Short piece today by noted mid east historian at Univ of Michigan Juan Cole.
"NYPD Attack on OWS and the End of the First Amendment"
The billionaire mayor of NYC orders the attack on free speech.
http://www.juancole.com/...
Not only did the police, at the orders of billionaire mayor Michael Bloomberg, abruptly move on the protesters, they are alleged to have deliberately kept the press away, which is clearly unconstitutional if true.
The US constitution prohibits Congress from restricting the right of citizens to assemble peacefully and to petition for redress of grievances. For a history of the relevant US Supreme Court cases, see this link.
The government is also forbidden to interfere with the workings of the free press, so that the NYPD’s attempt to keep reporters away from the scene of their unprovoked attack on the demonstrators compounds the unconstitutionality of it all.
OWS stands on the constitution but the government stands on "security" and George Orwell.
Time to get into Glenn Greenwald.
His talk on civil liberties in the age of Obama from a few months ago at Brown University on You Tube.
http://www.youtube.com/...
On his book tour last week in a speech at Claremont College he first explains the rule of law and how it has always been an ideal for the USA. The powerful have hijacked the rule of law to support them and punish the rest of us. Insightful, forceful speech
Click on auto play at the top or the first one and it will move through the segments
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL35F522DB9E8B527E&feature=viewall
Question and answer from above talk in three segments
http://www.youtube.com/...