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Fred Thompson: Dissent makes US 'weak,' carries 'heavy price'

rawstory.com — In his first interview since declaring his presidential candidacy, Fred Thompson repeatedly warned against the perils of a "weak and divided" nation, raised the specter of unspecified terrorists with suitcase bombs, and expressed a willingness to employ nuclear weapons against Iran.

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  • rancemo, on 10/10/2007, -7/+116"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible." - Frank Zappa
    • saleem, on 10/10/2007, -8/+32I think Fred is confusing real life with super-warhawk episodes of '24'...
    • dmjarrington, on 10/10/2007, -7/+14Nobody will vote for Fred Thompson, ha.
      • dorianh49, on 10/10/2007, -2/+10Jack Thompson will probably vote for Fred Thompson, but only because he thinks "Dissent" is the name of a new videogame.
      • kingsaliva, on 10/10/2007, -3/+16Do not underestimate the stupidity of the American people. Thompson will have a large draw.
        • youareretarded, on 10/10/2007, -3/+3Sad but true. After all he is on tv!
    • wigginz, on 10/10/2007, -24/+6who the hell quotes frank zappa???
      • lordmetroid, on 10/10/2007, -3/+12Zappa is the smartest celebrity ever existed in modern era!
        • FatherVic, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2This coming from a man who named his children Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen.
          Of course he was a capitalist conservative so he couldn't have been all that bad...
          • bugsy187, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2What, again, is so great about Capitalism?
          • MWeather, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1It's great because it works by reinforcing human nature. Communism and socialism rely on rising above human nature. Not that that's a bad thing. It's just not likely to work. We're greedy by nature.
        • fnaqzna, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1FZ was much more than just a celebrity. You might as well compare him to Paris Hilton.
      • nblsavage, on 10/10/2007, -4/+10People who can think for themselves.
      • rancemo, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5People that are intelligent enough to understand FZ quote FZ...
      • MrMan42, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Look here brother, who you jivin' with that cosmic debris?
    • warriorscot, on 10/10/2007, -9/+6So in order for progress the US has to elect a left wing liberal, i would call that big progress for the US but itll never happen especially with all the conservative nut jobs that like in fairy land.
    • walkingdogs, on 10/10/2007, -5/+10The thing I hate the most about these neocons and next gen republicans is that they are listening to the 25 percent that still support what we are doing and expecting the other 75% to fall in line with their ideals. Maybe if they listened to the majority right now there wouldn't be such dissent among Americans. If one of these Republicans other than Ron Paul wins the primary and/or wins the presidency I'm getting the hell out of here so I can watch this country crumble from the outside because we obviously don't get it then. I want to like my country and leaders but GODDAMN they make it almost impossible.
  • wootup, on 10/10/2007, -11/+83wow. Its hard to believe this guy isn't being lynched for comments like this
    • DiggsOnlyNeoCon, on 10/10/2007, -65/+8Yeah, by idiots like Diggers.
      • siszam, on 10/10/2007, -5/+54Do you really want to live in a country where you aren't allowed to disagree with the government? If you did you wouldn't be calling people names online. You should move to North Korea. You should fit right in.
      • p0tent1al, on 10/10/2007, -3/+16you do realize your calling yourself an idiot, right?

        oh well, what can you expect from an idiot....
      • crestfall, on 10/10/2007, -5/+4It's not surprising that someone with your name would identify with an old-school fat-cat who looks out only for the interests of himself and his constituents, rather than the nation as a whole. Fred is up for sale, and he would sell you out in a minute, that is, if you weren't a friend of the old, hopefully dying lot of dinosaurs. That ***** has no idea what America stands for, and he really doesn't care at all -just more of that anti-American rhetoric that keeps ignorant hillbillies behind them.
      • walkingdogs, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2You bring disgrace to Common by thinking the way you do. Please change your avatar if you are going to spew diarrhea of the mouth like that.
    • FRANKeB, on 10/10/2007, -6/+13And you are not a digger? You sir, are a tool.
    • Unlgued, on 10/10/2007, -8/+9"Drop Dead" Fred.
    • streamline, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1FRED ROCKS!

      One day you will "see" what a bad education you received...by all our commie professor infested school's.

      Peace!
      http://iraqsinconvenienttruth.com/
  • HowieHardcore, on 10/10/2007, -26/+10He is so cute and cuddly I just wanna take him home and hug him forever.
    • duddles, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6I feel the same about his wife.
    • SheilaNoya, on 10/10/2007, -3/+3Get a retarded pitbull and you'll have the same thing.
  • ChristPissed, on 10/10/2007, -8/+117"Fascism" carries a "heavy price".
    • EggplantWizard, on 10/10/2007, -7/+22Fascism has been applied in so many contexts that the word has no meaning anymore. Authoritarianism is clearer.
      • knomevol, on 10/10/2007, -3/+12Despotism even....

        here's the best ten minutes you'll spend all weekend:
        http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-461990723502527420

        it's from 1946, fresh from destroying the nazis, but it is so worth watching. you'll be surprised how much is applicable today (as in, "all of it")
        • solis365, on 10/10/2007, -5/+17notice how, when they showed a clip of people saying the pledge, it went "One Nation, Indivisible...."
          not "One Nation, Under God, Indivisible"

          this concerns me. it means that "under god" was added recently. ive always disagreed with it being there, and i guess even in 1946, they did not find it constitutional to put god in the pledge. but now...
          • Terr01, on 10/10/2007, -6/+20Yeah, it was added in 1954.

            Which is why it pisses me off when some people go: "We're a Christian Country, and always have been. Even the pledge of allegiance has God in it..." Bleh.
          • airwalkery2k, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5If it makes you feel any better, the last time I was in a big crowd reciting the pledge of allegiance, like 3/4 of the audience went silent on the "under god" part. I personally do that all the time, because I like to think of myself as a traditionalist--it was nice to know I am not alone.
          • rationalist, on 10/10/2007, -2/+17And, in 1956, the national motto, the uniting "E Pluribus Unum", meaning Out of Many, One, was replaced with the divisive "In God We Trust."

            E Pluribus Unum was originally chosen by the Great Seal Committee which included Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. It served this country through two World Wars, among other things. You can still see it in tiny letters on our coins, much smaller than "In God We Trust", as well as on the ribbon the American Eagle holds in its beak on the Presidential Seal (most often seen in White House press conferences).
        • solis365, on 10/10/2007, -11/+4notice how, when they showed a clip of people saying the pledge, it went "One Nation, Indivisible...."
          not "One Nation, Under God, Indivisible"

          this concerns me. it means that "under god" was added recently. ive always disagreed with it being there, and i guess even in 1946, they did not find it constitutional to put god in the pledge. but now...
        • solis365, on 10/10/2007, -12/+4notice how, when they showed a clip of people saying the pledge, it went "One Nation, Indivisible...."
          not "One Nation, Under God, Indivisible"

          this concerns me. it means that "under god" was added recently. ive always disagreed with it being there, and i guess even in 1946, they did not find it constitutional to put god in the pledge. but now...
      • Timetheos, on 10/10/2007, -3/+17Actually, it applies quite nicely in this case. Being a lobbyist for 20 years, it's obvious that Fred is a corporate lackey. Facism involves the "merging" of corporate power and the state. Combine that with a desire to crush dissent, and facism applies quite logically.
      • coyotemarten, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2Corporatism is even better. It was decided many years ago...to disuade the American people that the fascists had succeeded in their takover of the United States of America. Don't believe it? Try organizing an anti-war protest in some large city and see what happens. You may find out the true meaning of Rendition. What this administration does for America is give it a nice, warm, fuzzy blanket of disinformation. Yep, Fred Thompson, the substitute for Herr Bush. If he's elected we'll be in Deep *****....of course, if any of the others are elected, except for Ron Paul, we'll be in the same location.
  • apexim, on 10/10/2007, -24/+7Fred(and my friend who works for the IRS)should be looking for a new vocation
    RP08
  • HeartlandUSA, on 10/29/2007, -14/+132That is a truly unAmerican statement.

    Dr. Lawrence Britt, a political scientist, published research on fascism in which he examined the fascist regimes of Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Suharto and several Latin American regimes. Britt found 14 defining characteristics common to each fascist State:

    1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

    2. Disdain for the recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarceration of prisoners, etc.

    3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists; terrorists, etc.

    4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military are glamorized.

    5. Rampant sexism - The government of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.

    6. Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

    7. Obsession with National security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

    8. Religion and Government are intertwined - Government in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions.

    9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation are often the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

    10. Labor Power is suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated, or are severely restricted.

    11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.

    12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

    13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

    14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassinations of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

    Benito Mussolini - who knew something about fascism - had a more straightforward definition: “Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power.”

    Abraham Lincoln stated, “I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me, and causes me to tremble for the safety of our country. Corporations have been enthroned, an era of corruption will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people, until wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the republic is destroyed.”
    • EggplantWizard, on 10/10/2007, -19/+18You know, while this is a good comment, you could've linked to that list rather than using so much pagespace.
      • knomevol, on 10/10/2007, -2/+25i'm glad it was put in its entirety here. i'm glad i didn't have to click another single link to arrive at such honest truth, and to see it all in its entirety.
    • ruley, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5the Lincoln quote is fake
      Snopes has it
      • AbsurdParadox, on 10/10/2007, -8/+6Lincoln is definitely not the great emancipator that everyone makes him out to be. He was a destroyer of states rights, and the worst big government president ever.
        • knomevol, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5you know, that is quite the quandary.

          in my own mind, at least, i settle it thusly:

          as the United States Constitution guarantees, "All men are created equal". lincoln emancipated those who were enslaved. what a horrendous crime to enslave people. to free them is quite noble.
        • maz2331, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Actually, Lincoln only emancipated those in the Slave states that were in the Confederacy. He didn't do anything in the borderline ones that stayed in the Union. That happened after the war.
    • rhowell, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4That's not the full text of the article. It's close, but there are some details in the original that are worth reading. http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/britt_23_2.htm
  • obliviousfool, on 10/10/2007, -7/+123Let's try this again.

    Dissent makes us human.
    Dissent makes us well-informed.
    Dissent makes us American.
    Dissent makes us less like a dictatorship.
    • DiggsOnlyNeoCon, on 10/10/2007, -32/+6Where IN THE INTERVIEW does Thompson hate on dissent?!
      • omnithought, on 10/10/2007, -5/+31Um...the part where he says we shouldn't look weak and divided. See, "divided" means people having various opinions rather than falling into unquestioning lockstep with the administration in charge. When you voice a differing opinion, this is often called "dissent". Welcome to the concept of context, and the English language itself.
      • prh99, on 10/10/2007, -2/+12A quote for you:
        "If you're politically committed against this war and to do something to further harm the president, the way the Democrats seem to be in Congress, then anything [in the Petraeus Report] that's a mixed message is going to be seized upon in a negative way, If we look weak and divided in this country, we're going to pay a heavy price for it in the future," he went on. "We're living in the era of the suitcase bomb. And they're not going to go away. They're here now, they're armed and dangerous, and they're trying to get weapons of mass destruction."

        It wasn't overtly stated, but it was very strongly implied with the assertion that being against the war and the president makes us weak in a way that can be exploited in "negative ways" (presumably the nuclear weapons etc mentioned a bit later).
    • MammasMilk, on 10/10/2007, -4/+7SILENCE HUMAN!
      /joke
  • shackleton1, on 10/10/2007, -10/+57Something tells me this is going to be the shortest presidential campaign in history :)
    • TenebrousX, on 10/10/2007, -2/+9"At an end your rule is. And not short enough it was"
      -- Yoda
    • monsterofNone, on 10/10/2007, -3/+6" I don't know how much stark the situation could be."
      he's as articulate as GWB too.
    • razor150, on 10/10/2007, -4/+3I don't know, to many conservative agree with Thompson's statement, I think it won't stop him from getting the Republican domination. I don't think such rhetoric will go over well in the General Election unless there is another major terrorist attack.
      • scottjw, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2Which i'm sure the GOP has scheduled already.
  • caferrell, on 10/10/2007, -8/+26Where do all these world conquerors come from? What drives these guys to barge around the world with their military might? Don't they see that thy have NEVER solved anything that way?
    I am actually pleased that Fred Thompson is using the war strategy to get elected. He is unmasked. That is important because he is the most consummate professional liar in the country. He has practiced in the three professions which are based exclusively on prevarication and manipulation of others: lawyer, lobbyist and actor.
    This man would be worse than Mitt and and Rudy!
    • DiggsOnlyNeoCon, on 10/10/2007, -11/+4It's a stretch to say military might has never solved anything. How about "military aggression" or "unqualified military aggression." Ah... WWII? Were we "barging around the world?"

      And last I checked, Brad Pitt wasn't really manipulating me, much less, EXCLUSIVELY manipulating me. People need to calm down.
    • rationalist, on 10/10/2007, -2/+7"Where do all these world conquerors come from? What drives these guys to barge around the world with their military might?"

      Small penises.
    • WiseWeasel, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3Hundred of billions of dollars in government contracts, with zero accountability.
  • DiggsOnlyNeoCon, on 10/10/2007, -33/+12Talk about twisting and contorting words to promote an agenda. Sheesh. I know Fox News does it, but don't be hypocritical and Digg this up.

    The article lead says: "Fred Thompson repeatedly warned against the perils of a "weak and divided" nation, raised the specter of unspecified terrorists with suitcase bombs, and expressed a willingness to employ nuclear weapons against Iran."

    When in actuality, he warns against LOOKING weak and divided. He named the ERA we are in the "suitcase bomb" era; he didn't warn us of an actual suitcase bomb.

    And the worst -- "The military or nuclear option or whatever certainly should be the last thing to be considered.'
    -- The LAST thing!
    -- Military OR nuclear!

    A clear and unethical exaggeration from the article's writer.

    Oh well, I will be drowned out I am sure by the same people who seem to think Thompson is the devil.

    BY THE WAY: THE WORD DISSENT IS NOT MENTIONED BY THOMPSON. NOT ONCE.
    • satx, on 10/10/2007, -17/+8You neocons can eat my *****.
    • swrostmore, on 10/10/2007, -6/+22"THE WORD DISSENT IS NOT MENTIONED BY THOMPSON. NOT ONCE"

      Thats why it is not in quotations while the words he used are in quotations.
      • mstoneburner, on 10/10/2007, -14/+5So you agree that the headline is not an accurate representation of what he said, and that Rawstory is full of *****, right?
        • swrostmore, on 10/10/2007, -3/+10is the word DISSENT in quotes in the headline? no?
    • vvtf, on 10/10/2007, -20/+5.........and you expected WHAT from rawsewage.com??
    • omnithought, on 10/10/2007, -5/+17So, explain how we simultaneously allow freedom to dissent while not looking "weak and divided" in Thompson's eyes. It doesn't take much to see what he means.
    • jknevitt, on 10/10/2007, -5/+2Nuclear IS military.
  • fancypantscz, on 10/10/2007, -9/+33FTA: We're living in the era of the suitcase bomb, and they're not going to go away. They're here now, they're armed and dangerous, and they're trying to get weapons of mass destruction.

    Really? Even if that were true, I fail to see how the so called a war on terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, and even Iran will keep anyone safe from suitcase bombs. Its clear that Thompson is not familiar with the term 'Blow-back'. However, he seems quite versed in the power of nightmares. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=881321004838285177&q=the+power+of+nightmares&total=335&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

    Oh good another neo-con shill that will lose to RP
    • DiggsOnlyNeoCon, on 10/10/2007, -17/+4Define neo-con. Please, go ahead. People throw that around with no regard to what ideology stands behind it. Here's a tip... Just because Bush says he is a neo-con does not make him one, just as how the Westboro Baptist Church isn't a Christian church, even though it promotes itself as one.
      • swrostmore, on 10/10/2007, -3/+13people really do throw the term "neocon" around, much like the other side of the isle uses "liberal."
      • chrissandvick, on 10/10/2007, -2/+4Bush has never said he's a neo-con. And he's not one; "compassionate conservative" does not equal neo-conservatism. They're both statist but neo-conservatism is pretty cynical on it's take world, wrong as he is I think Bush is a sincere Christian. Neo-conservatism basically holds the proper function of the individual is to be a cog in the service of a government altruistically striving for greatness. That's a prescription for disaster. As a philosophy it gets traction with a lot of Republicans because it appears to be "strong on defense". For a neo-con, "strong on defense" is spending American lives and dollars trying to civilize societies that have only known tribalism and totalitarianism. 6 years after 9-11 and victory is defined as a stabilized Iraq. wtf?
      • rationalist, on 10/10/2007, -2/+8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neocon

        Please detail what in that fairly decent definition you disagree with, specifically, because that is the common understanding of the term.
      • caferrell, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Bush is bad enough, but the true guru of the neoconservative movement is an official hero of the State of Israel, Mr. Norman Podhoretz. There you have a fellow who continues to believe that the world can be reshaped through military force to benefit all of humanity by freeing people.
        The trouble is that the entire system is built on so many fantasies that there is no basis to believe anything about it. It does serve Israel's interests however.
    • aargh01, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2Wow. Just got through watching the first episode of The Power of Nightmares. Scary as hell how short the steps are from Kotb and Strauss to Al-Queda and the Bush administration. In basically one or two generations of adherents to those philosophies, we have Osama Bin Laden and Dick Cheney. Two nobody philosophers put their cracked ideas into action and within half a century the world is at a constant state of war because of it.

      Everybody should watch this video.
    • WilliamDavis, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1"Oh good another neo-con shill that will lose to RP"

      Good. Fred and Rudy can fight themselves for the "Aren't you ***** scared yet?" vote.
  • satx, on 10/10/2007, -10/+21Wow, what a dick.
  • rgodfrey, on 10/10/2007, -7/+35Cool. This means that as president, he will advise his former Republican colleagues in Congress that all bills sponsored by the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate are to be passed without opposition from the right.
    Otherwise, we'd look like pussies to all the other countries.
    • crestfall, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2Word.
    • WiseWeasel, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3That's really not as good as it sounds... Both parties try to pass ***** legislation ALL THE TIME. If it wasn't for partisan infighting, we'd be completely screwed! What we need is some way to make our federal government less effective, so they have less of a chance to screw things up...
  • garryw, on 10/10/2007, -6/+5http://wonkette.com/politics/dept'-of-fredmentum/four-losers-show-up-at-fred-thompson-event-297608.php
    • WarPirate, on 10/10/2007, -9/+5The author of the article you linked to cant remember a war between the one we are in now and vietnam. Pretty short memory for a lib. How bout desert storm.
  • rgodfrey, on 10/10/2007, -7/+39I'm not sure our country is ready for a president that looks like Evil Kelsey Grammer.
    • laasch, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5Only if he VP is an evil David Hyde Pierce.
  • SeethisPass, on 10/10/2007, -9/+35Fred Thompson: Dissent makes US 'weak,' carries 'heavy price'

    And that's why no one should vote for Fred. He's anti American.
  • anarchytv, on 10/10/2007, -10/+11Lets hope dissent makes the U.S. government weak, the U.S. militarily and politically is truely a criminal organization to the very core. Its ok to be proud of your country, but when you do so, be sure not to confuse America the land, America the people, America the accomplishments, with America the government. America is truely a beautiful country with some beautifully cool people in it... but America the government, police, and military is just parasitic garbage and a burden on the people and economy that needs to be swept away. Be careful when you are being patriotic about the first and second, you do not confuse it with the third, which is quite a different beast all together. http://anarchy-tv.com
  • JJsays, on 10/10/2007, -9/+8Manufactured dissent should carry penalty of death
    • omnithought, on 10/10/2007, -2/+6Folks, before you dig him down, read the word "manufactured" and understand what he means by that. He's using a play on words in regards to Chomsky's notion of manufactured consent.
    • impei, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I think that it is more likely a reference to the documentary 'Manufacturing Dissent' which is critical of Michael Moore. He is implying that Michael Moore should be executed.
  • JJsays, on 10/10/2007, -2/+4and one has to assume they are pro American first.
  • omnithought, on 10/10/2007, -5/+20The heaviest price comes when you don't dissent or question.
  • purefx, on 10/10/2007, -5/+8I guess ole Freddy forgot that this nation was founded upon a rather divided population...
  • Bigboomer223, on 10/10/2007, -7/+15What an un-American thing too say!
  • JonnyTrombone, on 10/10/2007, -6/+9Yeah, he's sooo got a chance in the election....
  • Pilot85, on 10/10/2007, -5/+9Now I can never watch the original Law and Order ever again. Ah well, I've already seen a billion of em.
    • scottjw, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Nah, just stick to the Lenny and Adam Schiff ones.
  • vwvwvw, on 10/10/2007, -4/+6Disagreement is not dissent.
    • crestfall, on 10/10/2007, -4/+5What's wrong with dissent?
    • maz2331, on 10/10/2007, -2/+0No... dissent is not disloyalty to the country.
  • Quick2822, on 10/10/2007, -4/+9Whenever Thompson talks "to America", it seems like he is only talking to the people who support him, instead of the rest of the American people. Almost like he is saying "Here is a list of the reasons you people like me!"

    Even the other candidates who I dislike, when they take, it atleast seems like they are trying to talk to everyone regardless if they support them or not.

    Maybe it's just me.
    • swrostmore, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3like Cheney said, success is making 51% of the people happy
  • SuckMyDigg, on 10/10/2007, -5/+4Well, it's just as American to say that as it is to say dissent is what makes the US strong. :P After all it's all dissent. But were we to outlaw dissent we would run into some major problems.
  • DangerCollie, on 10/10/2007, -1/+16Stupidity makes us weak and pay a heavy price.
  • JlmAWP, on 10/10/2007, -6/+5Fox News: Fred Thompson is the right man for the job.

    They'll say it, give it time.
    • wholly2b, on 10/10/2007, -4/+2I doubt it: they're too busy jerking off to Giuliani's speeches
  • meatbot, on 10/10/2007, -5/+6Thank Christ he sounds as stupid as he looks...
    though, thats never really helped us before...
  • MadKennyP, on 10/10/2007, -0/+8"The Founders believed that freedom to think as you will and to speak as you think are means indispensable to the discovery and spread of political truth." Justices Brandeis and Holmes (Whitney v. Calif., 1927).
  • mstoneburner, on 10/10/2007, -10/+2Thompson on zombies: "They're killing our people as we speak. ... We cannot allow this to go on forever."

    This is as accurate as the headline in TFA.
  • totorototoro, on 10/10/2007, -5/+11A speech that whines about dissent and debate being a PROBLEM in a democratic republic, and an ominous yet vague threats of suitcase bombs?
    Oh yeah, he's got my vote now. :p
  • vvtf, on 10/10/2007, -17/+5....once again rawsewage shows the world why they have ZERO credibility... Totally taken out of context, and misleading headlines.
    • wholly2b, on 10/10/2007, -4/+4Where would you suggest I go for news? That's a genuine question. I want to know what news source you think doesn't have ZERO credibility.
    • WiseWeasel, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Don't feed the trolls.
  • solarsavior, on 10/10/2007, -5/+8Fred was doing better keeping a low profile. It is quite evident that he is a moron.
    The only dissent I see the US government dissenting to the will of the AMERICAN people.
  • IslandDog, on 10/10/2007, -13/+7Too bad democrats nonsense doesn't make the front page. Hypocrites.

    • FredFredrickson, on 10/10/2007, -4/+5Probably because Democrats couldn't come up with this much horse ***** if they tried...
  • windhawk, on 10/10/2007, -9/+19***** Fred Thomson.

    The guy is a fascist and thinks he should be president because he played on on TV. Jeez people, do we really need another tough talking blowhard in the Whitehouse? In the word's of Luke Skywalker, "Didn't we just leave this party?"
    • NaciremaDream, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Right on son. well said !! I toast to that !
    • scottjw, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2Fred Thompson, the other white meat.
    • jnosanov, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Uh, Han Solo said that, not Luke.
  • torched, on 10/10/2007, -7/+12Uhm, I like Fred Thompson uh... because he's tall and famous, and thats important in a leader for United States Americans. Oh yea and he can also kill or deport whatever scares me so i'll feel safe. Thompson 08!
    • brian4572, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1I'm voting for Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho!!! Brawndo is fantastic!!!! *****, Ow My balls is on!! Catch you later.
  • Vicujozobenaxod, on 10/10/2007, -16/+6If dissent = Democrats, yup. Weak on security, heavy price on taxes. Every Republican candidate is for less government, more freedom. Democrat candidates are for more government, meaning less freedom. If you vote Democrat, you must hate freedom.
    • cranium, on 10/10/2007, -5/+13Baloney. Bush has grown the government enormously and is curtailing civil liberties. The neocons have taken over your Republican party.
    • FredFredrickson, on 10/10/2007, -3/+5So democrats want the government to spy on them? They want to tell people what they can and can't do with their bodies? Oh sorry, that was Republicans.

      They tell you they are against it while they beat you over the head with it, and you still buy into it. Absolutely unbelievable.
      • e2thexyz, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3The way you twist everything is frightening.
      • WiseWeasel, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3Seeing how the democratic congress just granted the president the authority to conduct warrantless wiretaps on US citizens, and their support for the War on Drugs, DMCA, violent video games, etc., I would say the answer to your (rhetorical) questions is an emphatic YES! Both parties are controlled by authoritarian elitist *****.
    • MattD1, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3If only the Republican candidates actually WERE in favor of less government......
  • exomni, on 10/10/2007, -5/+22This is a very dangerous man. Don't laugh him off, his fascist ideals are loved by so many people here in the US, he is a ver popular man, the Republican nomination is still wide open, and so is the presidency. You need to take this threat seriously.
    • FredFredrickson, on 10/10/2007, -4/+5Luckily, I don't think Thompson stands a chance against the renown of Guiliani or the grassroots support of Paul.
    • art42, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2I agree. Fred will be the republican nominee.
  • arsheroica, on 10/10/2007, -4/+11In a forthcoming press conference, Thompson would go on to state that he is "not really a fan" of this whole "democracy thing".

    This is sort of tangential, but I love it when people like this make statements like, "how dare you offer a dissenting opinion, don't you know people died so that you would even have that right?" as though your participation in doing so is somehow a violation of what they served for. Your right to offer dissent is the most important principle of the democratic process, am I wrong?
  • markp93, on 10/10/2007, -4/+8Maybe no one told him this isn't a TV show?
    • scottjw, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1What's the difference, you think he was acting?
  • Leomarth, on 10/10/2007, -4/+15If it's true, he's lost my vote. I don't buy into "fear politics".
    • art42, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2If you were/are seriously considering a vote for Fred look into his role in Watergate (leaking info to Nixon), lobbying, S&L bailouts, etc. No more actors in the WH.
  • SuckMyDigg, on 10/10/2007, -3/+4Isn't what he's saying dissent as well? It's all just dissent unless it's outlawed at which time it becomes a large problem.
  • crimson117, on 10/10/2007, -3/+24If dissent is bad for the USA, Thompson should join the majority in this country and oppose the war.
    • WiseWeasel, on 10/10/2007, -2/+4We have a winner!
    • toddcat, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Yeah, it's like that stupid Philly columnist who said we're divided.....no we're not.....WE THE PEOPLE have a solid majority who want to get out of Iraq and to impeach these war criminals.
  • gambyt13, on 10/10/2007, -17/+3Dugg down for perptuating editorial rant *****. And I am an environmental libertarian.
    • WiseWeasel, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4You must digg down an awful lot of stories...
  • nastronomical, on 10/10/2007, -9/+6Is he Lying? Whats wrong with telling the UN-political truth?
    • Bodhinature, on 10/10/2007, -4/+7He's lying by omission. Most blatantly, Iran never threatened Israel. It was a deliberate misquote. However, from a neo-conservative Imperialist point of view, he draws the logical conclusions. However, if you are a lover of peace, international cooperation, are not a hypocrite, then he sounds just as loony as every other candidate aside from the 3 so-called fringe candidates (Kucinich, Gravel, Paul).
    • Bilabrin, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1And besides, why do we need to protect Isreal? We had to hold 'em back in the war of '67. They can handle themselves!!!
      • CJWright, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1When regurgitating historically inaccurate hate spam you learned from the propaganda paid for by billions in oil ney you may want to check for the spelling of the country. Even as Harvard and Jimmah Carter receive millions from UAE princes they still correctly spells the country they are lying about.
    • drxavier, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2He lied when he said of Iran "they're killing our people as we speak.' He lied when he said "we are in a global struggle"- with who? over what? Our only struggle is with people who are sick and tired of being bullied by the US Govt for the past fifty years. By threatening Iran with nuclear war, Thompson reveals himself to be a psychopath and a threat to our republic.
  • Chassit, on 10/10/2007, -4/+21Why do neocons hate America?
    • RationalXubrnce, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2Because their only loyalty is to Israel.
    • isellmacs, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Ironicly enough, the answer is the same they give for terrorists: "They hate our freedom"

      The basic ideology of the neo-conservative movement is that family values and morals have been degraded based on too much freedom and liberty.

      Allowing people to be free-thinking and to live as they please breaks down time honored traditions and family values. For example; if you were raised Christian like your father and your fathers father, you would most likely teach your children the same. But with free-thinking comes those who would shun God and turn to Athiesm. Athiests rarely raise their kids as Christian and send them to Church. Without fear of God, people won't be good people and lawlessness ensues. Women who leave the kitchen and enter the workplace become financially independent and no longer need to marry a man in order to live, or can afford to divorce a man should they want to, thus destroying the core of family values.

      Not all neocons think like that, but that's the core of what the neocon political party is about - a return to a time when women knew their place and
    • WiseWeasel, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Because they profit so handsomely from undermining it...
  • johnpowell, on 10/10/2007, -4/+12***** like this is why I started getting drunk in the morning.
  • stanford87, on 10/10/2007, -21/+2hopefully they nuke iran and the rest of the radical middle east
    • johnpowell, on 10/10/2007, -3/+4***** off.. Hopefully they nuke (insert wherever the ***** you live) and, well just where you live is good enough.
      • WiseWeasel, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1I would hope they use something a bit more precise...
    • Chassit, on 10/10/2007, -3/+6Who's the radical here? Jesus H Christ the hypocrisy is disgusting.
    • Bodhinature, on 10/10/2007, -4/+3Hopefully, you get a brain tumor. Preferably malignant.
    • actionjackson, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1it's "new-queue-ler", dummy. The "s" is slilent!
    • stepnw1f, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Hopefully, I never see you face to face.
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