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Does Wolf Blitzer Think It's Time to Call Out the Lynch Mob?
It's easy to praise constitutional rights in the abstract, to declare that you are a believer in free speech, the right to trial, the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishments when you're speaking only in general terms. The real test comes when you're asked to deal with difficult specific cases.
Do you still believe in free speech if it means Nazis have the right to march through a community where Jewish Holocaust survivors live? Do you support the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishments if it forbids torture of suspected terrorists? Do you believe everyone has the right to trial, even someone charged with a horrible, terrifying crime?
Real defenders of freedom stand up for these principles even-especially-when it is unpopular to do so. Before the Constitution even existed, John Adams recognized the importance of the principle that everyone is entitled to a fair trial and a competent defense when he defended the British soldiers accused in the Boston Massacre. That was a pretty dangerous position to take in Boston as the city stood on the brink of open revolution against the Crown, but Adams stood by his principles, and even succeeded in gaining acquittals for some of the accused.
I think it's safe to say that Wolf Blitzer is no John Adams-perhaps Blitzer is auditioning to fill the yawning void left by Lou Dobbs's departure from CNN. Blitzer played to the lowest common denominator when he proved how tough he can be by challenging the lawyer who will represent Major Hasan in the Fort Hood murder trial. Blitzer asked the lawyer to "explain to our viewers why you're doing this." The lawyer trotted out some tired idea about the importance of a fair trial, that this is one of the rights our troops fight and die to defend, but our valiant Wolf was not deterred from playing to the lynch mob, declaring that Hasan will surely get a much fairer hearing than the 13 people murdered at Fort Hood.
Good point, Wolf. Following his logic (and Bill Kristol's), why have a trial at all for Hasan? Why not do it the way they used to do in the good old days-just call out a lynch mob and be done with these legal niceties? Sure, lynch mobs sometimes got it wrong, but you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.
Wolf Blitzer is a dangerous fool who either doesn't understand why we have a Constitution or doesn't care to inform his viewers. The rule of law doesn't exist to protect the guilty person, it exists to protect the innocent person wrongly accused. In most cases, the justice system works well and criminals are indicted, convicted, and brought to justice. In any human system, however, there is error. The Death Penalty Information Center has a list of more than 100 people who were convicted, sentenced to death, and subsequently found to be innocent. Mistakes are made-intentionally or otherwise. The idea is that we want to protect people who are wrongly charged. The only way to do that is to make sure everyone is treated the same and afforded the right to a trial.
Our trial and appellate system, as enshrined in the 6th Amendment when it comes to criminal trials, is an attempt to correct error, to make sure that people who are wrongly charged have the chance to clear their name. Blitzer either doesn't understand that, doesn't believe in it, or perhaps thinks that exceptions should be made-when we really, really know someone is guilty, "formalities" need not be followed.
What happened at Fort Hood was terrifying, it was horrible, it is dislocating, and it is beyond disturbing. But it is not grounds for setting aside the Constitution. Unless everyone has constitutional rights, none of us is guaranteed that our own rights will be protected. When we say that Nazis have a right to free speech, that suspected terrorists have a right to be free from torture, that accused murderers have a right to a fair trial, it doesn't mean we are endorsing Nazis, terrorists, or murderers (or murderers who are also terrorists). It means that we recognize what the Constitution requires-as it says on the Supreme Court building, "equal justice under law."
Having a Constitution isn't easy, but it's something many of us think is worth the effort. As Congress said in 1963 "No persons should be more entitled to protection of their constitutional rights then the servicemen engaged in protecting the sovereignty of the United States." It's easy to repeat those words when we're thinking of brave, wrongly accused soldiers caught up in a Kafkaesque misunderstanding. The test of whether the Constitution means what it says is whether we can apply the principle of equal justice to those who appear repellent. I'm glad to answer "yes"-the Constitution must apply to everyone, without exception. That's the only way we can be sure that we, ourselves, will be protected.
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54 Comments so far
Show AllWhat a quaint viewpoint.
Doesn't Mr. Edelson realise 9/11© changed everything?
The world is flat again.
Not quaint at all, just a typical "liberal" viewpoint. This viewpoint says that Nazis can rally, have free speech, spread their ideas and build their movement which could ultimately bring down free speech for all and much worse. All this in the name of a "constitution" that can hardly be called a living constitution. In some cases there needs to be limitations on "free speech" because, as history so clearly shows, speech means ideas that can create a world view that can lead to actions that can be very detrimental and destructive.
One maintains free speech to oppose the detrimental abuse of powers.
One assumes an informed public can resist inferior ideology.
But only a fool would allow government officials to restrain speech in any encompassing manner.
"One assumes an informed public can resist inferior ideology."
Well, so much for that assumption having any validity especially when the ruling class does all it can to keep citizens uninformed.
I agree, of course that an informed public is operative only in a minority but only with free speech do you and I have at least a small possibilty of educating the uninformed majority.
And the small percentage of informed does not negate line one and three.
There are indeed limitations on free speech. The oldest example is that no one is free to shout fire in a crowded theater because that would endanger everyone else in the building.
But the Constitution provides that the government cannot prevent someone from saying something that people do not like to hear. Who is to judge what kinds of ideas should be suppressed because they may lead to detrimental effects?
One last thing. If the Constitution were not a living document, why did the Founders provide for it to be amended from time to time?
Wolf Blitzer? Who's Wolf Blitzer? Never heard of the guy.
He's one of Santa's reindeer.
Indeed.
he's an ass-licker.
he's an ass-licker.
I think the upcoming trials should be covered beginning to end; it will be a wonderful opportunity to put torture on trial--unless the accused plead guilty in order to become martyrs. The government would like nothing more than to march them like sheep to the slaughter.
A good piece by Chris Edelson. Somebody has to say that, however quaint it is by today's morally corrupt standards.
I've never thought much of Blitzer, and this reaffirms his status as an idiot.
I like Mr. Edelson's piece very much, especially the retelling of the John Adams story. I certainly hope Mr. Blitzer has an opportunity to read this.
I stopped watching Lou Dobbs on CNN when it became undeniably apparent that he had an axe to grind against Latinos. It became obvious in his daily diatribes that he was absolutely opposed to Latino immigrants coming to the U.S., regardless of their status.
I certainly won't go back to watching Wolf Blitzer as an appropriate substitute for Lou Dobbs.
If what you say is true, then that includes his wife, who is an immigrant as well. In your behalf, Lou did seem to be more angry and frustrated after his tonsillectomy.
It's pretty obvious that Lou Dobbs is a very smart man. He hid in plain sight and fed the rabid right.
Blitzer is an ex AIPAC employee. He worked for the Jerusalem Post for a few years. He and Cooper have demonstrable bias toward Arabs and Muslims.
In 2006, while Israel was pounding towns and cities in Lebanon, destroying oil tanks, bridges and entire residential city blocks, Blitzer and Cooper focused on the "suffering" of Israeli civilians who had to hide in bomb shelters for days.....Oh the terror I tellz ya.
Then, after every such report, Blitzer would immediately bring up the trial of Zacaria Moussaoui, accused of being the '20th' hijacker on 9/11. This trick wasn't used just once or twice by Blitzer, it was used numerous times so as to place guilt by association and remind the American people that the Islamic/Arab enemy is the enemy of the US, Israel and the entire western world. Good propaganda.
Fast forward 2 years and Israel was mercilessly bombing and shelling Gaza for 22 days. During that time, Blitzer distracted the American public with countless reports about former governor Rod Blagojevich, his haircut, his business dealings and his associates. Anyone watching Blitzer during that attack on Gaza would have thought that all was quiet in the Middle East, as if nothing had happened.
Late at night, Anderson Cooper would sometimes bring up the attack on Gaza only to spin it as a simple case of Israel defending itself from thousands and thousands of rockets. The siege on Gaza was never mentioned, the starving of 1.5 million people was never brought up, Israel’s violation of the caesfire agreement was absent, White Phosphorus, Depleted Uranium, DIME bombs and children being murdered, and none of that was mentioned.
Blitzer and Cooper did a good job covering up for Israel and its crimes while making the Palestinians seem like the devil incarnate, deserving nothing but contempt and rebuke.
And While Blitzer and Cooper tend to add their own brand of spin and commentary, CNN in general is extremely biased in favor of Israel and against Arabs and Muslims. Time Warner, the parent company wastes no time - through its magazines, TV, radio, newspaper outlets - in emphasizing crime or attacks committed by an Arab or a Muslim while completely ignoring attacks and crimes perpetrated by Jews and particularly Israelis. AIPAC spies in the Pentagon and the Navy get miniscule or no coverage on CNN. Jewish settlers in the occupied territories who go on shooting rampages, killing Palestinians, burning their groves, uprooting their trees and spraying "Gas the Arabs" graffiti on Palestinian store windows in Hebron get zero coverage.
Meanwhile, the Ft. Hood shooter, his background, what he ate for lunch, his apartment and his entire life is dissected with microscopic curiosity.
This way, they manage to distort and shape the reality that their viewers perceive. CNN and the Wolf Blitzers and the Anderson Coopers help manage American public opinion to support Israel and view anyone of Arab or Muslim descent as an enemy – not only to Israel, but to the United States as well.
I remember one of the two reporters In israel at the time. I am sure it was Anderson Cooper. In any case he was on a hill in an ISRAELI village pointing into Lebanon to where "The Rockets were coming from".
All Very well and good but the building behind he labels as a Bomb Shleter with Israeli Civilians hiding in fear in the basement.
Oh dear.
Right next to him is an Israeli tank shelling Lebanon.
And those darn terrorists HIDE amongst the Civilians?
And had a Hizbollah rocket hit that bomb shelter as it shot towards the tank "Those Terrorists are firing on innocent Civilians"
We also remember all those schholchildren who WALKED over from a bomb shleter because they were bored to go to an Israeli Military position to sign artillery shells "With Love from Israel".
Blitzer worked for the Jerusalem Post for seventeen years - from 1973 to 1990.
And you wonder why CNN ignores Palestinian suffering.
USA exceptionalism is glaring apparent when USA citizens see the blowback at fort Hoodlum as something noteworthy.
The USA perpetrates more horrific slaughters of civilians on a daily basis and there is little discussion unless the number of slaughtered unarmed non combantants climbs to above 100 victims.
The deaths of these combatants is microscopic compared to millions killed by the USA war machine in the past 60 years.
Glenn ford
Very well said.
"USA exceptionalism is glaring apparent when USA citizens see the blowback at fort Hoodlum as something noteworthy."
This is true in many respects, and ersatz Christians are responsible for much of it. But exceptionalism in an of itself does not warrant or justify going to the other extreme. Perhaps a balance is what is needed, not a rampage of hungry people who cannot be integrated within the whole or provided for. I think the first thing that needs to be done is to forgive third world debt, and take this pressure off the struggling poor. No one country can resolve this issue by itself; it must be an international effort. However, given the greed of the world elite, I do not believe they will do it of their own accord. As Americans we can do much by refusing to cooperate with their dictates (i.e., buy only what we need, patronize local shops and services, and try to discourage our children from enlisting in the military, among other things, including outright civil disobedience). In other words refuse to do what we know in our hearts to be wrong.
chess 1:08 ---- I agree with you and I was not justifying any violence at all but putting the event into a global historical perspective and naming one perspective that justifies so many mass slaughters, USA exceptionalism.
Interesting how the inital reports indicated that there were multiple shooters at 2 different locations.(saw it myself on teevee.)Equally interesting is how NONE of this is being investigated or reported by the likes of Wolfie or any of his fellow journalists(insert sarcasm).There are dozens (and counting) of on the record statements about other shooters by MILITARY personnel.However,they will continue to be blacked out by a corrupt mass media.Reminiscent of nineelleven where survivors,including first responders,who reported mulitple explosions in both buildings prior to collapse. Use your fav. search eng. if you have a hard time swallowing that.
BTW the constitution no longer exist....guilty b4 proven innocent!
~Some people live their whole lives without ever waking up~
"~Some people live their whole lives without ever waking up~"
many more just hit the snooze button.
One of my "facebook friends" who was down there (Ft. Hood) also gave real-time updates that featured multiple shooters. He said they picked the guy with the right name to blame.
I stopped watching CNN about 4 yrs ago. The only news I watch on TV nowadays is Democracy Now with Amy Goodman and all the rest of the news I get is from foreign newspapers on the web. The American media is now nothing more than a propaganda machine. Case in point: Have you ever heard CNN, NPR, NBC, ABC or CBS mention the facts that a) Iran has a perfect legal right to enrich uranium and b) the Non-Proliferation Treaty includes the duty of nuclear-armed countries getting rid of their nuclear weapons ....how many bombs do we still have?
i've come to the conclusion that if any nation attacked israel with white phosphorous, israel would level that country, using all the bombers and weapons we have bought for them over the years. i realize the specter of chemical weapons stirs terrible memories for many israeli citizens, but those memories should serve to restrain, not justify, israel's use of chemical weapons against arab population centers. but, of course, if you see arabs as cockroaches, as golda meir did, then maybe it's ok. name other nations that strove to make their opponents less than human! and where is the news about this white phosphorous to be found? hardly anywhere!
i've read today's letters, and am especially glad to see that mohawk has documented so well the clear bias that wolf and cooper have against the arabs. they sympathize with israelis, who supposedly have had 12,000 rockets fired at them, thereby sufffering nine civilian casualties. not wanting to see anyone die, i was happy that such deadly weapons could be so ineffectual. but then i doubt that 12,000 rockets were, indeed, fired at israeli communities. notice that none of the major media centers is reporting that part of the goldstone report that verifies the use of white phosphorous by israel against population centers. this is strictly genocidal, a blatant use of a chemical weapon known to have produced birth defects where used, such as in fallujah, iraq; there, us troops have used it repeatedly, and its hospitals have reported that there are huge numbers of defective babies being born every month. let anderson and wolf report on those matters! they won't, even though the use of white phosphorous is a war crime
The Bill of Rights is mostly a Bill of No-No's that is to say it enumerates actions which governments (Federal, State, Local) cannot take against persons. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the BoR is that it does not say "for American citizens only" and "valid only within the borders of the USA".
I have long held that Wolf Blitzer has sawdust between his ears because he does not understand even the most elementary aspects of jurisprudence. One may rightly ask: "Wolf please explain to the American people why you are allowed to spout your vile nonsense over the airwaves"?
"Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the BoR is that it does not say 'for American citizens only' and 'valid only within the borders of the USA'."
excellent point!
ALL men are created equal.
One of the most glaring examples of hubristic American exceptionalism was the exemption of "contractors" from adherence to any law outside of the borders of the US.
Another was the creation of the legal limbo of Gitmo, where the Constitution was supposedly invalid.
Any and all in service to the United States should be held accountable to the laws of the same wherever they may "serve".
Great post.
thank you
ah the stooge wolfie
the guy is so dumb he covered the pentagon for years without ever learning that the cia runs all the drug trade for the planet
he is so dumb he think a boeing jet can fit in a hole that is 24 feet by 12 feet
wolfie looks up to leaping lou dobbs
folks: let's get real and finally realize the corporate media is nothing more than the propaganda machine for the nwo
wolfie has the daily task of pumping out 6 hours of nwo bullshit everyday - endlessly - without ever developing it seems a sense of the situation in his on mind. he is as dumb today as h was the first day he started
wolfie spends a big chunk of his time wondering if we are ever going to get oj simpson or osama bin laden either one
he did however seem to be overly fixated with brittany spear's unshaved pussycat
what a pervert
Wolf Blitzer, by virtue of his name alone, should be the head of the Republican party. Keep the robotic monotone but ditch the scraggly, moth-eaten beard.
Blitzer is a Jew. Hasan is a Muslim. I cannot help wondering if Blitzer's opinion would be the same were Hasan Jewish. And, does pondering this question make me an anti-semite?
Who cares if you are exposing a double standard.
The irony is that many right-wingers (Jews and non-Jews alike) play the anti-Semite/Self-Hating Jew card to quash any observations or discussion of Palestinians, Zionism, Israel, or US Jews who are racists and rabid Arab and Palestinian haters.
The discourse is changing. Like the boy who cried wolf, this tactic is quickly becoming useless. The sad thing is when genuine anti-Semitism does arise, many folks will be de-sensitized because they hear the charge being abused ad nauseum.
I have been called anti-Semite/Self-Hating Jew so many times I expect it.
I haven't watched CNN in so many years, I did not realize Blitzer was still around.
Anyone who takes CNN or the MSM in general, as a serious source of information or "news" is misguided in the first place. The MSM is good for one thing only: a great source of comedy, satire, sarcasm and parody. CNN et al. are a joke and Blitzer is a parody of himself. How long has this dude been on the air anyway?
The moral of the story ought to be: turn off the bloody propaganda box (Panopticon) and crack open a book once in while.
if you are not getting your information from pacifica news, you are not getting information...
If you watch CNN and the rest of the T.V. news lies,you are being brainwashed. Kill these whores before they kill you!
Thanks, Mohawk, for that clear explanation of CNN's recent history of the Middle East.
I recently worked at a job where a huge TV had CNN blaring all day long. During the time of Katrina I thought Anderson Cooper did pretty good coverage but he got famous too soon and has deteriorated. As for Wolf Blitzer, he is a Mossad agent.
Blitzer is an insult to old white-bearded white guys like me. Somebody needs to give that guy a shave. I'll give him this, though: he's just smart enough to know where his bread is buttered. (Come to think of it, is that beard REALLY white, or dyed white to give him an aura of "wisdom"? You know, like Moses?)
Meanwhile, if as alleged by another commenter above, Time-Warner owns CNN, which I think is true, Time-Warner needs to be broken up into little pieces. It is one of the most predatory corporations. It totally monopolizes huge geographic areas of this country with its cable TV, and its "high-speed" Roadrunner internet service is an overpriced disaster. Time-Warner needs to be dismantled by any means.
As for Lou Dobbs (on that blaring TV), a few short years ago I thought he had some pretty clear stands on the very complex issue of immigration, but then he seized upon it as his signature issue and drove it and himself into the ground. Getting rid of Lou Dobbs doesn't get rid of the issue. It goes, fundamentally, to the Rule of Law and how corporations interpose human suffering to destroy it.
-30-
(Come to think of it, is that beard REALLY white, or dyed white to give him an aura of "wisdom"? You know, like Moses?)
maybe god dyes his beard, too.
But I thought God was Willie Nelson: Isn't that old white dude on the Sistine Chapel ceiling Willie passing the spliff of enlightenment to Adam? (Sorry bad joke from an atheist socialist)
"It totally monopolizes huge geographic areas of this country with its cable TV, and its "high-speed" Roadrunner internet service is an overpriced disaster."
You are so correct. Within a year, my roadrunner bill went from 45.95 to 49.95. This past Friday, I received a bill for 54.95 (the new rate henceforth), and thought it was outrageous!
Wolf is neither a fool nor is he dangerous.
He is simply a very dull, somewhat ignorant, incurious, and uninspired drone bee.
waiguoren great point. sounds like little georgie bush playing anchor
man.wonder what drug they give him to get that trance thing happening?
Hey Edelson,
Why do you watch, or even own a tv?
It's brain pollution.
Is this the first injustice you have noticed?
Please stop referring to the constitution as though it's a sacred object and waving a flag in the background. It's outdated words scrolled on yellow paper way back when.
Jefferson(i know), Paine and many others thought government should be plastic to change with changing times and situations. They made their feelings clear that future generations shouldn't be bound to any agreements made prior. Government is for the living. They also suggested that sometimes the slate should be wiped completely clean, before starting over.
The Sioux Nation was based on individual freedom without words on paper, judges or jails. I wonder what they would have done.
well folks we made dobbs take a walk now we turn our
attention to wolf.the only thing this moron is thinking
about is trying to remember whats coming through his
ear piece and how to say it. lets start the emails and boycotts of his sponsors goods and services. this is the way of the
left.