Not really. I've never seen a pay scale for a dissenter. Dissent isn't inherently a bad thing either, but there is a line between dissent and treason.
So then - it is un-American to dissent and appose something you feel is wrong? So... does that make you a Loyalist? Because... I certainly am not a Loyalist. Might I also add that Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks were dissidents and practiced civil disobedience. Under your logical conclusion catyack - they should have been jailed and the status quo maintained. Also, Gtech, would you say that because there is no pay scale that what Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and other leaders against the Jim Crow laws was NOT a service to this country? By your statement you have just - for yourself - devalued the entire principal this nation was founded on. Dissent. Had we not dissented from the British we would be like Canada. Treason involves aiding with information that is actually relevant, or physically harming another American in the aid of a foreign power I.E. taking arms and fighting against your country without cohesion. Voicing an opinion, voicing a concern, protesting a policy, and staging rallies to end what you believe is wrong no matter what you personally feel is still dissent and still what America stands for. Just because you think Anti-War dissent is bad and you are biased does not mean the act of dissent itself is bad or devalued. You see, it is only de-valued to you. If you take away that right - then when the Democrats pass a pro-abortion bill you would not be allowed to dissent - and it would mean nothing - because you have said that dissent is not a service to the country. So if it is a dis-service I guess it should be outlawed and all dissenters executed. Right? You take the same argument and flip it around to see if it really is a valid point. Instead of this being an Anti-War thing let's say it is pro war and the government is pulling out. Now if I post that we should stay in Iraq and that the government is wrong for pulling out - I am dissenting. But because dissenting is not a service to this country - as you have pointed out - it would thus be worth nothing to protest or to rise up against pulling out. Therefore, with your logic applied, all pro-war advocates are just as useless as anti-war. So, should we star reapplication of Jim Crow laws? In fact, because the entire United States was formed out of dissent - let's just rejoin the British Empire since our little bit of protest was worth nothing and was of no service to this country. Also, your definition of service is flawed. Mothers give birth to sons who join the military, people who work in industry make products that are used by the Government, people consume every day and their taxes go to the government in support of its funding needs. You don't have to work for the government to help the American system. All you need to be is a consumer and to pay taxes. If we all stopped consumption and paying taxes, well then, the economy and government would collapse.
Perhaps a review is in order: Perhaps you just read what I typed incorrectly. I'll go with that for now, since as far as I've seen of your posts here, you've never intentionally misrepresented anyone's view on purpose. Briant, have you served our country in any way other than to bitch, whine, moan and complain?
Here's some service to humanity: http://www.chickenhawkcards.com/ Most of these people are multimillionaires due to their promotion of the profiteer agenda. They didn't see fit to serve...they had "better things to do." These type of people call for war for profit, while they sit behind a desk and/or a microphone, raking in cash and basking in power.
By avoiding the question for about the tenth time, are you confirming that you've done nothing more than bitch, whine, moan and complain about your country? Is that the legacy you leave behind? While others did something (anything) for their country, this is the best you have to offer?
I posed it as a question, not as explicitly your view. It should have read "is it" rather than "it is". The question is posed because of the statement "a line between dissent and treason". The line is about as wide as the grand canyon with an easily black and white zone, with very little gray. Edit: Secondly, I gave Braint a way to say he has by saying he objected and dissented to the views and policies of the current government - I guess he missed that fact.
As I've told you, I'm noting rewarding your RNC sponsored fishing expedition. My real life has nothing to do with your inability to defend these war profiteers.
That was one hell of a huge question/statement, considering I made myself clear that dissent isn't inherently a bad thing. There is a line between dissent and treason. I don't believe it's that wide. I believe some have crossed that line. Aid and comfort. Not just information. Support is there as well.
Support for a lying administration that has caused massive suffering. You should probably be careful with your line of "reasoning." Is shilling for war profiteers despite clear evidence of their misdeeds giving aid and comfort to the enemy? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17558088/
yeah Gtech, treason is when a person really goes out and takes an active, real opposing side against Amaerica. Dissent is allowed to all people, awarded by the freedom of speech. You can say and practice anything that does not effect a person's basic human rights. Opinion, creativity, difference, dissent is what give us our right to be whoever we want to be. O f course the line between dissent and treason is an important measure of what is acceptable and not.
And your point is? There is corruption all around us. Now if you where able to trace such corruption through the ranks, then yes I gauruntee you that myself and most of the other conservatives on these boards wouldn't argue. But for now, you are unable to come up with such evidence and can only cite on or two cases.
I wish there was a libertarian media instead of a blatantly left and right wing one. The kind of media that reports it as it is, with no commentators or bias. The left wing news and the right wing radio has burnt me out - because I have to assess both before I even make an opinion. With libertarian news I would be able to have three sides, and thus see which one seems logical. Then again machines that reported events with purely accurate data of what was said and done would be a dream come true - let the viewers decide without spoon feeding them two absolute sides. I dislike Demigans and Republocrats.
There is a difference between a country and an administration. I point this out earlier in the thread, and here you come along to prove me right: You honestly do not have the intellectual ability to separate your country from a President? Your patriotism is locked into a four year shelf life? Based upon lies (I've caught you in several lies since you've been here, but you don't seem to place value on your integrity) and assumptions? Nuts get caught by our government doing something illegal and this is what you post to try and equate it to the administration? It seems like, for you, that lying is an acceptable course of action in your attempt to berate your country every day. Having never done anything for your country, you've simply stolen your freedoms to bitch, whine, moan and complain on the forum. You should be thankful for the very freedoms you are using here. Some one better than you or I paid a price for you to use them. I suspect they didn't know how you were going to use yours though.
Well said eric, I agree. That's why I felt it important to re-iterate that I didn't feel dissent was inherently a bad thing.
http://www.counterpunch.org/pringle04122007.html http://www.thenation.com/doc/20030512/editors http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1117-22.htm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdk4dIXqs7s&eurl=
Stolen my freedoms? From whom, people who support torture? People who support a police state? BTW, you're the one who keeps lumping in support for Bush with support for all things good, just, and free. It's disturbing.