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Subversive Groups Must Now Register In South Carolina
Hugh Pickens writes "The Raw Story reports that terrorists who want to overthrow the United States government must now register with South Carolina's Secretary of State and declare their intentions — or face a $25,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison. The 'Subversive Activities Registration Act' passed last year in South Carolina and now officially on the books states that 'every member of a subversive organization, or an organization subject to foreign control, every foreign agent and every person who advocates, teaches, advises or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States ... shall register with the Secretary of State.'"
Does this mean if my group registers with the state and we state our intentions to commit terrorist acts that we will be immune from prosecution when we carry out our intentions?
If I can be modded down for being a troll, can I be modded up for being an orc, or a balrog?
I seem to remember from school that a historically significant event happened in South Carolina that started a war....oh, right. The Battle of Fort Sumter which started the American Civil War.
By "subversive organization," the law means "every corporation, society, association, camp, group, bund, political party, assembly, body or organization, composed of two or more persons, which directly or indirectly advocates, advises, teaches or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States [or] of this State."
Is it just me, or does that definition necessarily include all U.S. citizens of voting age? What ever happened to "for the People, by the People" ??? Silly me, I was under the impression that it is every citizen's civic duty to control the government. It's called voting.
Is it just me or is there an increase in the number of new laws (not just in the US) that basically state that it's illegal to do illegal stuff? I'm trying to find the rational explanation for that, but so far I've failed.
Opus: the Swiss army knife of audio codec
From TFA - this is any group that "directly or indirectly advocates, advises, teaches or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States".
Lobbyist groups are all about controlling the government (via substantial bribes). Does this mean they need to register?
Sounds like an end-run around the First Amendment. The legislators probably realized that an outright ban on such groups would amount to prior restraint of free speech, so they figured they could achieve essentially the same effect by attempting to regulate your right to free speech, knowing that no sane person (or group) would willingly put themselves under the government's microscope. This is straight out of the playbook of J. Edgar Hoover. I am not a lawyer.
Anarchists, unite!
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
Does it matter, in any practical sense of the word, if its unconstitutional if they only use it to get warrants and fish for evidence of other crimes? As long as they drop the (obviously unconstitutional) charge before it goes to court how does it ever get tested?
Obviously such an abuse would not hold up in a court for a moment, but it could sure as hell be used to intimidate people until it's struck down.
It's just another stupid law among many that they throw at people to make sure something sticks, like making it illegal not to report stolen property when doing your taxes. Why not just increase the maximum penalty of every crime to life in prison then? Because that's where we'll be soon.
How about something like this (feel free to democratically suggest improvements or point out issues): When a law finally makes it's way through all the courts and the Supreme Court finds it unconstitutional how about putting *every single last bastard* who voted for it on trial for treason? The Supreme Court could decide if it was an obvious case which would make it more difficult to get out of, an hysteria case which would allow reparations to more easily flow, or a subtle case which a voter could get out of with a slap on the wrist simply by admitting their stupidity. Seriously, a little bit of responsibility? I know politicians hate that word when applied to *them*, but come on: throwing insult after insult at the wall knowing that a few of them will stick is the antithesis of what I thought the USA was. It you are going to, as a politician, betray the blood spilled by countless of your ancestors for the freedom you enjoy, well, I'd like to see yours spilled in return.
Shh.
I live in Nebraska, but I'd like to register anyway. I have advocated "controlling and conducting" the government by means of encouraging others to vote for the candidates I like and by donating time and money to their campaigns. By South Carolina's standard, I'm a subversive. Would I get a registration form I could hang on my wall next to my college diploma, a share of SCOX stock, and a Church of the SubGenius ordination certificate?
Actually, I'm kind of serious about that. In a dream world, I'd like to see a few hundred million people register as South Carolina subversives.
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
South Carolina didn't start the War Between the States, you idiot, Lincoln did, when he invaded the CSA.
Any chance George Soros would count as a foreign organization plotting the overthrow of the US Gov't?
Just a thought...
Any reason to think this would withstand a constitutional challenge?
Ken
It's even sadder when you realize he was probably closer to the truth than he knew. Foghorn Leghorn is a parody of Senator Claghorn, who, while also fictional, was a radio show's parody of the stereotypical Southern Senator in the 40s.
If I may dig another reference out of America's cartoon cultural archives, We have met the enemy, and he is us. (Pogo, 1970)
(Any journalist can tell you the news. It takes a comedian to tell you the truth.)
Shortly after the US took over Iraq, I went through a background check for some work I was doing for the DHS. One of the questions I was asked was, "Are you, or have you ever been a member of an organization which would consider the use of violence to overthrow government?"
Given the context of Iraq, I was intrigued by the lack of a definite article. "This" or "our" or even "the" would have been different. But the question seemed so general. But the FBI guy giving me the interview clearly didn't have a sense of humor. So while it took all the self control I could muster, I stifled the urge to say, "Well, I am a citizen of the US..."
He must have seen me smirk or something, though, because since then I've been on the "turn your head and cough" list every time I try to board a plane. All for a three-day contract.
The CB App. What's your 20?
is of course finished.
We no longer have a representative government. 85% OF congress is always re-elected, which really doesn't matter anyway because corporations put people in the places of power from either party. Your illusion of voting is there to keep the scenery of democracy recognizable so people are kept in line.
The differences between the two parties are really just to divert attention and amount to very little.
Some predictions on my part:
1) More of the US will become like Detroit, Mich. Mainly looking like a bombed out third world country.
2) Universities. Hey this is a prediction: Universities are next on the chopping block. Over priced, and under powered, American Universities are about to go the way of the do do bird.
The big "University" crashes will come in the next 5 years as the powers that be (Foreign Banks under direction of the Federal Reserve) finish gutting the financial system of the US. University campuses will probably be converted to low income housing "projects" developments for the poor, who are growing by leaps and bounds.
10 Years from now the wealthy will be sending their kids to China to learn Chinese, and to do research or get a job there. The rest of you poor bastards will end up working in a government job, or out on the streets in the projects where massive unrest will be common.
The fastest growing job is going to be in the "goon" squads the government hires to keep all of the mass unrest from getting out of control.
(Luckily since the demise of the University system, you don't need a degree to be a goon, just naivety and loyalty to the government.)
So being a government goon wielding a baton is going to be a BIG growth industry.
3) The US Dollar. Wow, what a huge crash that one is going to be. In the next 5-10 years the US dollar will no longer be a reserve currency. The powers that be won't let it crash all at once of course, they will most likely do a controlled demolition. (Mainly to protect their own assets in the USA.)
They already have started the process using deflation so that those on the top have time to sell their US securities at a decent price before the next phase hits. That will probably come this summer with a huge financial crisis with the banks _again_.
Not sure what excuse they will use this time, last time it was because _the little people where to blame for borrowing money_. My guess is it will be something to do with commercial real estate.
Doesn't matter really, because all of you poor bastards are going to pay, and YOU WILL PAY whatever the Fed decides it wants for its cronies.
Each and every American owes 80,000 dollars. You WILL pay this debt off or your grand kids will...but it WILL be paid.
The end result will be lots of poor and impoverished people with big rolls of money in their pockets looking into super market windows lusting at all of the food on the shelves, but too poor to buy anything except maybe butter and a little bit of flour.
(They won't be breaking those windows because the goons will be out in force on most street corners and businesses.)
4) Bombs. Wow this will be a cottage industry. 10 Years from now I see bombs going off all over the place. Washington DC will be transformed into a fortress with most of the government buildings moved or removed from the public eyes so they can't be hit by "terrorists" (i.e. People who are wondering why they have been robbed by the banks and have decided the political system doesn't work anymore and resort to violence to change it by assassinations on corporate and government leaders.)
I mean already all 10 heads of the Federal Reserve have private high tech militarys guarding their homes and families. All of them live in closed gated and heavily defended communities.
I wonder what they are afraid of? They couldn't possibly doing something illegal or criminal and are afraid of retribution could they?
5) Finally, a terrorist attack. Its going to happen. Not sure
Got Geometrodynamics? Awe, too hard to figure out? Too bad.