[lbo-talk] The Nation invokes "sedition" against the right

Doug Henwood dhenwood at panix.com
Fri Mar 26 09:19:39 PDT 2010


On Mar 26, 2010, at 11:40 AM, Jesse Lemisch wrote:


> http://www.newpol.org/fromthearchives?nid=273
>
> Invoking "sedition" against Teabaggers: short-sighted, ahistorical,
> and suicidal
> Jesse Lemisch March 26, 2010
> The Nation joins a great tradition (Alien and Sedition Acts, Palmer
> Raids, Smith Act) by invoking "sedition" against Teabaggers.
> It seems utterly suicidal for the Left to invoke "sedition," as
> Melissa Harris-Lacewell does in condemning Teabaggers in The
> Nation . What a proud tradition we would join by doing this: Alien
> and Sedition Acts, Palmer Raids, Smith Act. And what's up with
> Harris-Lacewell's adoration of The State, with its "monopoly on the
> legitimate [sic] use of violence, force and coercion"? Huh? Are we
> really happy with this utterly unqualified approval of such
> government action, and, as a result utterly unqualified prohibition
> of such things when used by non-governmental people? There goes the
> picket line, and anything else that they might deem to be "coercive."

You don't understand. It's ok if it's Obama's state. If it's Bush's, it's evil.

Doug



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