Reign of Terror Redux

[Mantis Claw]

Reign of Terror Redux
Heather Wokusch, January 14, 2003


Here's the situation: The nation's leadership is taken over by a secretive group of elitists who profess democracy while dragging the country into a totalitarian nightmare. Confusion and fear take hold, civil rights are eroded in the name of fighting a terror war, and impersonal governmental bodies with names like "Committee of General Security" start labeling dissenters as enemies of the state. Secretive courts with limited accountability punish civilians who object. Tightening its grip on power, the government creates public crises it can later be seen as solving, and military service is made mandatory for young men. The ongoing terror war drains the country's resources, foreign relations hit rock bottom, and the economy slides even further. But since fear is the government's most effective weapon against its own population, the terror war is expanded.


Sound familiar?


The Reign of Terror, in late 18th century France, lasted only one year but left the country in chaos and ripe for Napolean's despotic rule soon after. Unless we learn from history, we could suffer the same fate.


Confusion and hardship characterized France in the 1790s, making citizens more inclined to tolerate increased military build-up and a leadership with strengthened executive powers. Robespierre, a key figure in the Reign of Terror, argued that civil liberties were less important in times of crisis than eliminating enemies of the state, both domestic and foreign, and it was under this guise that citizen dissent eventually became a capital crime. Robespierre also used the ongoing terror war to justify his regime's secretive excesses, exploding military budget, and eventual fondness for the guillotine.


Fast forward to 2003, and America is a nation on edge; 9-11, anthrax attacks and color-coded danger alerts have seen to that. Few have questioned the Bush administration's unprecedented increase in military spending or why social programs were cut to fund it. Even fewer realize our government has considered - in the name of fighting a war on terror - provoking attacks against Americans. No surprise that mandatory military service is once again a hot topic. Meanwhile, the Land of the Free has been usurped by Big Brother nightmares like the Pentagon's "total information awareness" program, and citizens have become enemy combatants, shorn of legal rights. The economy is tanking, taking the once-enviable Bush poll numbers with it, but our government has a secret weapon - fear. With the war on terror described as "endless" and dozens of countries on the "evil" list, fear can be transformed into rally-around-the-flag support for a dubious government and its dubious wars.

By the time the Reign of Terror ended, France had grown so used to an iron hand and a secretive, militaristic government that Napolean could easily pick up the pieces and impose another dictatorship. People had forgotten what freedom was. Patriotism had become a tool for social control, rather than social justice, and civil liberties were a thing of the past.


So how different are we today? The issue isn't Iraq, the Patriot Act, or Bush. The issue is freedom: if we want it, we'd better let go of fear, the ultimate Weapon of Mass Distraction. We'd better confront the hysteria-inducing tactics asking us to equate freedom with corporate pork for defense contractors. We'd better think twice about tossing aside fundamental constitutional rights in the so-called pursuit of liberty. Because if we don't, what's coming next could be even worse.


Freelance writer Heather Wokusch is a frequent contributor to GNN.tv. She can be contacted via her web site: www.heatherwokusch.com.

[cpud]

do you rip these things off from any other site besides gnn.com?

[Mantis Claw]

I'm ripping things off? Is there no validity to what is written becuase it is from gnn.com? All you can do is attack me and not what is written?

[Preecha]

I agree with that post, but I want to move out of America...

[Mantis Claw]

you agree with which post?

[cpud]

Originally posted by Mantis Claw
I'm ripping things off? Is there no validity to what is written becuase it is from gnn.com? All you can do is attack me and not what is written?

I havn't read these gnn.com posts of yours in months. If i wanted to, I could just go to say... http://www.gnn.com and do so :D

You're letting their writers speak for you by doing this. That's all I was trying to say.

[Mantis Claw]

Originally posted by cpud


I havn't read these gnn.com posts of yours in months. If i wanted to, I could just go to say... http://www.gnn.com and do so :D

You're letting their writers speak for you by doing this. That's all I was trying to say.

No, I am spreading what I have read and agreed with. Please continue to ignore these posts so that I may not need to respond to your pointless bickering and issue dodging.

[Preecha]

The original post is what I agree with. I dont go to gnn.com so keep me informed on what they are saying ;)

[cpud]

Originally posted by Preecha
The original post is what I agree with. I dont go to gnn.com so keep me informed on what they are saying ;)

as long as someone cares :spliff

[rice]

nice post, this war needs to begin already... i'm running out of bumper stickers and little flags to put everywhere. :king

[Dub-U-Eff]

Originally posted by rice
nice post, this war needs to begin already... i'm running out of bumper stickers and little flags to put everywhere. :king yeah and americans are running out of oil to power their foreign made, amercian-flag bearing SUVs too....Hurry up and secure some o dat oil!

[Pureform]

oil shmoil you fuckin 'tards! how 'bout the 1000s of warheads that are unaccounted for! ....and enough chemical and biological weapons to kill MILLIONS of people are also unaccounted for. that shit doesnt scare any of you? Do any of you peaceniks know how iraq obtained all these weapons? they bought them from russia. Do you know where they got the money to buy all those weapons?........ by selling oil!!!!
By going into iraq and taking out saddam, we will be freeing 20 million people from the grip of a madman and saving millions of lives.....but we wouldnt want to do anything that might make bush look good now would we?
***shakes head in disgust at wacko selfish peaceniks***

[rice]

selfish peaceniks?...hmmm so your big plan is to go to iraq and take all these weapons of mass destruction....whos to say that we should be the ones holding them? what makes us so great? because our buildings fall and spaceshuttles fall? sometimes you need to let coutries deal with there own problems and just stay out of them. we cause more wars than anyone else.

why didnt we take out saddam the first time? cause exactly we live in a makebelive country built on fast food and lazy people.

its not about being scared, the things that are happening now have been going on forever. its nothing new.

[Roxy Monoxide]

i often wonder why those so eager to go to war are not in the armed forces. war or not do you honestly think those in power will suffer?

[rice]

Originally posted by Roxy Monoxide
i often wonder why those so eager to go to war are not in the armed forces. war or not do you honestly think those in power will suffer?

good point :up

america needs to fight there own wars first. :snore

[Pureform]

Originally posted by rice
we live in a makebelive country built on fast food and lazy people.


very true! i think everyone can agree on that.:D :up

[Pureform]

Originally posted by rice
hmmm so your big plan is to go to iraq and take all these weapons of mass destruction....whos to say that we should be the ones holding them?

the plan is to destroy the weapons...not take them. i hope you guys realize how fucked up in the head saddam is. the fact that all those weapons are missing kinda scares the shit out of me. :holy shit

[rice]

i wonder what would happen when america becomes the suspect. whos gonna surveillance us? and send there troops to help us?


NOBODY. :eek

don't be skurred pureform do yo thang.

[Pureform]

im not living my life in total fear.:D its just scary to hear that shit all over the news.

[Dub-U-Eff]

Originally posted by Pureform
i hope you guys realize how fucked up in the head saddam is. the fact that all those weapons are missing kinda scares the shit out of me. :holy shit I hope you realize that some of the capitalist fucks heading up this country are just as fucked up in the head, if not moreso, than saddam....

[NextLevel]

[QUOTE]Do any of you peaceniks know how iraq obtained all these weapons? they bought them from russia.[QUOTE]

ummm.. do you know where Saddam got his training and weapons originally? Oh yeah, US!

Being a free thinking person doesnt mean your a peacnik. Just as waving an american flag made in China doesnt make you patriotic.

peace

[Pureform]

Originally posted by Dub-U-Eff
I hope you realize that some of the capitalist fucks heading up this country are just as fucked up in the head, if not moreso, than saddam....

hahahahah please please please try to explain bruv. id love to hear your explaination. personally, i cant think of any US govnt officials that have raped and killed 1.5 million innocent women, men, and children in front of their own families. I also cant think of any US govnt officials that are hiding deadly chemical weapons for the soul purpose of killing million of innocent citizens. We have the power, technology, and training to go into iraq and free the millions of innocent lives that saddam is waiting to slaughter. should we sit back and watch the mayhem unfold? didnt think so!

ahhhhhhh....i love winning arguements! :D :foff

[Pureform]

Originally posted by NextLevel
[QUOTE]Do any of you peaceniks know how iraq obtained all these weapons? they bought them from russia.[QUOTE]

ummm.. do you know where Saddam got his training and weapons originally? Oh yeah, US!



:snore

[Dub-U-Eff]

Originally posted by Pureform
hahahahah please please please try to explain bruv. id love to hear your explaination. personally, i cant think of any US govnt officials that have raped and killed 1.5 million innocent women, men, and children in front of their own families. I also cant think of any US govnt officials that are hiding deadly chemical weapons for the soul purpose of killing million of innocent citizens. We have the power, technology, and training to go into iraq and free the millions of innocent lives that saddam is waiting to slaughter. should we sit back and watch the mayhem unfold? didnt think so!

ahhhhhhh....i love winning arguements! :D :foff If you wanna get down to brass tacks...how come no one was policin the fore-fathers when they raped and pillaged the indians...of course they didn't have biological weapons and nukes back then but if they did, I'm quite positive they would've used em to "eliminate" that "threat"...ahhhhh.....I love retorting to arguements

[NextLevel]

personally, i cant think of any US govnt officials that have raped and killed 1.5 million innocent women, men, and children in front of their own families.


hmm, oh yeah George Bush sr. He slaughtered thousands of innocent people including women and children in Nicaragua. He bombed bridges, set fire to villages and executed people! He is the ONLY world leader ever convicted by the WORLD COURT for crimes against humanity! But I'm sure that is all " made up liberal bullshit"

BTW there is no argument to win. This is an undisputed fact:D

[NextLevel]

dude, I'm not attacking you personally or meaning offense, but you really need to read facts and learn HISTORY instead of just spouting back conservative radio talk shows.:bounce

[Pureform]

My knowledge of past history has nothing to do with what saddam is up to. id rather spit back conservative talk shows than believe the pussy hollywood liberals that have brainwashed all of you into the "blame america first" mentality by thinking that saddam isnt a threat. HE IS A THREAT. your only reply is to talk shit about the US govt and george bush. Why are you guys defending this nut job(saddam)? do like it when he kills the innocent? would you guys have been against WW2 when hilter was killing off millions of jews?
PEACE!
-tyler

ps- you guys arent offending me in any way. i know you guys have a brain....youll realize what the morally right thing to do in this situation is and youll see the light soon enough:D

[cpud]

Originally posted by Pureform
My knowledge of past history has nothing to do with what saddam is up to. id rather spit back conservative talk shows than believe the pussy hollywood liberals that have brainwashed all of you into the "blame america first" mentality by thinking that saddam isnt a threat. HE IS A THREAT. your only reply is to talk shit about the US govt and george bush. Why are you guys defending this nut job(saddam)? do like it when he kills the innocent? would you guys have been against WW2 when hilter was killing off millions of jews?
PEACE!
-tyler

ps- you guys arent offending me in any way. i know you guys have a brain....youll realize what the morally right thing to do in this situation is and youll see the light soon enough:D

well put. everyone's so quick to attack the US government and its policy... gotta take a look at the bigger picture.

[rice]

why didnt we do anything the first time to saddam?

recall world war II. japan attacked pearl harbor and the government then placed virtually all persons of asian descent into relocation ie: concentration camps which one was located here in arizona. just like hitler did to the jewish people correct? and look what we did right after 911....every middle eastern person was a suspect even beatings at ASU....so what makes us different? were just like hitler and saddam we just have better lawyers. perhaps we did these things for protection to prevent harm from vigilantism on the part of the law-abiding white majority. Perhaps not.



:rinse :raging :reload

[Dub-U-Eff]

Originally posted by Pureform
would you guys have been against WW2 when hilter was killing off millions of jews?
No, but if I was around at the time, I would've been against vietnam which is what this could turn into...Tyler, you should join the armed forces doo...

[ruderthanu]

Originally posted by cpud
well put. everyone's so quick to attack the US government and its policy... gotta take a look at the bigger picture.

The only reason we are going to war is for the oil. This 'ol bullshit about helping the poor people that Sadam is killing is just an excuse to bomb the hell out of them. Bush Sr. didn't care when Serbs were being killed by Moslems for those hundreds of years? He only cared when our ties were interrupted. And he's taught his son well. Now that our precious oil is at stake, he wants to strike. Whatever he does Ill have to live with though.

[cpud]

Originally posted by ruderthanu
The only reason we are going to war is for the oil. This 'ol bullshit about helping the poor people that Sadam is killing is just an excuse to bomb the hell out of them. Bush Sr. didn't care when Serbs were being killed by Moslems for those hundreds of years? He only cared when our ties were interrupted. And he's taught his son well. Now that our precious oil is at stake, he wants to strike. Whatever he does Ill have to live with though.

so you're comfortable with a maniac like Saddam controlling that oil? I'm sure as hell not.

[Consumer]

Saddam doesn't control hardly any oil... that's why he wanted Kuwait so bad.

[DjMichael]

What are you talking about Jason??

Iraq has the 2nd LARGEST oil reserves in the world!!!


They didnt invade Kuwait for oil, they wanted to take back the land they felt was theirs. Here is the story.

Taken from
http://www.kuwait-info.org/Fact_Sheets/history_kuwait_iraq_border_dispute.html



Shortly after the Iraqi invasion and occupation of Kuwait began on August 2, 1990, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein resurrected old Iraqi claims to Kuwaiti territory. He declared that Iraq had annexed Kuwait, and that Kuwait would be known as Iraq's 19th province. He claimed a historical justification for this attempt by saying that Kuwait was once part of Iraq. That claim is false, but unfortunately, the allegation was repeated so frequently that some observers began to wonder whether it had any basis in truth.

At various times throughout its brief modern existence, Iraq has made two claims concerning Kuwait. It has asserted that Kuwait was previously under Ottoman rule and that Iraq “inherited” the right to rule Kuwait from the Ottomans. The second claim, which seemingly presupposes that the first one is false, holds that no border between Iraq and Kuwait has ever been agreed upon.



XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


The thing is, Iraq isnt really drilling to its full potential. Thats where the US comes in, with their technology and financial backing the US will start pumping the Iraq oil fields to full compacity. Also, those who help us in this so called war (UK) will also reap the rewards of this venture. Allowing private companies from the US and UK to control the market, no longer depending on Saudi Arabia to dictate prices. Of course this is going to piss off the Russians and other European/Asian countries who already have stake in Iraqi oil.


So ya, its all fucked. BLAH BLAH BLAH.....





Kind Regards
Michael - DTS

[Pureform]

Originally posted by deepfreq
Saddam doesn't control hardly any oil... that's why he wanted Kuwait so bad.

selling oil is how saddam makes $$$ to buy weapons.

[cpud]

Originally posted by Pureform
selling oil is how saddam makes $$$ to buy weapons.

his psycho ass cant buy weapons with oil he doesn't have anymore :rinse :reload :daeth

[Dub-U-Eff]

Originally posted by Pureform
selling oil is how saddam makes $$$ to buy weapons. we better secure that oil so we can pay for our weapons to keep the rest of the world under control...

[cpud]

Originally posted by Dub-U-Eff
we better secure that oil so we can pay for our weapons to keep the rest of the world under control...

Well, we are expected to police it. Might as well get something out of it.

[Pureform]

Originally posted by Dub-U-Eff
we better secure that oil so we can pay for our weapons to keep the rest of the world under control...

:rinse

[hsienko]

Originally posted by Pureform
selling oil is how saddam makes $$$ to buy weapons.

oil for food...
aka
oil for weapons?

right?


no

also,
when they could sell oil, they were very happy patrons of our international weapon sales program