The Espionage Act of 1917 and Eugene Debs

Eugene Debs

The Espionage Act of 1917 was one of the first laws created since the Sedition Act of 1798 that was passed in order to subjugate critics of the American government and its policies. President Woodrow Wilson passed the Espionage Act in 1917 after America formally got involved in World War I. The American government eventually used the law in order to persecute socialists during the Red Scare of 1919-1920. The Espionage Act is still an official law in America, though it is seldom used.

Woodrow Wilson

During the Red Scare Eugene Debs, the Socialist candidate for President, was imprisoned. Debs had previously run for President many times, often getting a fair amount of votes. Debs' was accused of trying to persuade drafted soldiers to not fight in World War I. Debs decided to run for President from prison in 1920. President Harding eventually pardoned him in 1921. The case for Debs is interesting since it can be viewed that Wilson used the Act to silence a political opponent. 

It is my belief that without the free exchange of ideas a government will eventually deteriorate. By limiting potentially valid criticism of the American government’s involvement in World War I, Wilson’s administration was placed in a bubble. The hallmarks of great leaders are those who are willing to accept criticism and learn from their mistakes. Wilson was not such a leader. The Espionage Act is a horrible law that placed a black eye on America’s claims that they were the “land of the free.” 

The Dangers of the Sedition Act of 1798

The Sedition Act of 1798, part of the infamous Alien and Seditions Act, was one of the great challenges the young American republic was forced to overcome. The Sedition Act allowed for people who criticized the American government or the President to be fined or even imprisoned if the criticism was “false, scandalous, and malicious.” The Federalists, who had control of the government at the time passed the Sedition Act in order to silence Democratic-Republican opposition. Throughout its brief life as a bill the Sedition Act was abused many times by the Federalists in order to silence their harshest critics. Critics of the Federalist attack on civil liberties were persecuted, including journalists and political rivals. Thomas Jefferson and his Democratic-Republicans were eventually able to use the Alien and Seditions Acts as an issue in the 1800 election and take control of the Presidency.

John Adams, the President who approved the Sedition Act

I personally view the Sedition Act as one of the great trials America had to overcome in order to become a freer nation. The amount of abuse of the law could have potentially ended in a one-party dictatorship. By allowing for critics of a government to be arrested it places a government in a bubble in which government officials cannot learn from their mistakes. Thankfully Jefferson eventually repealed the law in the early 1800’s, but it was still a great danger to America. The Sedition Act eventually became an infamous document, but that did not stop leaders during times of war from using it as guidance to pass similar laws.

The Periodization of My Life

Throughout my life there have been many important historical events that have taken place. I will be going over the important discoveries and events regarding technology and American politics.

The political periodization of my life begins in 1988 when I was born. In 1988 George H.W. Bush was elected President. In 1989 the Berlin Wall fell, signaling the end of the Soviet Union.

In 1992 Bill Clinton was elected President by defeating George Bush. In 1994 the Republicans took control of the House of Representatives during the Republican Revolution. In 1996 President Clinton was reelected President. In  1996 Rupert Murdoch founded Fox News which has continued to be a great ally of the Republican Party. In 1998 the Monica Lewinsky scandal rocked the Clinton White House. The following year Clinton was impeached for his misconduct but eventually acquitted.

In 2000 George W. Bush was elected President in the controversial 2000 presidential election. There were many voter irregularities and problems in Florida that helped skyrocket Bush into office. In 2001 terrorists attacked the World Trade Centers and Pentagon in order to disrupt American society. This event aids in helping the popularity of George W. Bush and the Republicans. A couple of months after the events of 9/11/2001 America invades Afghanistan in order to exact revenge on the Taliban and al Qaeda.

In 2003 the U.S. invaded Iraq on the basis that there were weapons of mass destruction; none were found. In 2004 Bush was able to defeat John Kerry to be reelected President.


In 2008 Barack Obama became the first African-American President. Shortly after Obama's election, the Tea Party movement formed and re energized the Republican Party. In 2010 the Republicans took back the House of Representatives. In 2012 the likely candidates for President will be Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.

There have been many technological  and scientific advancements throughout my life. In 1989 the Game Boy was first introduced in Japan by Nintendo, helping to signal an age where handheld electronic devices would become the norm. In 1990 the World Wide Web was founded and the Internet took off. That same year the Hubble Space Telescope was put into orbit, helping scientists gain a better understanding of the universe.

In 1991 the Internet was first made available to the general public. In 1995 the DVD digital media device was created shaping the way data and entertainment is stored. In the 1996 the number of people who have Internet connectivity rose from one million to ten million people since its founding. In 1998 Apple first introduced the iMac line of computers helping to aid their growing popularity. In that same year the search engine Google was founded. In 1999 there was great fear that Y2K would cause massive computer errors and possible destroy the fabric of society, come 2000 nothing happens.

In 2001 Wikipedia was created, helping to aid college students in their research papers. In 2001 the iPod was introduced by Apple, changing the way we listen to music and launching the iTunes music store. By 2006 one billion songs had been downloaded through iTunes. In 2006 the Nintendo Wii was released, millions of people learned the joys of flailing their arms around like idiots.

In 2007 the Apple iPhone was introduced by Apple, signaling the emergence of the age of smart phones. In 2010 the iPad was introduced by Apple, signaling the emergence of the age of tablets. In 2011 the "Hacktivist" movement grows where information is stolen or manipulated for political and social goals by groups such as Anonymous. In 2012 Hollywood executives tried to push through SOPA and PIPA in order to restrict the freedom of the Internet, but eventually fails.

Throughout my life their have been extraordinary political, social, and technological changes as Americans entered into the Age of Internet.

Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman, and the Media

An image of Treyvon Martin typically not shown in the media

The shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman is indeed a sad turn of events for race relations in this country. The controversial Stand Your Ground law in Florida, which led to the killing, is very interesting. Under the Stand Your Ground law a person can kill another person if they feel sufficiently threatened.

A typical image of George Zimmerman that is used by the media. 

Though the killing of a teenager is indeed a sad turn of events I do believe the hatred and loathing of Zimmerman is unwarranted, at least until more evidence comes out. By no means is Zimmerman a hero or justified in his killing, but I believe that the firestorm around him is a byproduct of the media’s insatiable appetite for sensational stories. Just the other day in the supermarket I saw a magazine that had a picture of Trayvon Martin with the title, “An American Tragedy,” in reference to his killing.

The image of Treyvon that is often used by the media. Notice how this picture shows  Martin when he was much younger. 

Many of the media have tried to portray Martin as only a “kid,” but his past records reveal he was far less than a saint. Martin was repeatedly suspended from school for drug possession and other minor crimes. Martin also had a history that might suggest he was involved in theft. Long before the shooting Martin was found with twelve pieces of women’s jewelry and a screwdriver. It is possible that Martin may have burglarized houses with the screwdriver. If this were true it would lead credence to the precautions that Zimmerman took in order to ensure the safety of his neighborhood.

An image of Zimmerman that is not typically seen in the media since it portrays him as more human and likable than the previous image.

Another aspect of the case that must be examined is the fact that there were repeated burglaries in the neighborhood where Zimmerman lived. It is theorized that young African American men seen in the vicinity of the burglaries were responsible for the thefts. If this is true Zimmerman may have been justified in calling the police when he saw a young African-American man wearing a hoodie and walking near houses in a suspicious matter. It is clear that Zimmerman should have let the police deal with the matter, but it is unclear if Zimmerman was the aggressor in the struggle that led to Martin’s death.

Even President Obama has gotten in on the exploitation of the case.

Zimmerman himself has already been judged in the court of public opinion as a gun crazed racist obsessed with justice. This view of Zimmerman is unfortunate since he has not even been arrested and it is unknown what happened between Zimmerman and Martin. Martin could very well have threatened Zimmerman and if so, according to the Stand Your Ground law in Florida, he would be justified in defending himself.

Vultures

The media portrayal of the events surrounding the death of Martin has been sensational at best. It seems to me that the media, both conservative and liberal, are always looking for cases that divide our society. Whether it be Fox News' “War on Christmas,” or MSNBC’s predilection for inflammatory liberal dialogue, it is clear that the 24-hour news cycle of the American news media is harmful to our society and government. This is not to suggest censorship of the media or regulation, but to try to find more common ground in our society. The appearance of vultures, such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, who have descended upon the case like hungry birds of prey, has also served to exasperate the race relations of Florida and lead to more extreme calls for mob justice. It is my firm belief that leaders such as Sharpton and Jackson are demagogues who exploit others for their own popularity and personal gain.

Vultures descending upon the freshly decomposed corpse
of Treyvon Martin 

The most important part of the Martin case is that Zimmerman should be presumed “innocent until proven guilty,” something a great many news outlets could learn from.

Barry Goldwater's Influence on the Conservative Movement

Barry Goldwater

Barry Goldwater's ideology and the modern Conservative Movement are one in the same. No other person has influenced the conservative movement of the latter half of the 20^th Century more than Barry Goldwater. Goldwater was the United States Senator of Arizona form 1953-1965 and 1969-1987. His beliefs influenced many conservatives, most notably Ronald Reagan, who has been deified in conservative circles. Goldwater’s ideology repudiated the beliefs of FDR’s New Deal, stressed the importance of state’s rights, and touted the strengths of small government.

How conservatives see Reagan

However, Goldwater’s views were often controversial and contradictory. For example, Goldwater opposed civil rights legislation, believing it a matter best left up to the states. In 1960 Goldwater stated, “Thus the cornerstone of the Republic, our chief bulwark, against the encroachment of individual freedom by Big Government, is fast disappearing under the piling sands of absolutism…” Goldwater also said “The Constitution, I repeat, draws a sharp and clear line between federal jurisdiction and state jurisdiction.” He also said on the problems of states becoming too powerful or making erroneous decisions, “If the people are unhappy with say, their State’s disability insurance program, they can bring pressure to bear on their state officials and, if that fails, they can elect a new set of officials.” The problem with these statements is they do not take into account when a state oppresses a minority. Without the ability to vote African-Americans would have no way of electing new state officials to change the way their state is governed, as theorized by Goldwater. Without the federal government’s intervention in states’ racist policies during the 1960’s they would not have conceded to integration and allowed for the voting rights of African-Americans.

Although Goldwater had a strong influence on future conservative leaders, it is my belief that his ideology concerning state’s rights would have led to the continued discrimination of minorities by states if not for the intervention of the federal government.