September 08, 2003
Up Is Down
A common response to criticisms of Bush Administration policies goes something like this: "I promise you that if you go to saudi arabia or jordan or the sudan or zimbabwe & spout anti government crap against any of those countries your ass would vanish from the face of this earth!!!"
The somewhat illogical implication of course being that since Americans can dissent without fear of violent state reprisal, then, they should refrain from doing so.
One journalist visiting from the Middle East offers a slightly more nuanced analysis: "Americans seem very cavalier about politics. Perhaps if they lived without free speech for a few years they would use it more often."
Posted by Eddie Tews at September 8, 2003 08:49 PM
Comments