Re: virus: Re:The End of Freedom: Enforced Conformity

From: Dr Sebby (drsebby@hotmail.com)
Date: Tue Aug 19 2003 - 12:47:05 MDT

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    although it is admittedly difficult to understand why someone would be so
    stupid as to create such a website in these troubled times. what good was
    supposed to have come from it? i have to wonder sometimes how the typical
    'anarchist' type can accurately seperate himself from the community around
    him who's structure allows him the leisure time to create such 'anarchist'
    ideas. if it werent for some sort of structure, he'd spend his mornings out
    in the forest scavenging for food and what not. alternate value systems are
    fine, but total anarchy is a bit silly...since a more profitable effort
    should first be put forth in finding other like minded folks whom with to
    share your sentiments...and then follow that up with an effort to create a
    seperate state (buy an island?) on which to live apart from that which the
    anarchist despises. otherwise it's pure hypocrisy in my opinion.

    DrSebby.
    "Courage...and shuffle the cards".

    ----Original Message Follows----
    From: "Hermit" <hidden@lucifer.com>
    Reply-To: virus@lucifer.com
    To: virus@lucifer.com
    Subject: virus: Re:The End of Freedom: Enforced Conformity
    Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 01:47:19 -0600

    With all of the furor some of Blunderov's fine posts run the risk of being
    missed. I recommend them. One of them contained the
    following (though I'm not sure where it is from. Blunderov, if you see this,
    please drop me a line and I'll update it on the BBS):
    [hr]
    Anarchist Website Puts Man in Jail

    Should a person go to jail just for linking to websites that post
    information about how to make bombs? That appears to be the position of
    the United States government. Sherman Austin has been sentenced for
    doing just that - he pled guilty to "distributing information related to
    explosives" because he was afraid that he would be charged under
    anti-terrorism laws, a designation that might put him in a deep, dark
    hole from which he would never be heard from again.
    Newsday reports:

    Austin told the judge Monday he "wasn't really thinking" when he created
    the Web site. "I'd be devastated if someone used this information to
    harm others," he said. ...Austin said he took a plea bargain because he
    feared his case was eligible for a terrorism enhancement, which could
    have added 20 years to his sentence. The plea deal had called for him to
    serve four months.

    This is not the first time that a criminal defendant has felt pressure
    to plead guilty to something in order to avoid the excessive power of
    government prosecutors under recent anti-terrorism laws. The question
    is, who will be next? You?
    [hr]
    As I recognised the name of the webmaster of "raisethefist.com
    (http://www.raisethefist.com/)" from some posts I made about him in
    early 2002 I did some further research which yielded:
    Vigilant TV (http://vigilant.tv/search/?words=sherman+austin)
    2003-08-06 Californian sentenced for anarchist Web site

    U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson sentenced Sherman Austin Monday to more
    than the prosecutor had recommended under a plea bargain.

    Austin, 20, pleaded guilty in February to distributing information related
    to explosives.

    Austin told the judge Monday he "wasn't really thinking" when he created the
    Web site. "I'd be devastated if someone used this
    information to harm others," he said.

    Austin admitted posting links about bombs to enable people to build and use
    them during demonstrations against interstate and
    foreign trade. He told FBI agents he wanted the Web site to teach people
    about police brutality.

    Austin must also pay a $2,000 fine and is barred for three years from using
    a computer without approval. Wilson said he also may not
    associate with anyone from a group that "espouses physical force as a means
    of change."
    [hr]
    2002-09-26 raisethefist: RTF Webmaster to be Convicted
    RaiseTheFist webmaster Sherman Austin has pleaded guilty to charges of
    distribution of explosives information. Austin made headlines
    in February when an FBI raid took his web site offline. Initial charges were
    dropped; his subsequent indictment in late August
    didn't receive much attention. Link via Duncan Frissell
    (http://technoptimist.blogspot.com/2002_09_22_technoptimist_archive.html#85491147)*,
    who laments Austin's decision to plead guilty
    and let the charges go unchallenged.

    *Hermit: Who provided these links:
    http://www.raisethefist.com/news.cgi?artical=wire/----9846413t4a.article
    http://www.raisethefist.com/news.cgi?artical=wire/----9845643t4a.article

    Both of these still work and point into the site, which is probably worth a
    visit.

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