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Common knowledge? Did you know the IP addresses Snowden gave the Chinese? I don't think you are being honest here. He didn't just tell them we are spying on them, he gave them the details of our clandestine operations.
I think you are making an unsuccessful attempt to marry "authoritarian" to "communism", but they are not synonymous.
No, they are not synonymous. They ARE, however, very closely related. Individual liberties are very severely restricted in communist regime countries. Think: "Iron Curtain," or "Berlin Wall." Think: the murder of 110,000,000 people in the 20th century, alone, by communist regimes for purely political reasons...
No, they are not synonymous. They ARE, however, very closely related. Individual liberties are very severely restricted in communist regime countries. Think: "Iron Curtain," or "Berlin Wall." Think: the murder of 110,000,000 people in the 20th century, alone, by communist regimes for purely political reasons...
Yes, restriction of individual liberties is authoritarian, and I am not arguing USSR was NOT authoritarian, I am arguing that both left and right can be authoritarian. Anyone in US who is pro-life, against gay marriage, anti immigration, oppose drug legalization etc has an authoritarian streak in him/her, and I don't think those are bad qualities. A perfect example of authoritarianism is a military, any military. I think you have misunderstood the meaning of the word.
The US is starting to get upset. First Hong Kong/China and then Russia.
They are "demanding" that countries turn him over to the US.
Send him back: US urges nations to return Snowden
The White House demanded that he be denied asylum, blasted China for letting him go and urged Russia to "do the right thing" and send him back to America to face espionage charges.
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Despite its diplomatic tough talk, the U.S. faces considerable difficulty in securing cooperation on Snowden from nations with whom it has chilly relations.
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Assange and attorneys for WikiLeaks assailed the U.S. as "bullying" foreign nations into refusing asylum to Snowden. WikiLeaks counsel Michael Ratner said Snowden is protected as a whistleblower by the same international treaties that the U.S. has in the past used to criticize policies in China and African nations.
I think you are making an unsuccessful attempt to marry "authoritarian" to "communism", but they are not synonymous. Authoritarian mind-set is more often associated with the political right than the left. In US the most vocal anti-Soviet/communists were authoritarians, and similarly in USSR the most vocal anti-US politicians were also authoritarians. It's a mind-set, not a political leaning.
Campaigning against gays, immigrants, abortion, drug users, non-Christians etc show authoritarian characteristics.
There four leanings: left, right, libertarian and authoritarian. Many Americans fall in the right/authoritarian corner.
Hogwash. Communism and authoritarianism are inextricably joined at the hip ... indeed communism in all it's historical iterations has proven beyond any doubt whatsoever to be authoritarianism in the extreme, and left wing by self definition. Perhaps the better term would be "totalitarian" rather than authoritarian, though I consider them synonymous. By the same measure, fascists have historically self identified as leftists ... Hitler and the National Socialists were a left wing totalitarian dictatorship, aligned with the fascist Mussolini ... also left wing. So there you have Communism, Nazism (National Socialists), Fascism, Monarchial Rule, all left wing .. and all totalitarian-authoritarian by nature and definition.
The founding of America, and the revolution was a response to totalitarian-authoritarian rule. Hence, the very term "conservative" in the context of American politics originally refered to traditional values of liberty versus tyranny ... i.e. adherence to the founding principles outlined in the US Constitution, and the founder's principles of liberty which is best defined as limited government that serves the people, rather than one that rules over them. This was in direct response to authoritarian rule by the monarchy of King George, and the very reason for the founding of this nation. God almighty, this stuff is sooooo basic ... to not understand this as a American citizen is gross negligence and almost criminal.
Furthermore, those founders would be best defined as traditional liberals or "Jeffersonian Liberals" ... which naturally dovetails with "liberty-Liberal-Libertarian". All of that goes out the window today, given that modern "progressive" liberalism has no commonality with traditional liberalism. In fact, they are now polar opposites, and self identify as left wing. These new liberals are just authoritarians who hijacked the term "liberal", but hold no resemblance to traditional liberalism, which is now most reflected by fringe political parties like the libertarian and constitution parties, both of which have been marginalized by the one party system posing as two .. the republicrats and demopublicans are really just providing a dog and pony show for the unwashed and unsophisticated masses who will never get it, no matter how obvious it becomes.
As for this pure nonsense about so many Americans leaning Right-Authoritarian .... maybe in your alternate reality ... the truth is, there is no such thing as right anymore ... at least not in mainstream politics ... we have the unapologetic hard leftist, and then we have the liar leftists posing as right wing republicans ... but in case you haven't noticed ... there is no practical difference, no matter which party assumes power ... and why is that? Well ... I just told you ... this is a one party system of leftist authoritarians-totalitarians posing as competing political parties to maintain the illusion of choice.
Yes, restriction of individual liberties is authoritarian, and I am not arguing USSR was NOT authoritarian, I am arguing that both left and right can be authoritarian. Anyone in US who is pro-life, against gay marriage, anti immigration, oppose drug legalization etc has an authoritarian streak in him/her
Slightly so, perhaps. But leftist communist regimes actually restricting individual travel to the point that people had to be smuggled out of East Germany under fake rear car seats, etc., and risk their lives for doing so, and murdering 110,000,000 million people for purely political reasons is FAR more authoritarian than individuals merely being "pro-life, against gay marriage, anti immigration, opposing drug legalization."
They call him a criminal because he leaked classified information to the Chinese.
You're being naive. So what if the Chinese knows the US Government eavesdrops on them?
But his real crime was confirming that the intelligence agencies, despite their strenuous public denials, have been accumulating vast amounts of personal data from the American public. The puzzle is why so many media commentators continue to toe the official line.
Yes, restriction of individual liberties is authoritarian, and I am not arguing USSR was NOT authoritarian, I am arguing that both left and right can be authoritarian. Anyone in US who is pro-life, against gay marriage, anti immigration, oppose drug legalization etc has an authoritarian streak in him/her, and I don't think those are bad qualities. A perfect example of authoritarianism is a military, any military. I think you have misunderstood the meaning of the word.
Again ... NONSENSE. Anyone who is pro-life is simply defending a very long and well established principle of it being WRONG TO KILL innocents. Treating unborn children as some unwanted growth like a parasite is DEMENTED .... killing a million+ babies annually, and the majority of them killed for convenience is DEMENTED left wing lunacy. Everything about he left wing today is either twisted, demented, perverted or self destructive, but that has always defined the left, which is why over 200 Million people have been murdered by left wing governments in just the 20th Century alone.
But let me ask you .... do you have locks on the doors of your house? Do you use them, or do you leave them open, and allow anyone to come in any time they please and help themselves to your belongings and food? Well listen up .... our nation is our collective house .... border security and opposing illegals bypassing and breaking our laws is not "authoritarian" ... it is simple common sense that comes naturally to sane and rational people. This is nothing more than what most anyone would naturally do if they returned home from work one evening only to find a group of strangers occupying their home and eating their food, and wearing their clothes. Most people would say get out .. or call the police and demand that the criminal trespassers be arrested. Now maybe as a loony liberal, you might tell them that it's fine ... that they can go ahead and have the house and food and clothes ... but most people would say you're crazy, which is synonymous with leftist.
Slightly so, perhaps. But leftist communist regimes actually restricting individual travel to the point that people had to be smuggled out of East Germany under fake rear car seats, etc., and risk their lives for doing so, and murdering 110,000,000 million people for purely political reasons is FAR more authoritarian than individuals merely being "pro-life, against gay marriage, anti immigration, opposing drug legalization."
Do you really not get that?
Either you are, or you aren't. Some authoritarians are sickos who murder people, while others are more civilized. In US, the authoritarian mindset is associated mostly to conservatives. That is my point. OK, let's use your "who is more authoritarian" argument: who is more authoritarian in US, libs, or conservatives? The answer is conservatives. Like it or not.
This is so far off topic that its not even funny. Final post on this topic.
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