#Alien and Sedition Act

[yr-obedt-cicero]

So… like, what was up with Hamilton and immigration?

Despite being an immigrant himself, Hamilton supported the Alien act of 1798, and he wrote under the name of Lucius Crassus that when it comes to Immigrants, it is: “unlikely that they will bring with them that temperate love of liberty, so essential to real republicanism.” (source: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-25-02-0282, by the way!).

I could go all in on this topic (hell, I might on my own history blog), but I’d like to hear your perspective on it. People rarely talk about Hamilton’s later attitude towards immigration, and it’s a rather interesting topic with a lot to uncover. Most of Hamilton’s points in the Lucius Crassus papers were political in nature (naturally), but would he have really insisted on shutting the ports on families escaping desperate situations, perhaps like he had so many years ago?

One again, it’s very strangely hypocritical of Hamilton to say this, so I think that you would find this interesting to cover! Apologies for the long ask!

A common fault when viewing this is the oversimplification, historical context and context in general is super essential here. And that's what I'll cover first;

The British West Indies were called such for a reason, they were British owned land. Nevis was prioritized as the international British trade for markets like the slave trade, sugar, rum, etc. But nonetheless, it was still considered part of the British Empire, and the citizens there were equally considered British subjects. So, Hamilton was already born a British subject just like the other founders. When Hamilton came to America in 1772, America was still also under British rule, and most of the people still considered themselves as “British”. And the term “American” didn't actually arise until much later during the revolution. Which essentially means, he was basically just moving around the empire.

Although despite the generalized perspective of labeling, it did not go without bias, and actually there was a massive division between cities and states. That is why you will commonly cross historical figures labeling others as Carolinians, Virginians, etc, because to them the difference truly mattered and that was mostly rooted with the different cultures and laws surrounding each state. This also evidently plays a part in the view of Hamilton as a citizen. Because that was just differences between states, so imagine how much more drastic it was for Hamilton who came from the Islands. Which here is where I'll start to delve more into Hamilton's identity as a “immigrant” that we all insist on calling him. The truth is, Hamilton wasn't an immigrant legally or metaphorically, and it's faulty to try and fit his identity in the cookie cutter modern terminology like “immigrant” because there are too many complications with all the layers of historical context you must take into account. I'm not saying Hamilton's struggles and the prejudice that he undeniably faced were not similar to the same turmoil many immigrants today endure, but he was moreso seen as an outsider or foreigner, rather than an immigrant. And that is majorly for two reasons;

Firstly, Hamilton placed himself between a rock and a hard space by moving to the Northern colonies—as a person who came from an area known for it's slave-trade, to an area that frowned upon the practice. And there's where there is a repeating distinction between states and their culture or beliefs, because the people in the North had a strong bias against the international trade Islands. The West Indies had a bad name to them for oftentimes being used as the penal colonies for petty criminals or the morally bankrupt by their definition, so many like women who committed infidelity, sodomites, thieves or smuggler traders were sent there. Additionally, their population was largely made up of enslaved workers and free people of color. So, assumptions were drawn about Hamilton when he came from this “lowlife” society.

Secondly, political disparage. A major culprit who utilized Hamilton's heritage and parentage against him that it became such a prominent part of his identity, was John Adams. For the same reason I just mentioned about the little respect the Northern colonies harbored for the West Indians. And as so, it made the perfect weapon of xenophobic stigma against Hamilton.

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The overall point I'm getting to, is that it's debatable if Hamilton even saw himself as equal to the “Aliens” they were enforcing laws against. And I really don't think he did, Hamilton was able to separate himself from them because he was born a British citizen, and had been in the colonies by the time the Constitution was finalized and would have met the qualifications of an American US citizen. Also altering the residency requirements from five to fourteen years wouldn't apply to him anymore. Truthfully, Hamilton was ashamed of his Carribean roots (For obvious reasons, at this point), and naturally would have been inclined to hold himself in higher respect. Furthermore, during this time he was finally placed as second in command of the army and clearly thought lowly of the new immigrants;

To see the character of the Government and the country so sported with, exposed to so indelible a blot puts my heart to the Torture. Am I then more of an American than those who drew their first breath on American Ground? Or What is it that thus torments me at a circumstance so calmly viewed by almost every body else? Am I a fool—a Romantic quixot—Or is there a constitutional defect in the American Mind? Were it not for yourself and a few others, I could adopt the reveries of De Paux as substantial truths, and would say with him that there is something in our climate which belittles every Animal human or brute.

Source — Alexander Hamilton to Rufus King, [21 February 1795]

But in the end, Hamilton also knew he could never suit himself among the wealthy aristocrats and despite his shame, always knew he would forever be chained to his roots. He even refered to himself as a “Creole” (A derogatory term) and wrote to Jonathan Dayton;

But what avail laws which are not executed? Renegade Aliens conduct more than one of the most incendiary presses in the UStates—and yet in open contempt and defiance of the laws they are permitted to continue their destructive labours. Why are they not sent away? Are laws of this kind passed merely to excite odium and remain a dead letter? Vigour in the Executive is at least as necessary as in the legislative branch. If the President requires to be stimulated those who can approach him ought to do it.

Source — Alexander Hamilton to Jonathan Dayton, [Sometime after 21 December 1799]

It is my personal belief at least, that Hamilton accepted he would forever be in an in-between position in the classes of society. He saw himself as higher than most immigrants due to his citizenship and civil and military services meriting him a lot of respect, but ultimately knew he was different from most wealthy politicians and many were never going to accept him as anything but his Carribean heritage.

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But something else that must be addressed, is what provoked the Alien and Sedition acts, more importantly the former, because there is a lot of necessary background. A large cause for the Alien acts was the French Revolution storming up. The rebellion for the French were becoming hostile, and tarnished their plausible foreign alliances after chopping off their king's head. But had still expected America - that was still in a fragile state of founding - to go to war with them and the British, when Americans had initially wished to remain neutral. So, while that hadn't worked out, that didn't stop many French citizens - who were not in support of their government, but still did not want to live under a monarchy - immigrating over to America. This may sound familiar, but many Americans believed that their country was not obligated to give refuge to these immigrants. And feared that they were dangerous, and part of the French government in a scheme. With that being said, this was rather an act against the French particularly, and the dangers they threatened the country with because of the ongoing war with Britain and France.

Take that into account, and it's also more than likely Hamilton didn't equate himself with these immigrants because they didn't even start out as British subjects. These were people all the way from Europe, and a country that at the time was hostile and pissed at them for not siding an alliance with them. The background and context could change the whole situation, and it could be that it was rather that Hamilton was merely against these immigrants under these conditions. But I do think my prior point is still worth noting, because we aren't sure what Hamilton's opinions were on immigrants in general, since in this context it is much less about innocent immigrants seeking refugee, but also the plausibility of the dangers they bring as being French. In the end, Hamilton's actions proved that jurisprudence likely took precedence over his own personal experiences or sentiments about the situation in question. But I do think it's fair criticism, but also expected? Hamilton could be an extremist in politics that it posed contradictions to his personal life, and also just sometimes he didn't live up to his own ideals. Hamilton even drafted the 1787 New York law that made adultery the only grounds for divorce, which excluded cruelty or abandonment. And, according to Chernow, he supported a bill against those who were divorced to remarry. Which is all quite questionable when you remember his own mother's situation.

[valend]

Gossiping with friends in 100°f heat, connecting dots that don’t exist, feeling like john adams

[kemetic-dreams]

As far back as Ben Franklin's time some had a very narrow view of what America should be.

Benjamin Franklin, in 1751, referring to the Swedes, French and other Europeans as insufficiently white, and expressing his growing annoyance at the German immigration boom:

[W]hy should the Palatine Boors be suffered to swarm into our Settlements and, by herding together, establish their Language and Manners, to the Exclusion of ours? Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a Colony of Aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of our Anglifying them, and will never adopt our Language or Customs any more than they can acquire our Complexion?

Which leads me to add one Remark, that the Number of purely white People in the World is proportionably very small. All Africa is black or tawny; Asia chiefly tawny; America (exclusive of the new Comers) wholly so. And in Europe, the Spaniards, Italians, French, Russians, and Swedes, are generally of what we call a swarthy Complexion; as are the Germans also, the Saxons only excepted, who, with the English, make the principal Body of White People on the Face of the Earth. I could wish their Numbers were increased. And while we are, as I may call it, Scouring our Planet, by clearing America of Woods, and so making this Side of our Globe reflect a brighter Light to the Eyes of Inhabitants in Mars or Venus, why should we, in the Sight of Superior Beings, darken its People? Why increase the Sons of Africa, by planting them in America, where we have so fair an Opportunity, by excluding all Blacks and Tawneys, of increasing the lovely White and Red? But perhaps I am partial to the Complexion of my Country, for such Kind of Partiality is natural to Mankind.

The much younger Alexander Hamilton, perhaps the nation’s most famous and politically influential immigrant (he was born in the Danish West Indies and came to New York as a teen), also went on to express anti-immigrant tendencies. He supported the Alien and Sedition Acts, which helped consolidate power for his own political party. And in a series of pseudonymously-written essays, he warned of the dangers of absorbing and especially naturalizing too many foreigners.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/rampage/wp/2015/08/28/founding-fathers-trashing-immigrants/

[publius-library]

Why do you think Hamilton supported the Alien and Seduction acts as an immigrant himself?

This is a common discussion I see, and it becomes quite easy to understand when you take into account the current events, what prompted the Alien and Sedition Acts (which is what I will assume you meant instead of Seduction, since I think it would be pretty self explanatory why Hamilton would support Seduction acts), who John Adams was, and Hamilton's beliefs.

Firstly, the most prominent international event occurring at the time was the French Revolution. When the Revolutionary government replaced that of the Ancien Regime, it dissolved it's alliances with foreign nations, especially after they cut their king's head off. This resulted in a war and a dude you might have heard of named Napoleon, but we don't need to get into that to understand that Britain and France had major beef, even more so than before. As a result, a lot of the French people who did not approve of their government's actions, but still did not want to live under a monarchy, immigrated to the United States. Much like today's current debate over immigration, some people believed that the United States were not obligated to give refuge to these immigrants, that they would take American jobs, and posed a risk to American citizens. Hence, the Alien portion of the Alien and Sedition Acts.

As for the Sedition part, this was a personal gift from John Adams to himself. He was a very egotistical, sensitive man who could not take criticism of his policies from the newspapers. As stated by the National Archives, "The Sedition Act made it a crime for American citizens to "print, utter, or publish...any false, scandalous, and malicious writing" about the government."

John Adams, a Federalist, believed that in putting restrictions on citizenship and free speech, he was preventing American people from sympathizing with the French in the potential war that was brewing between America and France, since France was currently raging and ruining everything and making everything difficult for everyone.

Now, where does Hamilton come in? Hamilton was a Federalist, and while he didn't agree with Adams on almost anything, he was fiercely against any kind of violent rebellion. This is exhibited in the many times he attempted to stop a mob, the earliest one being at King's College, when he stood before a mob and lectured them, buying time for the president of the college to escape being tarred and feathered. This is repeated during the Cadaver Riots in 1788. This belief of his can be traced back to his childhood in the Caribbean, in which there was a constant fear that the overwhelming enslaved population (80% of the island's inhabitants were enslaved Africans) would revolt.

Hamilton was also a fan of Thomas Hobbes, who believed in a cynical idea of human nature, in which every individual is self-serving to their own wants and needs. Hobbes wrote in The Leviathan, "And from hence it comes to pass that, where an invader hath no more to fear than another man's single power, if one plant, sow, build, or possess, a convenient seat others may probably be expected to come prepared with forces united to dispossess and deprive him not only of the fruit of his labor but also of his life or liberty." The key differences between the philosophies of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke also resemble the distinction between Federalists and Democratic Republicans.

All this to say, Hamilton's beliefs were shared with Adams- the French immigrants were possibly dangerous, being a threat to the stable revolution that was surviving in America. Additionally, he followed the principles of Hobbes in his belief that the government was responsible for keeping the people in check, and preventing them from entering into their natural state, which made life "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." The goal of the Alien and Sedition Acts was to prevent individuals aiming to bring a French-style rebellion to the United States, and to discourage similar sentiments from circulating in the press.

Clearly, this didn't work. The United States never went to war with France, this violation of the right to the press was not tolerated, Adams never served another term as president, and Hamilton never convinced a mob to disperse. The Alien and Sedition Acts weren't entirely anti-immigrant, as they were mainly targeted by the French, and if you're asking me personally, I believe Hamilton was able to disregard this as the law for citizenship (changing the residency requirements from 5 to 14 years) wouldn't apply to him anymore, and he could further hide the fact that he was an immigrant. He was ashamed of his origins, as the Caribbean was used at the time as, essentially, a large prison, and he didn't have the best reputation while he was there. I do think it is ironic that Adams was responsible for the Alien and Sedition Acts, and he was the one who tormented Hamilton for this birthplace. But, you know, I wasn't in that crazy ass redhead's mind.

I know this is long, but I've thought about this before, and I love getting into the reasoning behind Hamilton's politics. He was one of those cases where you can really see how his personal life influenced his political beliefs, and I think that's really interesting. Anyway, I hope this helps, and thank you for the ask <3

[professor-cold-ramen]

reading about the start of the US government is only radicalizing me further

[quotesfromall]

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That it shall be lawful for the President of the United States at any time during the continuance of this act, to order all such aliens as he shall judge dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States, or shall have reasonable grounds to suspect are concerned in any treasonable or secret machinations against the government thereof, to depart out of the territory of the United States, within such time as shall be expressed in such order, which order shall be served on such alien by delivering him a copy thereof, or leaving the same at his usual abode, and returned to the office of the Secretary of State, by the marshal or other person to whom the same shall be directed. And in case any alien, so ordered to depart, shall be found at large within the United States after the time limited in such order for his departure, and not having obtained a license from the President to reside therein, or having obtained such license shall not have conformed thereto, every such alien shall, on conviction thereof, be imprisoned for a term not exceeding three years, and shall never after be admitted to become a citizen of the United States.

Jonathan Dayton, An Act Concerning Aliens

[oldblogger]

States of the United States vs. the Federal Government

States of the United States vs. the Federal Government: http://wp.me/prazu-12S

  From before the adoption of the US Constitution in 1787, there has been strenuous argument, sometimes bordering on the violent, between those who wanted a strong central government and those who saw the individual states as the primary locus of governmental power—except for those 18 specific powers granted to the two houses of the federal government, as enumerated in the Constitution. (Former…

[hotvintagepoll]

Please go read or listen to Paul Robeson's testimony before HUAC.

Transcript: https://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6440BA

Audio reenactment by James Earl Jones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhnCrHZkgNk

My name is Paul Robeson, and anything I have to say, or stand for, I have said in public all over the world, and that is why I am here today.

...

Mr. SCHERER: Mr. Chairman, this is not a laughing matter.

Mr. ROBESON: It is a laughing matter to me, this is really complete nonsense.

...

Mr. SCHERER: The witness talks very loud when he makes a speech, but when he invokes the Fifth Amendment I cannot hear him.

Mr. ROBESON: I invoked the Fifth Amendment very loudly. You know I am an actor, and I have medals for diction.

...

Mr. ROBESON: Because my father was a slave, and my people died to build this country, and I am going to stay here, and have a part of it just like you. And no Fascist-minded people will drive me from it. Is that clear? I am for peace with the Soviet Union, and I am for peace with China, and I am not for peace or friendship with the Fascist Franco, and I am not for peace with Fascist Nazi Germans. I am for peace with decent people.

Mr. SCHERER: You are here because you are promoting the Communist cause.

Mr. ROBESON: I am here because I am opposing the neo-Fascist cause which I see arising in these committees. You are like the Alien [and] Sedition Act, and Jefferson could be sitting here, and Frederick Douglass could be sitting here, and Eugene Debs could be here.

...

THE CHAIRMAN: There was no prejudice against you. Why did you not send your son to Rutgers?

Mr. ROBESON: Just a moment. This is something that I challenge very deeply, and very sincerely: that the success of a few Negroes, including myself or Jackie Robinson can make up—and here is a study from Columbia University—for seven hundred dollars a year for thousands of Negro families in the South. My father was a slave, and I have cousins who are sharecroppers, and I do not see my success in terms of myself.

Paul Robeson vs Gregory Peck

[whencyclopedia]

XYZ Affair

The XYZ Affair was a diplomatic incident that occurred in 1797-98, involving diplomats from the United States and Revolutionary France. Amidst rising tensions between the two nations, President John Adams sent envoys to Paris to negotiate a treaty, only to find that the French would not open negotiations unless the US paid a bribe. This helped to incite the Quasi-War.

The affair came at a time when the concurrent French Revolution (1789-1799) was already creating divisions within American politics. The nationalist Federalist Party – of which President Adams was a member – was horrified by the violence of the French Revolution and wanted to move the United States away from France's sphere of influence. To do this, they sought to foster closer political and economic ties with Great Britain, which they viewed as the natural ally of the US. This caused outrage amongst the rival political faction, the Democratic-Republican Party (Jeffersonian Democrats), who believed that closer ties with Britain would only undermine republicanism in the United States. At the same time, the French Republic viewed the budding relationship between the US and Britain as an act of aggression and authorized attacks on American merchant vessels in late 1796.

In 1797, President Adams sought to resolve the issue diplomatically and sent three envoys to France. These envoys had expected to be received by the French foreign minister, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord; instead, they were met by three French intermediaries (referred to in coded dispatches as agents 'X', 'Y', and 'Z') who insisted that the United States pay a large bribe in order to meet with Talleyrand and begin negotiations. When this became public knowledge in the US, it inflamed public opinion against the French, leading to increased support for Adams and the anti-French Federalists. Rising Franco-American tensions led to a brief, undeclared naval conflict called the Quasi-War (1798-1800), as well as the passage of the controversial Alien and Sedition Acts (1798).

Background

In 1778, the Kingdom of France signed a Treaty of Alliance with the fledgling United States. The American Revolutionary War had been ongoing for three years, and the Americans had time and again proven their resilience and determination in battle against the British; however, it was clear to all that the American rebellion would falter if they did not receive support from a European power. France was happy to oblige, seeing that a victory in America would humiliate and weaken its rival, Great Britain. France provided the Americans with arms, ammunition, uniforms, troops, and ships, and it turned the war into a global conflict by threatening the valuable British colonies in India and the West Indies, forcing Britain to spread its military resources thin. French soldiers and ships proved vital to the decisive American victory at the Siege of Yorktown, the engagement that solidified American independence. Certainly, the French contributed greatly to the ultimate American victory and succeeded in striking a blow to British prestige in the process.

But such a war came with a monstrous cost, and France soon found itself drowning in debt. Attempts to tackle the problem failed, and France's economic misfortunes blossomed into a revolution. News of the Storming of the Bastille in July 1789 was sweet to American ears, as was the proclamation of the First French Republic three years later. Americans were jubilant that their French brothers-in-arms were following their lead and casting off the shackles of monarchism, with Thomas Jefferson and his supporters even welcoming the new French Republic as "our younger sister" (Wood, 182). But then came the violence: the September Massacres, the trial and execution of Louis XVI, and the start of the Reign of Terror made the streets of Paris slick with blood and plunged the young French Republic deeper into chaos. Under the new Jacobin regime, hundreds of thousands of French citizen-soldiers swept into Europe, vowing to deliver liberty and equality at the point of a bayonet. The French Revolutionary Wars were soon underway as the great powers of Europe – Austria, Prussia, Spain, Portugal, and Great Britain among them – took up arms against the French.

Even now, the French Revolution had support in the United States, with men like Jefferson believing that a little violence was the price to pay for liberty. They believed that the 1778 Treaty of Alliance was still in effect and urged the Washington Administration to offer support to their sister republic. However, President George Washington was reluctant to offer any such support. He knew that doing so would risk antagonizing Great Britain, with whom relations were already low, at a time when the United States was completely unprepared for war. Instead, Washington issued a Proclamation of Neutrality on 22 April 1793, in which he promised to keep the United States out of the French Revolutionary Wars. The following year, his administration negotiated a deal with Britain – the controversial Jay Treaty, ratified by Congress in 1795, created stronger economic and political ties between Britain and the United States. While this achieved the goal of the Washington Administration and the Federalist Party of avoiding another war with England, it outraged the Jeffersonian faction of Americans (Democratic-Republicans), who still wanted to support France and feared that the treaty placed the US too closely within Britain's sphere of influence.

Jay Treaty

John Jay (Public Domain)

The French Republic itself was also incensed by the Jay Treaty, which it interpreted as a British-American alliance. The French felt especially double-crossed because they believed the 1778 Treaty of Alliance was still in effect and had been expecting American support. They retaliated in 1796 when French privateers began attacking American shipping in the British West Indies. Within the next year, nearly 300 American merchant ships were captured, their crews often subjected to maltreatment; in one instance, the French tortured the American captain of the Cincinnatus with thumb screws to get him to confess that he was carrying British goods. Amidst these rising tensions, Washington, who was preparing to leave office, recalled James Monroe as ambassador to France, feeling that Monroe was too pro-French. In his place, Washington sent Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, a hardline Federalist from South Carolina; but when Pinckney arrived in Paris, the French refused to even receive him. This was how matters stood when John Adams was inaugurated as the second US president on 4 March 1797 – a discontented pro-French faction on American soil, and an aggressive French Republic looking to assert its will.

Continue reading...

[absolute-immunities]

“Tyrannophobia” is, of course, an Adrian Vermeule joint, part of his long line of pieces with titles like “Is Capital Punishment Morally Required?,” “Should Coercive Interrogation Be Legal?,” and “Optimal Abuse of Power.”

“Tyrannophobia” might be best read as a follow-up to Vermeule’s 2004 piece, “Libertarian Panics,” which argues that we often get ourselves worked up over nothing, “irrationally convinced that justified security measures represent unjustified attempts to curtail civil liberties.”

We should worry we have too much liberty.

Instead of trying to build safeguards against the Alien and Sedition Acts or Japanese internment, Vermeule argues, we should try to build safeguards against the kinds of hysteria that brought on the American Revolution, or prevented Congress from renewing the Patriot Act.

In “Tyrannophobia,” Vermeule argues that tyranny gets a bad rap. “Liberal legalists sometimes imply that dictatorship has catastrophic effects on welfare, but this is a caricature, not supported by the evidence.” The evidence is ambiguous: some say democracy is better than dictatorship; some say it’s worse. There's room for reasonable people to disagree. Hardly the sort of thing to get hysterical about.

In the Times op-ed, Moyn adopted the “Tyrannophobia” frame. “Excessive focus on liberal fundamentals, like basic freedoms or the rule of law, could prove self-defeating,” he wrote. Moreover, “liberal fundamentals” only distract us from the real issue: “social justice.”

But tyranny itself? Nothing to worry about. “[T]here is no real evidence that Mr. Trump wants to seize power unconstitutionally.”

Good to know, Sam.

[woodsfae]

Babylon 5 S04E08 The Illusion of Truth previous episode - table of contents

John Sheridan looks at a model fighter? a starship, while he's thinking dark thoughts. Ivanova brings even worse ones: their revenue is way down since Earth banned travel to B5.

Sheridan and his dad have apparently been secretly passing messages and he hasn't heard back in awhile. I remember the last time he talked with his dad, that his mom was out and I wondered if his mom had already been arrested or something. Sheridan doesn't seem to have thought of that. He's primarily worried about his dad, too. Ivanova points out his dad is a former diplomat and thus in her opinion, too visible to disappear.

There are other small problems, but Ivanova dismisses expositing about them in favor of praising the great job Zack Allen's doing as new head of security.

Cut to Zack Allen breaking up a fight and threatening someone to inspect their stuff, and breaking locks with his phaser gun. Lol, the true successor to Garibaldi, indeed. He uncovers that their cargo is camera footage and they claim to be news reporters.

Dr Franklin has a plot update on the telepaths wired into Shadows tech. They're storing more people in stasis they were ever meant to support and they're going to move some of them.

The reporter has been arrested, for the subterfuge. Sheridan says he would have been allowed on, just not the recording equipment, since ISN isn't a trustworth news source anymore. The reporter claims he came to try to find ways to slip in truth about B5 into the propaganda news.

But that's how propaganda already works: using bits of truth to support agendas. It's not an inherently trustworthy argument. But Sheridan does seem interested.

Oh, and some Garibaldi! He's talking to a potential client. And by talking, I mean deducing that his client is smuggling valuables and extorts a percentage of their value from the client. And next up to meet with him is Lennier! I guess Garibadi's still on B5, then?

Sheridan shows up with the journalist, Dan Randall, and asks Lennier to show him around, to help verify the truth of B5. So Sheridan believed his spiel! I hope his trust is not misplaced, or that he has a backup plan.

Sheridan doesn't talk to Garibaldi, just leaves. Garibaldi has a flashback to his brainwashing and imprisonment. I have been wondering if Garibaldi resigning was part of PsiCorps' plot. Did he resign because he felt compromised, but is hiding the fact and limiting the security access he has on B5 therefore the damage he can do?

Lennier takes Mr Randall straight to Down Below and describes its denizens and their plights unflinchingly. Way to go for the worst view of B5 first, Lennier!

Delenn and John give an interview and also flirt blatantly and hold hands on camera. Then act uncomfortable when it is commented on.

What they all say to Mr Randal the ISN guy seems ominously well suited to be cut up to imply a totally different narrative. He hits up Garibaldi, who deflects. Mr Randall presses him to talk about anything he chooses. Garibaldi looks conflicted. I am more convinced this guy isn't here for B5's best interests and to represent it honestly.

Euuuugh as does Sheridan's tempting fate. But we won't be left hanging! Sheridan, Ivanova and Delenn put on the report for us all to watch.

It's a super uplifting and encouraging viw of the rest of humanity under Earthforce. /s

Mars is being militarily re-conquered. A film maker confesses sedition and is remanded into a psych unit. Great signs that B5 will be presented honestly and without bias.

Mr Randall starts out by really hyping himself and his bravery up. He presents B5 as controlled by alien governments with humans living Down Below in squalor while only aliens and command staff live in decent quarters. He has guest on to imply that Sheridan lowkey worships alien species as gods.

Everything is indeed cut to show them in the worst light. Aaaand they did get Garibaldi to talk. Specifically to shit talk Sheridan and say he's both got a God complex and only listens to a few aliens. Perhaps the true brainwashing? How complicated was the PsiCorps programming, anyway. Is Garibaldi's true self dead? Like Talia Winters' presumably was wiped out and replaced??

Back to ISN's hit piece on B5. Mr Randall has found the cryo-units after Dr Franklin got a message from his staff about restarting cryo-units. The picture is fully drawn as oppressing the humans, and using human resources to outfit and supply alien forces.

They get Dr Franklin on record saying there are no people in cryo. And then he has the expert who talked about alien worship comment on the situation.

Conclusion: B5 is in danger, is a danger, and Sheridan is probably unstable and mentally ill and to be pitied and given psychological help. Aliens are dangerous, Delenn being transformed to partly human probably means they're going to force all humans to be partly transformed into aliens.

Well that makes me wonder how much of their Mars war report is even remotely accurate.

Welp, time to conquer Earth and make some of the propaganda come true? Fascism really does create its own threats.

[azspot]

Beyond the pragmatic considerations, this bill — should it pass and should TikTok refuse to divest — would result in the largest removal of speech in US history, and by several orders of magnitude. Other notorious instances of government infringement affected far fewer people, from the two dozen writers sanctioned under the Alien and Sedition Acts to the several thousand readers who lost access to Communist newspapers because of postal service restrictions during the Second Red Scare. There is simply no precedent for the sheer quantity of speech involved.

Congress Takes One Step Closer to a TikTok Ban

[darkmaga-retard]

by Jonathan Turley | Aug 16, 2024

Below is my column in The Hill on my call for a bill that would bar federal funding of any program and grant to censor, blacklist, or target individuals or sites based on their content. It is time to get the U.S. government out of the censorship business. The column discusses the proposal in my new book, “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage” to block any further funding for the current system of corporate, academic, and government programs targeting opposing or dissenting views.

Here is the column:

It is time to get the United States out of the censorship business for good.

In the last three years, the House of Representatives has disclosed a massive censorship system run in part with federal funding and with coordination with federal officials. A federal court described this system as truly “Orwellian.”

The Biden Administration has made speech regulation a priority in targeting disinformation, misinformation or malinformation. President Joe Biden even said that companies refusing to censor citizens were “killing people.”

His administration has now created an anti-free speech record that is only rivaled by the Adams Administration, which used the Alien and Sedition Acts to arrest political opponents.

Jen Easterly, who heads the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, is an example of how speech controls and censorship have become mainstream.  Her agency was created to work on our critical infrastructure, but Easterly declared that the mandate would now include policing “our cognitive infrastructure.” That includes combating “malinformation,” or information “based on fact, but used out of context to mislead, harm, or manipulate.”

[pub-lius]

burr pt.2 electric boogaloo (this joke is only funny to me)

its politics time, because Burr had a really fucking long political career and i get tired just reading about it. (also here's pt. 1)

Washington and Adams Administrations

Burr said he found politics "a great deal of fun" so he entered the 1792 gubernatorial race in NY, but withdrew bc Daddy Clinton told him to. He was supported by Northern republicans, but was distrusted by Southerners (wonder why). According to James Monroe, my detested, it was better to select "a person of more advanced life and longer standing in publick trust, particularly one who in consequence of such service had given unequivocal proofs of what his principles really were." Now, you may be thinking that he must be talking about Jefferson, but this is Monroe, and he was probably just kissing his own ass, as per usual.

Burr sided with anti-administration forces who opposed Hamilton's financial plan and Washington's foreign policy. Burr also defended Albert Gallatin who was unseated in 1794 after Federalists determined he did not meet the 9 year citizenship requirement.

Burr voted against Washington's nomination of John Jay as envoy to Britain in 1794, and was one of the most outspoken opponents of the Jay treaty.

Burr set his sights on the presidency with an energetic campaign in the 1796 election, and Republicans endorsed him as their second choice (ie vice-president canidate), but it was still a little divisive. Most, if not all, Democratic-Republicans voted for Thomas Jefferson, and only half of his voters also voted for Burr. Burr finished fourth with 30 electoral votes.

Burr retired from the Senate in 1797, and returned to the New York Assembly in 1798, making several enemies during his brief term. As relations with France got heated over the XYZ affair, Burr advocated for defensive measures to protect New York harbor. This was reasonable since New York was very strategically important, but it's location made it vulnerable to a naval attack. This prompted accusations that Burr had switched parties to the Federalist side, and that he abused public trust for personal benefit, a common theme in rumors about him. Allegedly, he participated in private land speculation ventures in NY and sought to enact legislation removing restrictions on land ownership by non-citizens, which would increase the value of western lands. Basically, they thought he was trying to influence legislation so he could make money.

Hammy boy is back and this time he is working together with Burr. Burr and Hamilton secured a charter and raised subscriptions for a private company to improve the water supply of Manhattan. These were two incredibly intelligent and creative men, and that is greatly reflected in their choice for the company's name, The Manhattan Water Company (/sarcasm). Turns out, the extra money from this was used to establish the Bank of Manhattan, which was controlled by Republicans. Pretend to be shocked even though both of them lived on Wall Street.

Some weird shit went down with the Republican voters in New York in the 1799 election, and Burr was turned out of office. People were really suspicious of him, but he remained a vital asset.

Burr opposed the Alien and Sedition Acts, which won him Demo-Republican support, especially in New York which had a large immigrant population. This ensured that NYC elected a Republican delegation to the state legislature in 1800.

Election of 1800

Republicans wanted a New Yorker for their 2nd presidential choice (im saying this instead of vice presidential candidate and you'll see why). Clinton refused, so Burr was the next option. He was nominated on May 11, 1800. Jefferson claimed he harbored reservations of Burr, but he was acting all nice to him to ensure Republican victory. Jefferson was also very busy with his behind-the-scenes campaign, writing letters and encouraging press support that was critical of the Adams Administration. This is when he called him a hermaphrodite btw.

Burr had a far more active campaign technique. He visited Rhode Island and Connecticut in late August to secure Republican support. Burr's political prowess during 1800 raised suspicion among enemies and supporters. He didn't fit the stoic, unattached statesman who just let his supporters run the campaign for him. Burr campaigned more like a modern politician.

It was generally expected that each elector would cast one vote for Jefferson, one for Burr. Each elector had two votes, and they didn't distinguish who they wanted for president, and who they wanted for vice president. Whoever came in second would be VP, so the party would generally determine who they would advocate the most, and who they would advocate the second most. Basically they were like "this guy is great! this guy is also pretty good. also we HATE those guys (other party's nominees)" So, they really just hoped that Jefferson would get the most, and Burr would get second.

...but, uh, by mid-December, Republicans still didn't have a president in office. They definitely defeated the Federalists, because Adams and Jay had like. no votes. But Jefferson and Burr both had 73 votes, and were at a stalemate, which meant that the vote would be taken to the House of Representatives.

Federalists JUMPED on this opportunity, specifically Hamilton, who had already doomed Adams to lose the election. Some Federalists believed that Burr was more flexible and less partisan, and would be more likely to approve Federalist legislation. Other Federalists who supported Burr hoped that if the two parties were deadlocked for too long, Federalist-leaning Congress would resolve the impasse with legislation authorizing the Senate to elect a Federalist president. This is stupid and idk why people thought this was possible.

Hamilton launched into his smear campaign of Burr. He advised other Federalists not to trust Burr in very simple words, but in the background he was spreading awful rumors about Burr, which was pretty usual. The only difference from how he attacked Burr vs how he attacked Adams is that he didn't publish anything about Burr, but he would have.

The House of Representatives announced Jefferson was the winner on February 17, 1801. Burr made only a few comments and they were guarded, evasive, and contradictory. He seemed particularly angry that there were rumors that he was soliciting Federalist support in an attempt to steal the presidency, which he didn't do, but he happily accepted any Federalist votes.

"...take no step whatsoever, by which the choice of the House of Representatives can be impeded or embarrassed, [instead] keep the game perfectly in Your own hand." -advice from Federalist Robert Goodloe Harber against withdrawing from the election that Burr followed

Jefferson Administration

Burr was inaugurated as VP on March 4, 1804 by James Hillhouse in the Senate Chamber of the new capitol. He gave a brief address of "about 3 sentences" which was overshadowed by Jefferson's speech.

He immediately received a shit ton of letters from associates seeking appointments and demanding removal of Federalists. He handed these off to Jefferson, who removed the "midnight appointments" from the Adams Administration.

In fall of 1801, Burr campaigned for a naval position for Matthew L. Davis, and it was around this time that Jefferson began to distance himself from Burr. Davis' appointment was reliant on Clinton and De Witt for a NY appointment. De Witt talked mad shit about Burr, and Burr was so upset that he talked in the third person about it (he did this a lot).

"The handbills were numerous, of various descriptions, uniform however in Virulent and indecent abuse. [T]o Vilify A.B. was deemed of so much consequence that packages of them were sent to various parts of the country." -Burr

Burr lost like. all political relevance except for being VP. I mean, people still respected him because he wasn't bad at his job, but they were incredibly suspicious of his Federalist friendships, alienation from Republicans, and his now infamous opportunism.

On January 27, 1802. Burr cast a tie-breaking vote that undercut Republican effort to repeal the Judiciary Act of 1801, which provided reforms to the Supreme Court which allowed for a potentially Federalist controlled judiciary (shout out John Marshall). Burr voted for Republican repeal, and secretly informed Federalists he would add amendments to make it acceptable to moderate Republicans. He resolved the tie in favor of Federalists.

"I am for the affirmative, because I can never resist the reference of a measure where the Senate is so nicely balanced, when the object is to effect amendment, that may accommodate it to the opinions of a larger majority; & particularly when I can believe that gentlemen are sincere in wishing a reference for this purpose. Should it, however, at any time appear that delay only is intended, my conduct will be different." -Burr (apparently in 2020 I didn't think it was important to have dates for my quotes.)

After Burr announced a select committee consisting of 2 Republicans, 2 Federalists, and 1 moderate, The New York Evening Post wrote, "The Vice President was very deliberate. He took ballots of the respective Senators, examined them attentively, state the number of them, & holding them up in his hand, mentioned that gentlemen, if they chose, might come and examine them. Mr. G[ouverneur] Morris hoped never to see, in the Senate, a proceeding implying so much distrust." And i'd love to tell you what political party the Evening Post was associated with, but I didn't know how to take notes in 2020, and I'm losing my mind just a little.

Burr continued to be estranged from his own party, possibly to form his own, but no one really liked him so, tough luck. Burr contacted Jefferson, saying that he thought it was best for him to retire for the sake of the party, and wanted Jefferson to publicly give him his confidence. Jefferson said he had no influence in the last election, but he would in the next, which is weird and foreboding but aight. Jefferson didn't trust Burr because he was pissy that Burr warned Madison not to trust people (ie Jefferson) too much.

Burr retired without Jefferson's "mark of favor", and was replaced as VP by Clinton. After leaving the vice-presidency, he entered the NY gubernatorial race to have some kind of a job, since he was majorly in debt.

*wipes sweat dramatically* okay so i think i'll have 1-2 more Burr posts, and then we're onto Lafayette, which is going to be significantly more extensive because I've read two full books about him, and taken notes on him. and THEN i have to do Hamilton which will be. even more extensive. but we got this. okay bye see you in the next one

[h2shonotes]

Excerpt from the Hamilton the H2shO™️, an aqua fitness workout choreographed to the OBCR of the groundbreaking musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda💦💪🏽🎭🙏🏽❤️🤍💙

July 4th, Independence Day, is the day when the USA 🇺🇸 annually celebrates the approval of the Declaration of Independence. However, the congress actually voted to declare independence from Britain two days earlier on July 2nd, 1776. The Declaration of Independence was sent to the printer on July 4 and signed on August 2, 1776.

I share this to illustrate our cultural tendency to rewrite the history of our country’s founding and its founders. Case in point, Hamilton the Musical.

The Hamilton musical is not a documentary. As such, it takes dramaturgical liberties with the biography of Alexander Hamilton to compellingly tell his story in three hours. It captures his personality faults: his arrogance, impulsiveness, temper, womanizing, and tactlessness. Unfortunately, the musical glosses over his authoritarian political leanings. 🎭📖

Like John Adams, #Hamilton was opposed to anything that could even be construed as resembling #democracy, and loved monarchical authoritarianism.

At the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Hamilton argued that the United States should have one supreme executive with absolute veto, who would not be elected by the ignorant masses, but rather by electors. He argued that the executive and all the Senators should remain in their positions for life.

In 1798, Alexander, an immigrant himself, supported the Alien and Sedition Acts, which made it much harder for immigrants to become US citizens and gave the president the authority to deport or imprison any non-citizen living in the USA.

Hamilton wasn’t fond of slavery. But the politician also wasn’t particularly committed to the goal of abolishing it and was perfectly willing to set aside his personal feelings on the subject when it was personally expedient for him to do so. Particularly as he, like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, was a slave owner.

None of this diminishes the Hamilton Musical, it is simply a reminder that historically accurate storytelling is not a requirement of art. And one should not expect what you see on the stage or screen to the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Use your freedom, do the research. And VOTE.

[purgatory-shenanigans]

The Assassin of the Day is Charlotte DuBois

Age: 29 years old

Birthdate: Oct. 12th, 1769

Date of Assassination: July 24th, 1798

Date of Death: September 3rd, 1798

Gender: Cis female, she/her

Orientation: Lesbian

Backstory: Charlotte was born in mid-18th-century France to two aristocratic parents. She and her parents are deer people who can transform into deer yet keep features of deer on their person in their “human” form. In the late 1780s, Charlotte and her husband moved to the United States for more freedom to be their animal selves with the vase of wildness they had. However, when John Adams became president and passed the Alien and Sedition Acts, the rest of Charlotte’s family could not get to America while hiding after the French Revolution. When all else fails, Charlotte attempts to assassinate President Adams, but she fails and escapes by running into the forest as a deer. Eventually, she was shot and killed by a hunter.  

Likes: Poetry, wealth, gossip, coffee, parties, nature, and women

Dislikes: Boring people, most Americans, and her ex