And it also means that the ideas that America was founded upon are a sham if they must be contradicted to ensure the furtherance of the nation.

Then if so then America has no right to claim moral authority about anything given that its track record clearly points it out - as you have - to be no different than any other nation in history. The entire premise of American exceptionalism or specialness is fundamentally broken and America as a nation is not unique.…

And you think the people will change what they neither know nor care about? Fix problems intentionally kept secret so that poorly-trained government officials can do as they see fit in abusing the common trust?

The truth is not neutral and truth is inherently anarchistic. That said, it is also American. And we should be upholding it, not enabling those who would enable the poor behavior of governments.

People are not objecting to Wikileaks on the grounds that it failed to adequately protect whistleblowers. They object to it on the grounds of 'national security' stating that protecting American lives is important above all other things.

America first and foremost has an obligation to itself, and second to the world to BE that city upon a hill. To commit to its moral vagaries under the nebulous prospect of protecting 'the greater good' ultimately does more harm than it does good. This is because the primary and chief benefit that America has brought…

I posted this before downthread but I'm posting it here now for the benefit of larger discussion.

It's not "America is a villain". The hypocrisy of those who take a stance against Wikileaks and Roger's hypocrisy here is the realization that sometimes, in order to hold to American values, American lives have to be lost.

Seems like an absolutely contradictory perspective to take given his stance during Marvel's Civil War. That said, Rogers typically has been one to wear his hypocrisy on his sleeve.

I can see it, and I disagree. I don't believe that it should be a tolerated thing within the stand-up comedian's circle that simply by virtue of being on the short end of the privelege totem pole this somehow grands them impunity to malign the more vulnerable segments of the population. I don't believe that hiding…

Get. The Fuck. Out.

I will condede that Hate Crime legislation is ultimately at best simply a stopgap measure but simultaneously in the spectrum of stopgap measures it is among one of the best of its class. And that is not just simply stating that one shit is the best of the shit pile because beyond simply slapping a comedian with a…

Asura's Wrath, Ninja Gaiden 2. What i'm saying is that well, .... wait a minute were you even listening to me?

It is your right to be blithely oblivious to the marginalized populations within society. Furthermore I don't believe that framing what you deem contemptuous as a 'protection arms race' is anything to be afraid of.

I'd just like to point out that as an atheist with rather strong Buddhist leanings, there is nothing more hilarious to me than fighting typically giant-ass buddhist statues.

It's somewhat fair though, isn't it? Given the long western historical tradition of appropriating eastern cultural artifacts without attribution or context. It's only fitting that some of that be turned the other way I suppose.

Politicians are as trustable as the system that creates them. In America - with no safeguards and an idiotic dedication to liberty - there is particularly good reason not to trust politicians.

I'm not sure how it is that so many people in this thread so resolutely refuse to see the power imbalances innately inherent to the statement 'free speech'.

I am not sure how it is that you received a star here whilst simultaneously being able to entirely gloss over the issues of power relationships and privelege. It's not just a matter of free speech and freedom to offend when very clearly one type of expression and experience is priveleged over another.

That I know of this probably speaks ill of me, but I don't give a shit.