FC: Free Republic founder: "This is no time to question government!"

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Wed Oct 31 2001 - 09:59:45 PST

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    Jim Robinson's Free Republic announcement in question is here:
    
    http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/558213/posts
         Lots of grumbling lately about deleted posts. Well, my friends, the
         simple truth is the game has changed. We are now at war. We have
         been attacked by a vicious cold-blooded force of international
         terrorists who want to destroy our nation, our freedom and our way
         of life. There is no doubt about this. Knowing this, I am alarmed
         to read some of the stuff that has been posted to FR in the last
         few days. This is not the time to raise doubts about our leaders.
         This is not the time to raise conspiracy theories. This is not the
         time to second guess our intelligence agencies. This is war. This
         is survival of our way of life. We must unite behind our
         Commander-in-chief and do all we possibly can to support him and
         our war efforts. We do not have a choice in this matter. [...]
    
    Jim Robinson is the founder of Free Republic and an icon of the online
    conservative movement. What a difference two years makes -- here's an
    excerpt from an admittedly not-very-flattering article in Salon from
    1999 that described how Robinson outraged fellow conservatives by
    writing "a windy jeremiad linking Texas Gov. Bush with alleged
    CIA-connected drug-running under his father, a former CIA director
    (1975-77), vice president (1981-89) and president of the United States
    (1989-93)." (http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/07/13/free/)
    
    -Declan
    
    ----- Forwarded message from bea anon <anarchocipherat_private> -----
    
    From: bea anon <anarchocipherat_private>
    Subject: we must not question our leaders
    To: declanat_private
    Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 16:08:22 -0800 (PST)
    
    hi declan, this probably isn't publish-worthy, but i
    thought you might find it interesting, from the
    freerepublic.com website ... jim robinson is the
    person who runs the site.
    
    http://sf.indymedia.org/2001/10/107742.php
    
    The home of the "Freeper" movement is coming to terms
    with its own internal fascism. Remember when you didnt
    speak out for the Arabs? Now they are silencing you.
    The Free Republic website isn't very free at all, and
    Jim Robinson explains why here. "We don't need people
    questioning our leaders..." hahaha 
    
    And now a few words from Jim Robinson: 
    Lots of grumbling lately about deleted posts. Well, my
    friends, the simple truth is the game has changed. We
    are now at war. We have been attacked by a vicious
    cold-blooded force of international terrorists who
    want to destroy our nation, our freedom and our way of
    life. There is no doubt about this. Knowing this, I am
    alarmed to read some of the stuff that has been posted
    to FR in the last few days. This is not the time to
    raise doubts about our leaders. This is not the time
    to raise conspiracy theories. This is not the time to
    second guess our intelligence agencies. This is war.
    This is survival of our way of life. We must unite
    behind our Commander-in-chief and do all we possibly
    can to support him and our war efforts. We do not have
    a choice in this matter. The terrorists who attack us
    do so without warning and without mercy. They do not
    want peace. They do not want to co-exist. They do not
    want appeasement or negotiation. They want to destroy
    us. They want to destroy our way of life. They want to
    destroy our freedom. They want to destroy our nation.
    They have no conscience, no respect for life, no
    compassion and will give no quarter. Death of the USA
    is what they seek. 
    
    Many of us on Free Republic are veterans or have
    family members who are veterans or who are currently
    serving in the military. We have each sworn a solemn
    oath to defend our Constitution and our nation. We
    will not waver in the face of adversity and we will
    not shirk our responsibility or fail to do our duty.
    Regardless of our political differences, we will join
    together to support our nation and to crush our common
    enemy. 
    
    All of us can help out. There will be opportunities
    coming for volunteers for all sorts of wartime
    activities. There will be opportunities to help our
    men and women in uniform, our civil defense efforts,
    our war production efforts, giving blood, buying war
    bonds, cooperating if there are shortages, supporting
    our leaders and generally supporting the war effort. 
    
    There will also be precautionary measures. First and
    foremost on this forum and elsewhere is to respect the
    fact that we deal in political information. Many of us
    may personally gain access to sensitive information
    that could harm our military or our war efforts if it
    falls into the wrong hands. If you live or work in an
    area where you may learn of troop movements or war
    plans or if you have family members or friends who may
    have access to this information, please do not spread
    it around. We will be on the lookout for any "Loose
    Lips" info and will delete it when spotted on this
    forum. Now, information that is already printed in the
    newspapers may or may not fall into this category.
    Usually, published information is fair game to post.
    But, please be careful in what discussions may follow.
    
    
    Also, as I said above, it is essential for all of us
    to unite behind our President. Now is not the time to
    seek political advantage. Now is not the time to raise
    doubts about our government or our military, and now
    is not the time to post conspiracy theory or to engage
    in smear attacks. And, no, my finely feathered,
    tinfoil-hatted friends, we did not do this to
    ourselves. The U.S. government did not start this war.
    We were victims of an unprecedented, pre-meditated
    surprise attack, perpetrated by hostile, cowardly
    foreign parties. This attack may not have been in the
    military scale and scope of a Pearl Harbor, but in
    terms of lives lost and impact on the nation and the
    world it is every bit as severe. 
    
    Even so, we have confidence. We know that our nation
    is the strongest in the world and that our people are
    resolved to do whatever it takes to win. We've done it
    before and we will do it again. This is our heritage.
    Securing the blessings of liberty for ourselves and
    our posterity in the tradition of our forefathers is
    our duty and obligation. And I have faith that with
    God's blessings, we will rid the world of this evil
    threat. 
    
    God bless you all and God bless America. 
    
    Regards, 
    Jim Robinson
    
    
    
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    ----- End forwarded message -----
    
    
    
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