Quote:
kvining - 5/17/2005 1:47 AM
What's up with these comments? This one is typical of statements by a number of government officials?
"People lost their lives. People are dead,� Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said. “People need to be very careful about what they say, just as they need to be careful about what they do.�
Hey Rummy, let me be careful about what I say here: carefully, carefully, go fuck yourself.
Sorry about the dead guys, but this story started with statements made by some guy who works for you, and the press had every right to report it. Too bad they didn't have the balls to stand by it as you bullied them into self-censorship.
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I understand your basic stance when it comes to the government. That aside, unless there is more to this quote, Rumsfeld's words are, at best, ambiguous. There is nothing in them that can reasonably be interpreted as a prelude to censorship. One could just as easily make the case that he is saying "Hey guys, if you're going to print something, please make sure it's accurate."
I doubt Newsweek can be "bullied". If they were sure of themselves, they would not hesitate to claim the story as legitimate news. I know courts cannot deny legitimate parade permits (ie. Nazis in a Jewish neighborhood) simply based on public reaction. I would imagine the same principle would hold here.
Freedom of speech is probably our most protected right. Despite the Patriot Act, I think even the most conservative court would hesitate before tampering with that one to the degree you suggest. It's also my understanding that Newsweek quoted the usual un-named authoritative source. That does not automatically mean the individual works for Rumsfeld. All govt. employees work for the President, not the Secretary of Defense. Just my .02 worth.