[Peace-discuss] taking advantage of the event

[E. Wayne Johnson]

Expat "Simon Black" writes today -


*****

... If the victim had been Gabrielle the bus driver instead of 
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, it would have barely registered a few 
words at the bottom of the CNN news ticker.

With one of their own victimized, however, I'm concerned that 
politicians will close ranks, capitalize on the social mood to generate 
a renewed faith in government, and pass a host of reactionary 
policies... all after sanitizing their Twitter feeds for any reference 
to violence, of course.

Perhaps some form of gun control is in the works... though with a 
Republican controlled Congress, I'd think new legislation targeting 
suspected 'Anti-American subversives' could be on the table, or 
something that gives sweeping new powers to government agents and police 
forces.

In 1946, the 79th Congress of the United States passed public law 601 
giving permanent standing to the House Committee on Un-American 
Activities. This committee was authorized significant powers to 
investigate 'subversive and un-American propaganda' and assist Congress 
in 'necessary remedial legislation.'

Ironically, in its efforts to ensure that America was nothing like the 
Soviet Union, the US government began turning the country into a fascist 
collective.  Given what may come after the weekend's shooting, I fear we 
may be returning to a time when it is increasingly dangerous to be a 
free thinking individual anywhere in the West...
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