Date: 17 Feb 2000 00:05:00 +0200 From: ASWAD-AT-anarch.free.de (catkawin) Subject: Re: Spin magazine on the Eugene anarchists Scott wrote: > >Anti-gang law? How did that get past the 1st Amendment? > Oh that's easy, regardless of what the declaration of independence says to > the contrary, there are no inalienable rights, the only rights you have are > those generously given to you by your government*, at its discretion - and > when your "rights" get in the way of its goals, they are revoked. Since > most gang members are already marginalized and demonized by mainstream > society, taking away their "rights" is politically popular and doesn't > cause any civil liberties ripples, and once these laws are on the book, > it's a small step to widening the definition of a gang. Are > straight-edgers a gang? They might say no, they're a sub-culture, but they > have their own symbols and tattoos, and so are easily pigeon-holed as > gangsters (and let's not forget, a couple of them blew up a McDonald's, so > they're all potential terrorists as well). [snip] > Gangs and terrorists are the new red herrings in a > post-Soviet world. Quite so. But one should always look at the brighter side of things: A few years ago, our then-Sec of Interior, Manfred "Law-and-Order" Kanther, under the pretence of this immense danger we faced from gangs from Easter European countries operating here, pushed a legislation reform to be able to "fight back organized crime". Including "facilitated procedures of tapping phones, bugging houses and other 'vayz ant meanz' to get by constitutional rights bestowed upon the individual, and all these, of course, cannot only be used against organized crime, but also against, err, well, you can imagine for yourselves... Needless to point out, one of the things revised by this legislation was the definition of a criminal organisation: any crime discussed and later on (probably) realized between you, me, and the lamppost under the new laws can be tried and sentenced according to the "criminal organisation law". The brighter side of things???? Easy one. As has been revealed a few weeks ago (and still is in the process of being revealed), Herr Kanther in alliance with probably four or five more persons of the Christian Democratic Party followed highly illegal procedures of handling the party's financial affairs and increasing their wealth by mainting illegal bank accounts and stuff in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The good news is: Kanther may face trial under these very same laws, because his little group of well-meaning Christian Democrats also nicely fits the revised definition of organized crime.... To close this with a political joke referring to a past regime: Comrade Breshnev and a few colleagues visit a kindergarden. The staff shows them around, and they are quite pleased with the achievements of the dictatorship of the proletariat. Finally, Breshnev asks how much money is spent on meals for each child per day. Upon hearing it was 3 Rubels, he categorically says: "That's far too much! It should be reduced to 1 Rubel." The delegation then moves on and visits a prison. They are likewise shown around, and again Breshnev asks about how much money is spent per day to feed the prisoners. The answer received is: "One Rubel a day." Breshnev equally categorically demands that this amount is raised to 3 Rubels per day. After having left the prison, a delegation member asks Breshnev: "Comrade Leonid, I don't understand. This is not fair - reducing the money spent on the kids, why, they are the future of our glorious Soviet Union. And then raising the amount spent on prisoners who are the enemy of the revolution!" Breshnev replies: "Well, comrade, if the worst comes to the worst - what do you think where they will send us to?!?!?!" catkawin ## CrossPoint v3.11 ##
Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005