Freedom of the press

The New York Times (as well as the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal, but only the NY Times was mentioned) ran stories exposing America to what the papers found. They found government's secret programs to monitor the personal-banking records of unsuspecting citizens.

The Conservative Voice, and many other conservative publications, are steaming mad.

President George W. Bush called the exposing by the NY Times as "disgraceful". He said, "The fact that a newspaper disclosed it makes it harder to win this war on terror. We're at war with a bunch of people, who want to hurt the United States of America, and for people to leak that program, and for a newspaper to publish it, does great harm to the United States of America."

"Some in the press, in particular the New York Times, have made the job of defending against further terrorist attacks more difficult by insisting on publishing detailed information about vital national security programs," said Vice President Dick Cheney.

They will take it so far (Sen. Jim Bunning and Rep. Peter King) as to accused the New York Times of "treason".

As for treason, treason is a particular crime that is found in the Constitution. In Art. III, Sec. 3, Clause 1, treason is defined only as levying war against the US, or giving aid and comfort to the enemy of the US. That's it. Writing words on paper and publishing it is not levying war nor giving aid and comfort.

Now, the main point. In the First Amendment, as relevant to the New York Times, it states, "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom...of the press". That is simple as you can get; it is a no-brainer. What part of "no law" do you not understand? "No law" doesn't mean "some law", it doesn't mean "a few laws", it doesn't mean "one law". "No law" means "no law"; even a pre-school child can understand the concept. And to whom did the First Amendment refer? Congress. Congress is vested by the people through the Constitution to make laws; not the executive nor the judicial. But the press is taboo, and neither Bush nor Cheney nor Bunning nor King can do anything about it.

If the New York Times gave politicians convulsions, wait until they get a load of Aaron Russo's new movie, America: Freedom To Fascism. It will open in select cities exactly a month from now. At its name implies, A:FTF exposes the government and the things the government has done to the people right in front of their own eyes. It will expose the fallacy of the Federal Reserve. It will expose the fallacy of the income tax. It will show computer voting with no hard copy. It will show the National ID. And it will show the danger of V-chips. In other words, it will show how government used to be a servant and the people are the masters, where their rights are protected by the Constitution, to an omnipotent all-powerful state, where the people think they are free, but the roles are reserved. The press doesn't report about it, so the people haven't got a clue. It reminds me of a quote by Johann Goethe: "None are more hopelessly enslaved, as those who falsely believe they are free." If the critical mass gets to see this movie, they will finally wake up to see the truth. If enough people start to take action (like this film ends), we will finally see a change for the better; we will turn the tide towards a free society.

If that happens, President Bush will make a speech and call this film "disgraceful". He will say, "The film, lying about us, instead of focusing the film on the real danger (the terrorists) makes it hard to win the war on terror." Vice President Cheney will say, "Some in the film industry, in particular A:FTF, made it harder inside America, and thus, have made the job of defending terrorists even more difficult." And Sen. Bunning and Rep. King will accuse Aaron Russo of "treason".

I hope and pray this will happen.