy theorist or “Putin lover.” But his words from the past — that “until this moment … I think I have never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness” — should be read to every one of these members. It is not that we expect decorum from our leaders today, but decency itself now seems as irrelevant as reason.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at The George Washington University. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanTurley.
I’m old enough to remember…
President Obama Speaks to the United Nations General Assembly, September 25, 2012
(timestamp 30:22)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GqYCKV2wzA&t=673s
“I know there are some who ask why we don’t just ban such a video. The answer is enshrined in our laws: our Constitution protects the right to practice free speech. Here in the United States, countless publications provoke offense. Like me, the majority of Americans are Christian, and yet we do not ban blasphemy against our most sacred beliefs. Moreover, as President of our country, and Commander-in-Chief of our military, I accept that people are going to call me awful things every day, and I will always defend their right to do so. Americans have fought and died around the globe to protect the right of all people to express their views – even views that we disagree with.
We do so not because we support hateful speech, but because our Founders understood that without such protections, the capacity of each individual to express their own views, and practice their own faith, may be threatened. We do so because in a diverse society, efforts to restrict speech can become a tool to silence critics, or oppress minorities. We do so because given the power of faith in our lives, and the passion that religious differences can inflame, the strongest weapon against hateful speech is not repression, it is more speech – the voices of tolerance that rally against bigotry and blasphemy, and lift up the values of understanding and mutual respect.
I know that not all countries in this body share this understanding of the protection of free speech. Yet in 2012, at a time when anyone with a cell phone can spread offensive views around the world with the click of a button, the notion that we can control the flow of information is obsolete. The question, then, is how we respond. And on this we must agree: there is no speech that justifies mindless violence.”
I Am Sick And Tired – Hillary Clinton, 2003
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CzteDucRHo
““I’m sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and disagree with this administration, somehow you’re not patriotic. We need to stand up and say we’re Americans, and we have the right to debate and disagree with any administration.”
― Hillary Rodham Clinton”
Turley, you are SO full of it. From “Salon”–an excerpt:
“The new Republican House majority has promised historic oversight, anchored by Rep. Jim Jordan’s subcommittee hunting for “whistleblowers” on the supposed “weaponization” of government. So far, Jordan’s efforts have been a bust — he’s failed to produce a single true whistleblower.
To the three of us — veterans of prior Capitol Hill investigations who have worked for Republicans and Democrats on the Church Committee, the first Trump impeachment and the Jan. 6 select committee — Jordan’s whole “weaponization” effort is an embarrassment. There is a right way to do oversight and to work with real whistleblowers, and this isn’t it.
In Jordan’s telling, the Department of Justice and the FBI are targeting ordinary Americans solely because they hold conservative political beliefs. He claims that “dozens and dozens of whistleblowers” have come forward to expose government malfeasance.
But neither weaponization nor whistleblowers were to be found last Thursday, when the subcommittee held its second hearing, focusing on the “Twitter Files.” Jordan returned to one of his favorite complaints: Twitter’s decision to suppress a New York Post story about Hunter Biden’s laptop for 48 hours in mid-October 2020. But Twitter’s employees have previously testified that the FBI did not tell them to take it down. Jordan’s witnesses during the hearing — Matt Taibbi (a journalist) and Michael Shellenberger (an author) — did not offer any evidence to contradict that, and moreover are not whistleblowers. They received files from Twitter’s new management highlighting what they claimed was unjust censorship. But Americans are still waiting to hear from a true government insider on this score.
The prior “weaponization” subcommittee hearing on Feb. 9 was also a sprawling, disconnected dud. No whistleblowers testified there either. Where are Jordan’s witnesses with inside knowledge of the government’s bad acts?
The Democrats serving on Jordan’s subcommittee have provided an answer. Three witnesses — two former FBI special agents and a retired FBI intelligence analyst — have been interviewed behind closed doors. None of them qualifies as a government whistleblower either, and none has claimed credible knowledge of any alleged wrongdoing. Instead, they have criticized the FBI for investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection.
One of the witnesses, former FBI intelligence analyst George Hill, apparently raised concerns over a financial institution providing law enforcement officials with evidence that was potentially relevant to the Jan. 6 investigation. It is not clear why this would be problematic. Financial records are routinely utilized in criminal investigations, and Hill reportedly never actually used or even looked at the underlying evidence himself. Furthermore, according to Hill, the FBI apparently didn’t even take any action based on this evidence.”
Sorry, Turley, NO whistleblowers, but you are paid to use your credentials to push the notion that there were and that those evil Democrats are suppressing free speech. Turley: have YOU no decency?
Hey genius–the FBI people were the whistleblowers, not the journalists. You make yourself look so dumb.
Criticizing the FBI for investigating the insurrection does not amount to being a “whistleblower”. They were unable to come up with anything constituting wrongdoing by the FBI.
Check your facts and don’t leave home without an adult. The reason they are whistleblowers is because they brought to light FBI wrongdoing.
Ahhhh, Gigi! Do you not yet know that the left literally destroys anyone who steps out of line? How much evidence do you need?
In a leftist world, if you kill all of the witnesses then there was no crime! Thankfully, we have forensics.
Avenger Dave: No. What I DO know is when people like you start referring to “the left”–it’s a sign of true discipleship. First, they blind you to the reality of what a lazy, stupid, narcissistic, lying, cheating, pig Donald J. Trump is and has always been. Next, they convince you that he’s a true, boy-wonder financial genius– never mind the bankruptcies, mutliple failed businesses, massive debt on his properties, tax cheating and lawsuits, and after you’ve fallen for all of that malarkey, they convince you that he didn’t cheat his way into office, and that those who uncover facts proving he did are part of the “Deep State” out to “victimize” the Donald because they are jealous and are trying to prevent him from being successful. More of the Us vs. Them carefully choreographed narrative that sucks in people like you, all while waving the American flag. Mark Levin actually has the temerity to play our National Anthem as his theme song, all while peddling conspiracy theories and lies. Then, the fake narrative continues that he really, really did win in 2020, despite all polls predicting he wouldn’t, not to mention the damage he did to our economy, public health and relations with allies that disgusted the majority of Americans. So, your hero starts an insurrection because he just can’t stand to lose–and, the disciples don’t just buy it–they’re all in. Thousands of them showed up for their hero to lead them into the Capitol to prevent the will of the majority of Americans from having their choice as president. Only, their hero didn’t show up–he watched his disciples on television hunting down the VP because he wouldn’t help him cheat his way into office a second time–he sat there over 3 hours and watched the violence and property damage unfold, basking in the glory of his power and did nothing to stop it. When he finally did speak, he told his fans that he “loved” them–the same people who excreted human waste all over our Capitol and defaced John Lewis’s monument while carrying Confederate flags and Nazi insignia, rifling the Speaker’s Office, going through the desks of members of Congress, stealing computers and breaking windows and doors. And Republicans claim these people are the victims? Your hero still won’t give up, and so, what are the majority of us supposed to do? Just let it slide that Trump lied to his fans and got them to attack the Capitol based on what he knew was a lie, all for the sake of his massive ego? Let them get away with ransacking the building, tearing up the place, assaulting Capitol Police, all because their hero got voted out? Republicans promised vindication–for what? The American people getting their votes properly tabulated and certified?. Well, where is the vindication? Cherry-picked moments from 41,000 hours of security footage are supposed to prove that the disciples are vicitms? Nope. It won’t fly. We all saw it.
The phony “investigations” by House Republicans and promises of “whistleblowers” from the FBI proving misconduct have been nothing but a massive failure and waste of taxpayer money. But, the disciples still believe. It’s the “evil Left” who are bad, all according to Fox, whose “hosts” don’t even believe the lies they peddle. How much evidence do YOU need?
Was that a response? If so it surely sounded more like an attempt at what-about-ism rather than anything I posted. Having read your post I can only assume that it is a prayer you say to yourself in between screaming at the moon.
Since you know practically nothing of me, yet have assigned me every sophomoric insult ‘the left’ uses, I can only deduce you are truly of ‘the left’.
Thank you for replying none-the-less.
People talk about “the left” – because they need labels to identify groups.
Just as you constantly use descriptions such as right wing, or trump supporter or even more offensive phrases.
At least “the left” is fairly accurate and fairly inoffensive.
I would further note – YOU are the Cult. That is constantly evident.
We start to see more information on J6 – more video and YOUR response is “don’t believe your lying eyes”.
Before releasing video Speaker MacCarthy went to the CP and asked if there was anything they did not want made public.
And the CP said – no. The things they wanted to keep from going public – such as the room they keep Representatives when there is a threat, were already made public by Pelosi.
So there was no security issue with the Video release, and even if there was the CP was given the oportunity to address security concerns. Neither Peolosi, nor the J6 committee, nor the TRrump impeachment committee contacted the CP about what video they wanted released.
The POINT is that the LEFT – YOU constantly just make things up.
You do not trust ordinary people with the truth.
You do not trust ordinary people PERIOD.
For a group that claims to be advocates of actual democracy – you are the most undemocratic people in the world.
People are only allowed to vote – if they have been spoon fed a blindered view of the world that YOU control.
“First, they blind you to the reality of what a lazy, stupid, narcissistic, lying, cheating, pig Donald J. Trump is and has always been.”
Assuming you are correct all you need do is provide the truth – FACTS.
You have done your damnest – ordinary people have not been persuaded.
“Next, they convince you that he’s a true, boy-wonder financial genius– never mind the bankruptcies, mutliple failed businesses, massive debt on his properties, tax cheating and lawsuits, and after you’ve fallen for all of that malarkey, they convince you that he didn’t cheat his way into office, and that those who uncover facts proving he did are part of the “Deep State” out to “victimize” the Donald because they are jealous and are trying to prevent him from being successful.”
Surprisingly most people can do Math. They understand thatr if they own a home worth 200K, and they have a mortgage of 150K, that they own 50K of value in that house.
Amazingly it is exactly the same with real estate investing – If Trump owns a 200M property with 150M of debt, then he owns 50M of value.
In the event that you do not understand this – Forbes factors in debt when calculating peoples estimated net worth.
“Donald Trump’s net worth is estimated to be around $3.2 billion after accounting for $1.1 billion of debt, making him one of America’s richest people according to The Forbes 400 this year.1 He owns real assets such as mansions, golf courses and office buildings that throw off real cash even if his tax returns might suggest otherwise.”
Anyone with the slightest experience in real estate investment KNOWS that realestate investments show a Tax LOSS 9 years out of 10 on average, and then massive capital gains when the properties are sold.
If you do not like this – you can persuade congress to change it. Though I would suggest to you that one of the many reasons they don’t and wont, is that the tax system that results in net losses for taxes most years, also results in higher net taxes.
As to the rest of your insults. Honestly what does it matter ?
Trump was a mediocre president who Shines because all the other 21st century president have been poor.
And particularly because Biden is working hard to be the worst president in US history
“More of the Us vs. Them carefully choreographed narrative that sucks in people like you, all while waving the American flag. ”
That is YOU creation. Your entire ideology has always been about dividing.
Class struggle, racial struggle, sexual struggle.
You are constantly trying to pit groups against each other.
Everyone who is not you is either anti-worker, anti-poor, anti-homeless, anti-black, anti-gay.
Everyone that does not buy your rot 100% is the enemy the oppressor.
The division of the country into the oppressed and oppressors is YOUR cult. YOUR Ideology.
The most important thing I learned from the worst things that have happened to me in life – things I hope you are never so unfortunate as to have to live through is that I can legitimately wrap myself in victimhood.
But in the end it is MY LIFE and no one else can make it good.
I can choose to be happy with what I have, while also choosing to improve my own life.
Or I can wallow in misery. No one else is going to make me happy.
EVERY SINGLE issue that you fixate on – that is true. Government can not give you happiness. It can not give you a meaningful life.
You choose to be a victim or not.
You choose to be happy or not.
You choose to improve your life or not.
No one else has the power to actually make your life better.
“Mark Levin actually has the temerity to play our National Anthem as his theme song, all while peddling conspiracy theories and lies. ”
Why do you care – you do not even like the national anthem, Once again you seek to divide us – we now purportedly have a black national anthem – how long till we have a gay one, and a trans one, and a … one ?
“I need new conspiracy theories, all my old ones have come true”
“Then, the fake narrative continues that he really, really did win in 2020, despite all polls predicting he wouldn’t,”
Then why did you have to go to so much trouble to make sure he did not – conducting elections outside the law, using alphabet agencies to censor political speech. As well as to make sure that people never got to hear the truth about Covid ?
Why do you work so hard to avoid any transparency anywhere – The collusion delusion, the election itself. the Biden laptop. Covid ?
If you beleive those on the right are wrong – LET THE SUNLIGHT IN !!!
You can not constantly try to hide things from people while concurrently claiming what they must belive wabout what you will not allow them to know.
Sunlight is the best disinfectant.
You should not be suprised that the more you try to hide – the more certain people are that you are lying.
If you want to be trusted – don’t lie about everything. Don’t hide everything.
“not to mention the damage he did to our economy, public health and relations with allies that disgusted the majority of Americans. ”
You are constantly confusing yourself with the majority of americans.
Under Trump average growth for 4 years was 2%, for the first 3 was 2%.
Obama was 1.48%, Bush was 1.8%. Biden’s first year had decent growth, but inflation has now eaten all of that and then some.
Was the Trump economy great ? Nope.
Was it the best so far in the 21st century ? Yes,
When you keep spraying nonsense – you burn your own credibility.
If you want to be trusted – that is easy.
Do not lie, and correct your errors.
Working class americans gained 4500/year in spendable income under Trump.
In 2 years of Biden they have lost all of that.
You can say whatever you want – those people know looking at their wallets.
“So, your hero starts an insurrection because he just can’t stand to lose–and, the disciples don’t just buy it–they’re all in. Thousands of them showed up for their hero to lead them into the Capitol to prevent the will of the majority of Americans from having their choice as president. Only, their hero didn’t show up–he watched his disciples on television hunting down the VP because he wouldn’t help him cheat his way into office a second time–he sat there over 3 hours and watched the violence and property damage unfold, basking in the glory of his power and did nothing to stop it. When he finally did speak, he told his fans that he “loved” them–the same people who excreted human waste all over our Capitol and defaced John Lewis’s monument while carrying Confederate flags and Nazi insignia, rifling the Speaker’s Office, going through the desks of members of Congress, stealing computers and breaking windows and doors.”
Not my Hero, not an insurrection, and there is obviously barely a word of truth in your diatribe.
The Chansley evidence is damning because he tried to make himself the Symbol of this, and YOU made sure that he was.
And now as is constantly true – we find that you ONCE AGAIN lied.
No one much cares about Chansley. But they do care that you LIED.
A few minutes of Video have permanently destroyed the already piss poor reputation of the J6 committee ande those like you spewing its hatred all over.
You lied about Chansley. You lied about Hawley. You lied about Sicknick . You are lying about confederate and Nazi flags – just as was done at the Canadian Trucker protest. As you lied about covid, as you lied about the Bidens, as you lied about the 2016 election. as you lie about Biden.
This is not a good economy – and it is likely to get worse.
We needlessly started a proxy war in europe – absolutely Europeans are grudgingly behind Biden – they have no choice.
Ukriane is a lesson to the world – But for US military Toys – Ukraine would be overrun, then Poland, Germany, ….
That is the message Biden is trying to send. Obviously europeans will get behind him.
And of course it is likely that Biden without approval of congress committed an act of war against Russia blowing up the Nordstream pipelines. Making it clear to both Russia and Europe – the US can and will F#$K you if it wants.
That is the type of warmongering global leadership you accused Trump of.
But as is typical of the left – what we can be sure of is that you are doing what you accuse others of.
“what are the majority of us supposed to do?”
Your not the majority.
” Just let it slide that Trump lied to his fans and got them to attack the Capitol based on what he knew was a lie, all for the sake of his massive ego? Let them get away with ransacking the building, tearing up the place, assaulting Capitol Police, all because their hero got voted out? Republicans promised vindication–for what? The American people getting their votes properly tabulated and certified?. Well, where is the vindication? Cherry-picked moments from 41,000 hours of security footage are supposed to prove that the disciples are vicitms? Nope. It won’t fly. We all saw it.”
Nobody is looking to prove that the protestors are “victims” – Victimhood is YOUR world.
What all the Video proves is that YOU LIE – as you still do.
I thought that Carlson showing video of Sicknick after the protest was surprising – everyone has known for 3 years that Sicknick died of a stroke that had nothing to do with J6 the next day.
But then – not just people like you – but Biden. Schumer, and AG Garland have said in the past month that 5 Capitol Police officers died on J6.
You are telling big lies that everyone has known for years are false.
At long last – Have you no shame ?
Read your own post – it is full of lies from end to end.
At various times I or others have refuted pretty much every word. REPEATEDLY -0 with FACTS,
Yet here you are once again spraying the same nonsense.
If you want people to beleive you – that is easily accomplished.
Don’t lie.
Tell the truth.
But you don;t.
You should not be surprised that people do not beleive you.
Even NY Times has Biden down by 4 against Trump.
And YOUR the one who thinks Polls can be trusted.
BTW there was about a 4pt error in the polls on election day in 2020. Even after fraud and lawlessness.
Why didn;t people believe the polls – because we all knew they were wrong – the only question was by how much.
Even today one of the many poroblems with your 2020 election narative, is that Biden underperformed Clinton accross the country EXCEPT 6 places:
Philadephia, Atlanta, Detroit, Milwaukee, Los Vega and Phoenix.
All places Biden did not campaign.
All places that Biden did seven points better than he did nationwide.
The statistical likelyhood of that is tiny.
Does that prove fraud ? Nope.
But it is more than sufficient to critically look at those places.
Instead you fought tooth and nail to avoid scrutiny.
I would note that like the littel boy who cried wolf, your problems are cascading.
Each lie you are caught in. is a few more people who will never trust you again.
So Gigi with the FULL weight of the FBI and DOJ digging for the past six years for anything illegal that Trump did only to come up empty, what’s your position on the accused rapist and predator Bill Clinton or the now disproven Hillary Clinton Steele dossiers that cost taxpayers $43M or the release by Sotero of billions of Iranian assets in untraceable precious metals while claims from prisoners of their Cater era kidnapping went unpaid or of course the most recently revealed multi billion dollar Biden Chinese shakedown? I am sure all readers will await your response.
You would benefit greatly from paying attention to facts and drop the ignorant bias
Seriously Gigi…
You have the audacity to deny that the left is censoring conservatives? The democrats have figured out how to violate free speech by proxy. They take down or block speech they disagree with, makes them look bad, or would shed light on their own lies. There are many examples of conservatives who were blocked or had accounts frozen only to find out later that they were right all along. I can’t think of an instance where that has happened to anyone on the left.
All my family grewup as hard working democrats as also myself . I know they are now rolling over in there graves at least I had a chance to turn independent .
When a nation actively embraces third world minded politicians, the nation becomes third world in due course.
The Wilsonian era of Palmerism revisited.
The Democratic party wants to spew hate speech and other mischaracterizations, but censor and deny others the chance to call them out or condemn Democrats.
If anyone noticed the fringe positions Democrats have taken on several issues, they have no decency, only rage.
We are a multi generation military family. For 3 generation only my mother was not active duty, but she worked for the defense dept. at one point. We, as with all who serve in any capacity, take an oath to support and defend the Constitution. The president and congress people take that oath. How on earth can they, on the one hand, swear to support the Constitution and on the other hand support government sponsored censorship? Even now, when much of what they wanted kept from the people has been proved to be correct, they do not back down. In fact, you have people like Kelly, who has on multiple occasions taken the oath that I took, wanting to censor banking info.
I am tired now and sad. Why did we all risk everything for this? Why do I have young relatives and one of my own children still defending the Constitution when the people who are responsible for sending them to war, won’t?
I don’t think there is a fix for this. We are destroyed both politically and socially from within. We did this…or at least allowed this.
I feel exactly as you do. Where are our courageous leaders? It seems we do not have them any more.
Where are our courageous leaders? It’s you. And me. And us. No one else is coming.
While I’m on your side in wondering about the oath-takers, I’m not convinced anyone’s military service was “supporting the Constitution”; it was enriching and enabling the Military-Industrial complex.
Do you mind if I ask how you thought you were supporting the COTUS?
It is the oath we take.
I, _____ (SSAN), having been appointed an officer in the _____ (Military Branch) of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God.”
everyone who serves in government or military takes this oath with some wording changes depending on office. Your argument is against the machine, not the cogs in the machine.
The problem with this article is, McCarthy was right.
Maybe his methods in that place and time were the best, but he sure as hell was right.
Welch was a lying hypocrite. He or his own law firm earlier revealed that their associate was a communist. Stan Evans had the story a long time ago.
Richard, you are correct, but I think McCarthy put the data together about the lawyer in Welch’s office. McCarthy didn’t reveal names except that one because of the continuous hounding by Welch.
A small correction so that anyone looking up the history of McCarthy gets the right book. The author is Medford Stanton Evans, “Blacklisted by History: The Untold Story of Senator Joe McCarthy and His Fight Against America’s Enemies”.
I am glad when one corrects the record about Joe McCarthy. Thank you.
After years of not doing their constitutional required jobs while perfecting the art of lying, congress, primarily the left side, has now devolved into nothing more than an organized street gang of thugs. The GOP allowed it to happen by continually turning the other cheek instead of pushing back. Just wondered when they will start the late-night drive-by shootings and lynchings.
Your story correctly describes the testimony of twitter executives.
It is however completely discredited by the twitter files – the internal communications of twitter, as well as misrepresenting the twitter files.
Taibbi, Shellenberger, and Weis, all democrats – like congress were told that there were requests for censorship by the Trump WH, but they never found any evidence of any. Conversely there were numerous requests from the Biden Campaign, the DNC, democratic representatives and senators.
Put simply – twitter executives LIED to congress. Not only do the requests they denied exist, but the specific executives who testified were directly involved in handling those requests.
This is AGAIN why no one trusts those on the left. Bolding lying to congress when voluminous proof to the contrary exists.
But these people know they have nothing to fear from a Biden administration so long as they hew to the party line.
I suspect that the claim that Trump sought to censor a specific tweet is likely true, and that requests from the Trump WH were so rare that the searches did not turn this up. Taibbi and Shellenberger were told that there were a small number of requests by the Trump WH. They looked for them. They did not find them.
All the above said – the hearings are about constitutional violations of individuals rights directed by government using Social Media.
It is ultimately irrelevant whether this massive violation of peoples constitutional rights was driven by Trump or Biden, Democrats or Republicans.
It is Wrong, it is unconstitutional, it is illegal and it must stop.
Instead Democrats have engaged in a coordinated strategy of obfuscation.
Attack the journalists – their not real journalists.
Attack the journalists – their partisan Hack’s enthralled by the Evil Nazi Musk.
Claim everyone’s doing it.
Claim mostly republicans did it.
Claim it did not happen.
Claim it is legal.
Just throw nonsense at the wall in the hopes something sticks.
What occured – and continues to occur is WRONG.
It must be stopped.
It is wrong when Republicans do it.
It is wrong when Democrats do it.
Everyone who is part of the federal govenrment who was involved in this should be fired, lose their pensions, and never be allowed to serve in Government again.
That includes Trump – if he did as claimed. It certainly includes Biden, as well as numerous democrats in the house and senate – and even a few republicans.
Except that this is being done publicly – it is no different from the calls of various senators and representatives to Censor Fox for the J6 video. Every senator and representative – and that included McConnel and Schumer that has called for Tucker to be silenced should be removed from office. I do not care if Carlson was actually airing Nazi Propoganda – it is illegal and unconstitutional for those in government to seek the censorship of ANYONE for ANY REASON.
This SHOULD be a bipartisan effort. The same democrats who are attacking journalists should be aghast and demanding answers from FBI, from other Social media.
This is IMMORAL, This is unconsitutional, and it is illegal.
It is also incredibly dangerous. It should be self evidence from what we know now that the censorship of Covid related stories was incredibly damaging. That it lead to covid deaths, to suicides, to drug overdoses, to massive loss in educationt hat will harm us for a generation that primarily impacted the poor.
Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Not disagreeing with the main point of your comment. I just think we are past the height of this republic.
I disagree – but I understand the sentiments.
Ultimately I trust that absent massive amounts of force – which the american people are not likely to tolerate
Even relatively unfree markets ultimately punish failure.
It is merely a question of how much failure people can tolerate, for how long.
As just ONE example Trump over 3 years put 4500/year of additional money/spending power into the hands of working class people. Biden has taken out that much in 2 years.
At what point does that turn into votes ?
It has been for several years – slowly. Regardless the trend is away from the left.
whether you buy the election fraud claims or not – Democrats gains in 2020 and 2022 are a one time boost due to massive mailin voting putting lots of nonvoters into the election.
Whether through fraud or legitimate voters – you can not do that again and again.
If Democrats added 4M voters eventually trends to republicans will overcome that.
If Democrats added 4M fraudulaent votes – they can not increase that without exponentially increasing the risk of getting caught.
The entire “weaponization” discussion is a reflection of the fact that increasing FORCE is required to overcome failure.
The USSR, the PRC most socialist regimes must be authoritarian to survive.
So there are 3 possible ends to this.
The left is unwilling to ratchet up the authoritarianism – and they start slowly losing ever bigger until the change.
The left is willing to ratchet up the authoritarianism – and americans revolt in one form or another – could be as simple as a sudden massive shift in voting – or it could be lexington and Concord all over.
The left is willing to ratchet up the authoritarianism – and americans do not revolt.
That is the only scenario the left survives. And I would note – that is essentially what the USSR and PRC did – and they eventually failed. Regardless I am not betting on that.
There are numerous Democrat demographers – the same ones predicting the permanent democrat majority who are now telling democrats they MUST change direction or they are doomed.
We will see what happens.
Regardless, pay attention to the weaponization of government.
Without it the left can not survive.
The Constitution! The Constitution! Remember to shout that when they stand you in front of the firing squad, or subject you to the punishments the January 6th crowd has received. “It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.” Voltaire
James Richard ‘The Consitutioon…’ IF you do not ‘revere’ ‘The Constitution..’ or think only ‘fools’ do per your quote…it’s time you woke up and realized you need to find yourself another country to live in…!
Beautifully put.
JR, what was the more effective institution, practice, or philosophy that would have avoided what we have now? What would have been better than the Constitution?
Think of the cancelling Stanford students, when they get to Congress, and how they will act, what they will say, what will be left of the USA.
Their mentors are already present. We are treated to one outrage after another every day now.
Merrick Garland just claimed 5 police officers were murdered on Jan 6th by the protesters. That’s the kind of outright lies we are treated to now by the top of the government power pyramids.
“As someone who grew up in a liberal, Democratic family in Chicago, I knew that a commitment to free speech was one of the most compelling values of the party — back then.”
Hate to break it to you JT, but today’s s@@tlibs could care less about your “liberal” pedigree, you’re a “nazi” too.
And I absolutely love reading for s@@tlib justification for this, all while maintaining support for free speech.
I don’t want to understand, dialogue or reconcile with these people, I want a divorce.
antonio
Divorce is unconstitutional according to “Crazy Abe” Lincoln.
Among irreconcilable differences, the spouse seeking divorce must remain in the house, allowing the intransigent spouse, no matter how unconstitutional his positions, to beat the holy living —- out of it until the only remnant is a bleeding pulpy mass.
The decision of the totally corrupt and perfidious Supreme Court of 1869 was and remains immutably false, invalid, untruthful and erroneous.
Secession is not prohibited and is de facto legal and constitutional, ubiquitous and universal as a natural and God-given right and freedom.
That’s why the called him “Honest” and “Crazy.”
“Beer Hall Putsch”
Political violence in Germany (1918–1933)
The Beer Hall Putsch, also known as the Munich Putsch,[1][note 1] was a failed coup d’état by Nazi Party (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP) leader Adolf Hitler, Generalquartiermeister Erich Ludendorff and other Kampfbund leaders in Munich, Bavaria, on 8–9 November 1923, during the Weimar Republic. Approximately two thousand Nazis marched on the Feldherrnhalle, in the city centre, but were confronted by a police cordon, which resulted in the deaths of 16 Nazi Party members and four police officers.[2]
Hitler escaped immediate arrest and was spirited off to safety in the countryside. After two days, he was arrested and charged with treason.[3]
– Wiki
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“Know the enemy!”
– Sun Tzu, The Art of War
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Communists (liberals, progressives, socialists, demopublicans, RINOs, AINOs) are the direct and mortal enemies of the American thesis, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, Americans and America who must be “arrested and charged with treason.”
The apoplectic the Jan 6 Tapes were only given to fox news. Tucker Carlson was the only one who asked for them. The others had no interest. The same with the Twitter Files. They had no interest. Then somehow they are now concerned that they were not given something in which the had no interest. I have to admit, it’s entertaining to watch them step in it and wipe it off on their pant leg.
Politicians as Jewel Wasps vs. Useful Idiot type Voters as Cockroaches
Darren, I read your link. It’s very interesting and an apt comparison. The injection was administered in law school to Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Her zombie like questioning is proof that your comparison is valid. Plastic surgery removed her antennae. Picture it.
“BIZARREVOLUTION?”
Did the Jewel Wasp spontaneously create an onboard bio/chem research facility?
Was the Jewel Wasp conceived/designed/engineered/manufactured in a bio/chem research facility of unknown origin?
What the —- is going on here, actually?
Turnout was 11.6% in 1788 by design.
______________________________
“the people are nothing but a great beast…
I have learned to hold popular opinion of no value.”
– Alexander Hamilton
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“The true reason (says Blackstone) of requiring any qualification, with regard to property in voters, is to exclude such persons, as are in so mean a situation, that they are esteemed to have no will of their own.”
“If it were probable that every man would give his vote freely, and without influence of any kind, then, upon the true theory and genuine principles of liberty, every member of the community, however poor, should have a vote… But since that can hardly be expected, in persons of indigent fortunes, or such as are under the immediate dominion of others, all popular states have been obliged to establish certain qualifications, whereby, some who are suspected to have no will of their own, are excluded from voting; in order to set other individuals, whose wills may be supposed independent, more thoroughly upon a level with each other.”
– Alexander Hamilton, The Farmer Refuted, 1775
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“[We gave you] a [restricted-vote] republic, if you can keep it.”
– Ben Franklin, 1787
Vote criteria were male, European, 21, 50 lbs. Sterling/50 acres in early elections generally.
The blurb reads: “Those accused by McCarthy faced loss of employment, damaged careers, and in many cases, broken lives.”
McCarthy didn’t reveal the names and didn’t call for people to lose their jobs. He only requested an investigation to keep suspected communists away from sensitive security.
Today the left (Democrats) is attempting to keep the public in the dark while convicting people of crimes they did not commit. They are doing this to weaponize the bureaucracy and hide their own malfeasance from the public. They are detestable.
We should note that the FBI had a longer list of names, and the Venona files released decades ago proved McCarthy to be correct in his assessment of security risks.
If one looks back in history, there was an earlier panel of 3 Democrats and 2 Republicans which, in retrospect, looks like the J 6 hearings where the Democrats hampered the release of information and the press pounded witnesses with slurs to damage their character.
What happened then should not be permitted to happen again.
Since all remember Welch’s statement on decency, we should take account of McCarthy’s reply and what happened throughout the committees debate. Below is McCarthy’s reply. I believe common opinion of McCarthy’s claims is wrong. He disclosed no names but the one Welch was associated with.
Senator MCCARTHY. I would like to finish this.
Mr. Welch has been filibustering this hearing, he has been talking day after day about how he wants to get anyone tainted with communism out before sundown. I know Mr. Cohn would rather not have me go into this. I intend to, however, Mr. Welch talks about any sense of decency. If I say anything which is not the truth, then I would like to know about it.
The foremost legal bulwark of the Communist Party, its front organizations, and controlled unions, and which, since its inception, has never failed to rally to the legal defense of the Communist Party, and individual members thereof, including known espionage agents.
Now, that is not the language of Senator McCarthy. That is the language of the Un-American Activities Committee. And I can go on with many more citations. It seems that Mr. Welch is pained so deeply he thinks it is improper for me to give the record, the Communist front record, of the man whom he wanted to foist upon this committee. But it doesn’t pain him at all—there is no pain in his chest about the unfounded charges against Mr. Frank Carr; there is no pain there about the attempt to destroy the reputation and take the jobs away from the young men who were working in my committee.
And, Mr. Welch, if I have said anything here which is untrue, then tell me. I have heard you and every one else talk so much about laying the truth upon the table that when I hear—and it is completely phony, Mr. Welch, I have listened to you for a long time—when you say “Now, before sundown, you must get these people out of Government,” I want to have it very clear, very clear that you were not so serious about that when you tried to recommend this man for this committee.
And may I say, Mr. Welch, in fairness to you, I have reason to believe that you did not know about his Communist-front record at the time you recommended him. I don’t think you would have recommended him to the committee, if you knew that.
I think it is entirely possible you learned that after you recommended him.
https://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6444/ (more dialogue)
S. Meyer – thank you for making a defense of Joseph McCarthy, who has been turned into a demonic figure by Democrats. William F. Buckley once wrote a book about McCarhy and his enemies which showed that many of the people he accused of being Communists were in fact Communists. We now know what we did not know at the time that McCarthy was getting information from the FBI based on the Venona documents, which were transcripts of tapes of Communist agents, such as Juius Rosenberg. The fairest criticism of McCarthy is that he was investigating a crime scene long after the crime had been commited and long after the perpetrators had fled the scene. What should have been done in the ealy 50’s was a bi-partisan commission to investigate how the Soviet Union was able so easily and successfully penetrate our government.
I’m guessing our host has gotten rid if the paid trolls?
I only occasional get into a back a forth, but they serve a purpose, to inform us what current lies are being pushed.
Iowan2,
Right now the DNC home office is in a panic about the SVB failure, trying to point the blame, while worrying their bank may fail. Also a number of those start ups and venture capitalist investor who had money in SVB are big Democrat donors. I am sure they are speed dialing what is the DNC going to do.
Hence, our regularly scheduled trolls have no direction/talking points from the DNC home office, and not being capable of independent thought, are staring at a empty Slack channel.
iowan2 – good question: have Sevlaz, Gigi, and Anonyous gone into retirement? Or are they waiting for further instructions from the DNC?
The country has few remaining investigative journalists. Matt Taibbi is one of the most dogged, ethical and gravitas-focussed of them. He is neither pro-left or pro-right. To see Democrats attack him personally is highly discrediting to their brand. They can’t challenge the quality of his work, so they attack him personally. Very small-minded and short-term thinking.
And what channel welcomes these journalists? Not MSNBC. Not CNN. Nope, the one and only Tucker Carlson on Fox News is where they all go to be heard. Taibbi, Dore, Greenwald, Mate….also Gabbard, etc.