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Matt Osborne

Matt Osborne

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Posted: 10/12/09 05:20 PM ET

 

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09:33 AM on 10/15/2009
If you think the FBI is silly, dumb, naive, or just wasting their time, think again.
This was a methodical action. They are testing the boundaries of the legal system.
The FBI used their authority to arrest a protester and throw some charges at him. The FBI agents don't have to worry about retribution or anything. Those FBI agents receive a nice salary and benefits and don't have to pay one cent to for this process. They arrested and charged him to test our legal system and see what precedent can come from this arrest. Unfortunately, Elliot Madison is on the defensive and has the weight of the judicial system against him. His only recourse is for a judge to dismiss the charges, or he takes a plea bargain or he hopes that a jury will free him.
In any event, the FBI does not lose anything. They are testing the boundaries of their authority, which will continue to proceed, un-checked and at the same time, they have given notice to americans that they will arrest Any protester at any time.

It's an amazing country we live in. We have to be very careful. If you think you are living in a truly free and democratic country, think again. Turn off the corporate sponsored Cable T.V. and read some books. I just finished reading "The Secret History of the American Empire" and "Confessions of An Economic Hitman", both written by John Perkins.
Good Luck!
03:31 PM on 10/13/2009
Good point. Can twitter really do something about this...re-tweeting?
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Matt Osborne
06:42 PM on 10/13/2009
Re-tweeting is actually one of the aspects of Twitter that makes it most interesting to users.
02:00 AM on 10/13/2009
Amazing! What a bad PR move for the FBI! Don't they know that the White House and most people in govt are on Twitter? Everyone forwards (ReTweets) posts.

I really don't think "our govt" is "enjoying" the criminalization of protest speech - but some folks in the FBI sure do need a class in Technology 101.

Good post!
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Matt Osborne
07:09 AM on 10/13/2009
Thanks, Tagrid! I agree that "enjoy" is the wrong word. FBI agents must enjoy their work, I suppose, but this prosecution is a display of epic fail.
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Eris23
Justice is in indefinite detention.
10:48 AM on 10/13/2009
When this first came out in the press, and the FBI reported that one of the things they seized from Mr. Madison's apartment was a picture of Lenin, it was obvious they had nothing on this guy.
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Matt Osborne
03:00 PM on 10/13/2009
Right! A *needlepoint* Lenin. What is this, 1950?
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marinara
09:49 PM on 10/12/2009
I love this blog. This issue is so simple it boggles the mind. Yet our government seems to be enjoying the polarization and criminalization of protest speech.
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Matt Osborne
12:13 AM on 10/13/2009
Thanks for reading, Marinara! And you're right: this is really a simple, simple thing that law enforcement agencies are getting horribly, horribly wrong.