[X Newbies] OT: "Propaganda"

[Alex]

On Wednesday, Apr 14, 2004, at 16:50 Canada/Eastern, Charles Martin 
wrote:

>> From: Alex <alist at sprint.ca>
>> Off-topic: As a mere subscriber, may I suggest to our American fellow
>> subscribers that using sigs to push their political or religious
>> propaganda may be unwelcome (or even offensive) to (some) 
>> non-Americans?
>
> Luckily, us American members have a guarantee of freedom of speech 
> that we hold dear and dare not compromise -- it's one of the few 
> rights we have left!

That's wonderful -- but could you ("you", meaning those who are so 
infatuated with themselves that they believe that whatever political or 
religious issues concern them needs must concern everybody else as 
well) please exercise your freedom somewhere else? Preferably, 
somewhere suitable for your topic? If Americans still enjoy freedom of 
speech, you should have no problem finding such a place.

> It is that level of patriotism

(Didn't someone say something about patriotism as a refuge? But 
perhaps, since he was a Briton, you didn't get to hear about it.)

> that forces me to expose the lies and deception of the present 
> administration, whose actions affect everyone (including those outside 
> the US).

We all have our concerns. I'm concerned about global warming, the 
destruction of the Danube Delta and the Caspian, the plight of Serb 
refugees from Krajina and Kosovo, ethnic cleansing in Darfour and 
colonialism in Xinjiang and Tibet, the destruction of scholarship in 
public universities and the starving of funds of public health care, 
and so on. But my fellow subscribers, who come here to talk Mac, have 
as much right to be free of having my concerns forced upon them, as I 
have to be free of having yours forced upon me.

f