To a лагерь theater near you: Patriot II! And unlike the Alien and Sedition Acts, this will never expire. A few highlights from the 1798 law:
The Alien Enemies Act authorized the president to imprison or deport any alien associated with any nation the United States was fighting in a "declared war," during a war time. The Alien Act authorized the president to deport any alien considered dangerous, even in a peace time. The Naturalization Act extended the duration of residence required for aliens to become citizens, nearly tripling it from five years to 14. The Sedition Act made it a crime to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious writing" against government or government officials.
Yup, the Newsweek broadside was just the first salvo against criticism of the powers that be; why take down the internet (blogs) when you can just disappear bloggers? We may become like Argentina in more than just the economy department. Who's gonna determine what is 'scandalous'? Oh, wait. They don't have to declare anything, or tell anyone. One day you're just gone.

Comments