Should Anti-Bush Journalists Be Tried as "Spies"?

[struggle4progress]

by William Norman Grigg
January 22, 2005

According to Washington Times editorial page editor Tony Blankley, investigative reporter Seymour Hersh should be tried for espionage.

Tony Blankley, editorial page editor of the Washington Times, is a walking museum. His syndicated column regularly retails Soviet-style hymns to the majesty of the state and its Dear Leader, thoughtfully published in pedestrian English prose so as to avoid the necessity of translation.

In his most recent offering, Commissar Blankley opines that investigative reporter Seymour Hersh committed "espionage" by publishing a detailed expose of the Bush administration’s plans and preparations for war with Iran. According to Hersh, the administration has been conducting pre-war covert operations inside Iran. Those operations allegedly are being carried out through the Pentagon, rather than by the CIA, in order to avoid congressional oversight. Citing anonymous defense and intelligence sources, Hersh predicts that as many as ten nations might be on the list of possible U.S. military targets. <snip>

In a September 26, 2001 column, published just weeks after 9/11, Blankley insisted that "every congressman, senator and citizen must discard everything they thought they believed about civil liberties. We all have a moral obligation to think for ourselves and act for the common good." This would mean supporting, among other things, suspension of "habeas corpus for any detention relative, at our government’s sole discretion, to possible terrorist intents the Fourth Amendment protection from unreasonable searches and seizures to mean that any search and seizure is reasonable in our government’s efforts to prevent terrorism." <snip>

http://www.thenewamerican.com/artman/publish/article_263.shtml

[Selteri]

1. That's chilling. N/T

[havocmom]

2. and Novak hasn't been charged yet for outing a CIA NOC agent

What a perverted time we live in.

[TexasLawyer]

18. exactly my thought n/t

[CoffeeCat]

3. "Ten nations"???

According to the article, "Ten nations might be on the list of possible U.S. military targets..."

I'm no military strategist. I'm a stay-at-home mom. With my very limited knowledge of war strategy, it's still apparent that our military is stretched with our current Iraq debacle. So, with what will we invade "ten nations"?

It is my hope that these "ten nations" ban together and tell Bushitler to shut his yapper. I can't imagine that too many other nations would be happy with the US invading "ten nations."

This is crazy insane. If Charles Manson was president, that is what he would want to do too--invade "ten nations."

WTF? I mean seriously...WTF?

What's next...the blue states????

[aquart]

4. Tony Blankley.

There's a name for a list.

[NJCher]

5. these people never stop with their outlandish, crazy claims

They are relentless. I thought that seeking sanctions against the attorneys in PA was an outrage but this is way over the top.

And the truth of the matter is, few people would agree with these crazy claims. It is only because they stole their way to power that they get any attention whatsoever. Otherwise they would be the ravings of a lunatic--hardly anything that would garner some press.


Cher

[struggle4progress]

8. IMHO, these folk are organized, funded, and dangerous.

Chanting "It can't happen here" is a recipe for concentration camps.

I don't think we need be excessively paranoid, and of course we shouldn't act scared.

But I do think it's good to remain alert and be aware of which of our enemies are out and about. And all of us should be thinking about how to respond to the next steps these cryptofascists take -- because they do have more nastiness planned.

[RobertSeattle]

6. Tony puts the BLANK in Blankley

Bush could ride down the street on a tricycle in a clown outfit and Tony Blankley would praise it as a bold transportation initiative.

[TomClash]

7. This is America

At least for the time being. Tony Blankley go back to your fucking queen, you tory wanker! :puke:

[The Zanti Regent]

9. This is not America anymore

We are now trapped in Jesusland

[struggle4progress]

10. Let America be America again.

Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed--
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.) <snip>

From The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes

http://www.poets.org/poems/poems.cfm?prmID=1473

[TomClash]

11. Uh-oh don't quote him!

He was a Commie! Off to Gitmo for you!

:spank:

[struggle4progress]

13. Off to Gitmo with anybody who says the Pledge of Allegiance, too!

[spanone]

12. Blankley is a fucking idiot just to say such a thing.

[Demeter]

14. Only If This Administration Gets Tried As War Criminals

in International Criminal Courts.

[Liberty Belle]

15. We need to sound the alarm.

In the past week, I've seen articles warnings of death squads possibly targeting anti-administration dissidents in the US, gulags being built to detain people--even citizens--indefinitely, and now a call to try for treason journalists who tell the truth about the administration's evil intentions.

I for one would not be surprise if concentration camps were also on the agenda. I don't know why so many people seem to think this is beyond contemplation.

[sellitman]

16. Moonies run that rag.

Why would anyone take it seriously?

[struggle4progress]

17. Take it seriously because attempts like this, to frighten ...

... the opposition into silence are the Fascists' first step. And they're well-funded and organized.