History Repeats: NDAA vs Espionage Act of 1917

Knowing the future doesn't require the help of a fortune teller, you simply need to know the past.  Human nature leaves us destined to repeat the same patterns of behavior throughout history.  Only by learning about our past and acknowledging our successes and failures can we do better in the future. 

Let's compare a past event and a recent event in order to see similarities

ESPIONAGE ACT OF 1917

In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson passed the Espionage Act.  From it's title you would think it was about spying.  However, it had a clause that provided penalties up to twenty years in prison for "Whoever, when the United States is at war, shall willfully cause or attempt to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty in the military or naval forces of the United States, or shall willfully obstruct the recruiting or enlistment service of the US."

The act was used to imprison Americans who spoke or wrote against the war.  In 1917 Charles Schenck spent 6 months in jail for printing and distributing 15,000 leaflets that denounced the draft and the war.  In 1918 Eugene Debs, a great orator, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for giving speeches against the war.  Poet E.E. Cummings spend 3 and a half months in jail for speaking about his lack of hatred for the Germans in WWI.  In 1953, communists Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed under section 2 of the Espionage Act, for apparently passing information about the atomic bomb.  The case against them has been controversial for it's lack of evidence.  In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg and Anthony Russo were arrested for publishing the Pentagon Papers, which exposed the truth about the Vietnam War.  More recently in 2010, Bradley Manning is currently being held for violations of the Espionage Act for releasing diplomatic cables and military video.

NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2011 (NDAA)

On December 31st 2011, President Barack Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act.  Who doesn't like national defense?  The bill will allow the government to lock up any American Citizens that dissent against the government, indefinitely and without trial.  While it states that it only pertains to those associated with Al-Qaeda and terrorism, without a fair and speedy trial, you have no way of defending yourself if you are innocent.

What do you predict will come next?

Summary of New York City Council Stated Meeting

Stated Meeting of the New York City Council.

Held June 4th, 2012 at City Hall

RESOLUTION 1172

Following behind Los Angeles and Madison, Wisconson, New York City became the next city to officially declare that they do not support the Supreme Courts ruling in the landmark Citizen's United case that established corporations as people.  

Mark Weprin (23rd District) Voted YES - "A government of the people, by the people, and for the people.  I don' think Abraham Lincoln was discussing a corporation when he made that statement."

Jumaane Williams (45th District)  Voted YES - Gave a shout out to Occupy Wall Street who was present to support the amendment.  "Too often we heir on the side of money and not the side of people". 

Daniel Halloran (19th District)  Voted NO - Believes the bill is hypocritical because unions are allowed to give money.  Also believed the bill should be a campaign finance amendment.  Says he opposes the bill "not in principle but in specifics".

Charles Barron (42nd District)  Voted YES - "Unions are regulated, there is no comparison."

Eric Ulrich (32nd District)  Voted NO - "Corporations are people because everything that is earned is returned to the people via dividends."

RESOLUTION 1122


Council voted in favor of opposing the National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011, which allows residents from one state who have a licensed gun to carry his or her handgun into another state, regardless of the states licensing procedures and laws.  

Charles Barron (42nd District)  Voted YES - "The most violent act against a community is economic oppression."  Noted that people in districts most plagued by gun violence do not buy their guns with a permit.  Called on the police chief to target low level dealers as well as corruption within the department as NYPD officers have been arrested for illegally trafficking guns.  

Daniel Halloran (19th District)  Voted NO - Believes that it is a second amendment right to carry guns within any state.  Also noted that if driver's licenses have reciprocity, so should guns.  "Only way to get a gun permit is to be rich.  If you have 5000 dollars in the bank you can get a gun permit and that is discrimination."

Jumaane Williams (45th District)  Voted YES - "I'm in favor of anything that gets guns off the streets."

INT 0567


Requires the Department of Transportation to provide online access to street resurfacing and capital improvement information for city blocks.  This bill is cool because it's leverage to underserved communities who often see the roads go unpaved and potholes not repaired.  Citizens can now go online and see when their road was last paid, and also see when others have been paved in order to see if they're being neglected. 

Agenda For The Meeting

Meeting Details