Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.

[Pacifist Patriot]

Or something along those lines.

The Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918 were passed after the U.S. entered WWI. The acts resulted in the imprisonment of many anti-war activists and 248 people were deported to Russia. This was the beginning of the Red Scare that culminated in the McCarthy debacle decades later.

These acts were the most sweeping abridgments of civil liberties since the short-lived Sedition Act of 1798.

We should note two important issues associated with these acts.

1. Although they were eventually repealed in 1921, when they came up for renewal President Wilson urged congress to retain them despite the U.S. no longer being in a state of war. By some reports he also lobbied for the addition of censorship powers for the presidency. Wilson, a racist and pre-emptive invader of foreign nations, was also a Democrat. My how the parties have changed. Understand your roots, even if they make you squirm.

2. The Espionage and Sedition Acts were a response to a growing concern that anti-war rhetoric would make it increasingly difficult to conscript the military to appropriate staffing levels. Um, yikes!

If history repeats itself we may have cause for optimism. Wilson ran for a third term and was whipped in the greatest gap in history by a man who barely campaigned. Then again, computers weren't counting the votes and Americans had only begun to be anesthetized by mass media.

Still, I have hope that reason will prevail. It may just need a little nudge every now and then.

[BrainRants]

1. Corollary: Those that learn history are doomed to relive it. n/t

[Pacifist Patriot]

8. Ouch!

[MemphisTiger]

2. It's funny how the other side want's a totalitarian regime

as long it's thier boy in charge. If Clinton asked for these powers, do you think he would have gotton them? I'm going with NO.

[Pacifist Patriot]

3. Somalia, Kosovo, WTC '93...

I'm thinking he would have had grounds...at least under neocon standards. It does draw a sharp distinction between the two groups, doesn't it?

[louis-t]

4. "Those who do not learn "from" history are doomed to repeat it "

My original sig line at DU.

[Pacifist Patriot]

5. Thank you. I knew I wasn't getting it quiet right.

But my brain wasn't giving me the words and I was too lazy to look up the quotation.

Unfortunately our citizens aren't learning either history or from history.

[Selatius]

6. I hate Wilson for persecuting Eugene Debs and other socialists

It was Wilson who sent federal marshals to imprison or deport members of the Socialist Party of that era, and I believe it was those same marshals who torched the party headquarters. They were guilty of being anti-war..

As a libertarian socialist, I see people like that, and I feel threatened because I know that historically we're often the first to be killed off or imprisoned when the hammer is brought down.

[Pacifist Patriot]

7. Indeed. For thousands of years those who

preach peace and compassion have been strung up for their efforts.