Shepppard said:
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@petpeeved

The reason people need to obtain a permit is because people gathering to protest could lead to a "security risk".

May not happen, but if you incite enough people to do something stupid, all those stupid people with adrenaline running through their veins may lead to them damaging the area they're protesting on.

Granted, it could be seen as an overly elaborate way to stop people from protesting, but it's more of a damage control then a restriction.

Essentially, you get a permit to allow you access to a venue, and should something go wrong at that venue, you're held accountable for it. So, to that end, I don't think someone "Peacefully assembling" should have ANY trouble obtaining a permit, and should therefore take responsibility for whatever their "peaceful protestors" do to the venue they're at. After all, they're peaceful, nothing should get damaged. Right?

@Genjipatrick

Basically, see @Barboards2.

Vague terms to justify stepping on fundamental civil rights is a hallmark of the 20th and now 21st century. "Security Risk" sounds just like one that I could see any right wing politician using to justify anything that opposes their agenda. The protests of the 1960s were messy, disruptive, powerful and sometimes very effective but in almost all cases where there was violence, it emanated from the government, not the protesters. Americans haven't conducted a large scale armed organized resistance against the government since the Civil War so what exactly is the "security risk" of protesting without a permit? Damage to property? We have laws to cover that. No need, and no right, to insert a layer of bureaucracy on top of the First Amendment. In fact, we have so many laws on the books now that almost every conceivable (and inconceivable as evidenced by the recent Jefferson Memorial arrests for dancing) offense is covered by normal criminal procedures.

To put it bluntly: do you not feel uneasy about say, protesters being allowed only to protest in a corral many blocks and sometimes a mile from the actual site of the event or politician that is the subject of the protest? Look at the G8 summits. That's standard practice now simply because of some property damage. That's not a protest; that's a wax museum depicting a protest.

Read this: it's just one of a dozen similar accounts across the globe:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/05/g8.globaleconomy1

Related: Larry's keynotes at the e-G8 summit this week.

Taken from LiveLeak...

War with Iran has already been decided by the powers that be and the modern-day quasi-declaration happened last Thursday. Using the same legislative and propaganda playbook that led to the Iraq War, the U.S. Government has just officially declared War on Iran. Reuters reported "Congress on Thursday approved tough new unilateral sanctions aimed at squeezing Iran's energy and banking sectors, whic More..h could also hurt companies from other countries doing business with Tehran. The House of Representatives passed the bill 408-8 and sent it to President Barack Obama for signing into law. The Senate had approved it 99-0 earlier in the day."


Congress hasn't officially voted for a Declaration of War since World War II. In modern times they use creative wording in bills that authorize the broad use of force across borders in the sweeping "War on Terror." The Bush Doctrine of preemptively attacking countries because they may pose a threat to America in the future was universally trashed by progressives, but is alive and well under Obama, the Prince of Peace, without one dissenting vote in the Senate. This authority is what the Obama Administration claims also gives them the legal argument to bomb sovereign countries like Pakistan.

This unilateral decision by the United States Congress comes on the heels of a 12-2 U.N. Security Council vote on June 8th to impose a "modest tightening of sanctions" against Iran. Of course, Russia and China have been assured that sanctions won't apply to their energy needs in order to secure their votes. After the vote President Obama asserted that, "these sanctions do not close the door on diplomacy."

However, the United States preempted this embargo vote in Congress by taking up an aggressive posture in tandem with Israel by deploying an Armada of Battleships to the Red Sea. There are now reports from the Israeli National News that, "The Israeli Air Force recently unloaded military equipment at a Saudi Arabia base, a semi-official Iranian news agency claimed Wednesday, while a large American force has massed in Azerbaijan, which is on the northwest border of Iran."

Now, it seems that the United States is working overtime to sell their war plans to potential allies. CIA chief, Leon Panetta appeared on ABC's This Week and announced that the Iranians, "have enough low-enriched uranium right now for two weapons. They do have to enrich it, fully, in order to get there. And we would estimate that if they made that decision, it would probably take a year to get there, probably another year to develop the kind of weapon delivery system in order to make that viable."

While world leaders negotiate their piece of the Iranian pie in G8 negotiations, the multinational fear campaign has begun. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Sunday that a CIA warning that Iran has enough uranium to build two atomic bombs was "worrying," and criticized Tehran's secrecy over its nuclear program. Gathered at the G8 Summit in Ottawa, world leaders now "fully believe" and are "worried" that a preemptive attack by Israel on Iran is inevitable. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told reporters that "Iran is not guaranteeing a peaceful production of nuclear power [so] the members of the G8 are worried and believe absolutely that Israel will probably react preemptively."


Enforcing an unprovoked embargo on a sovereign nation has been historically defined as an act of war. Unfortunately, very few of our elected officials know or understand history and therefore overwhelmingly voted for the new sanctions. Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX), an outspoken critic of Iran sanctions, was one of the eight house members to vote against the measure. Here is Ron Paul from a few months ago comparing sanctions to an Act of War while discussing this bill; H.R. 2194 Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010.

The Bush-Obama Doctrine is the rule of tyrants. Clearly it looks like Israel and America are determined to preemptively strike Iran even though Iran has always maintained that their nuclear program is for peaceful energy production only. America has once again engaged in an Act of War on a sovereign nation that has not harmed, or even threatened to harm her. Iran's biggest crime appears to be sitting on a sea of crude at a time when oil-thirsty Neo-cons, who penned the Doctrine, rule the world. The coming war with Iran will not be pretty.

Interesting fact: Herbert Grönemeyer (the guy that climbs into bed at the end) went on to become one of Germanys most famous singers. In 1994, Grönemeyer was the first non-English-speaking artist who was invited by MTV to do an unplugged concert

Here is the ballad "Der Weg" (The Way) that he wrote after his wife and brother died from cancer in 1998, both within 3 days of each other.

Here he is performing with Bono at last years G8 Summit at Heiligendamm (Bono sings german!!!)

This is the song he wrote for the Football WorldCup 2006

rough translation:

"And now, I can't resist the desire to show you the beginning of the press conference by the new French president Nicholas Sarkozy at the G8 Summit. He's leaving his meeting with his Russian colleague, Vladimir Putin, and apparently he didn't drink a lot of water."

"Ladies and Gentleman, I would like to apologize for my tardiness which was caused by the length of my meeting with Mr. Putin. What would you prefer, that I respond to questions? Sooo...<shrug> Are there questions <snicker>? One here..."