Overthrowing the Government
Randi Rhodes had this up at her website today, and I think it is worth reprinting at this time. It is the text of 18USC2385, the law that defines attempts to overthrow the government. Well, here it is:
Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State, Territory, District or Possession thereof, or the government of any political subdivision therein, by force or violence, or by the assassination of any officer of any such government; or
Whoever, with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates, sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence, or attempts to do so; or
Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.
If two or more persons conspire to commit any offense named in this section, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.
As used in this section, the terms “organizes” and “organize”, with respect to any society, group, or assembly of persons, include the recruiting of new members, the forming of new units, and the regrouping or expansion of existing clubs, classes, and other units of such society, group, or assembly of persons.
The problem that both Randi and I see in this is that its authors only imagined the use of "force or violence" in an attempt to overthrow the government. The current pack of Republican traitors seem to be on the point of attempting to destroy the government through economic sabotage. Would this count as "force" under this law? There are two problems here- whether this would fall within the intent of the law, and (a far more frightening consideration) whether the current 5-justice Conservative majority on the Supreme Court, which has already saddled us with a criminal Presidency for eight years and a totally corrupt electoral system, would refuse to recognize the treachery of the Republicans' behavior, and allow the government to be destroyed.
Let's just hope that we never have to find out.
Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State, Territory, District or Possession thereof, or the government of any political subdivision therein, by force or violence, or by the assassination of any officer of any such government; or
Whoever, with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates, sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence, or attempts to do so; or
Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.
If two or more persons conspire to commit any offense named in this section, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.
As used in this section, the terms “organizes” and “organize”, with respect to any society, group, or assembly of persons, include the recruiting of new members, the forming of new units, and the regrouping or expansion of existing clubs, classes, and other units of such society, group, or assembly of persons.
The problem that both Randi and I see in this is that its authors only imagined the use of "force or violence" in an attempt to overthrow the government. The current pack of Republican traitors seem to be on the point of attempting to destroy the government through economic sabotage. Would this count as "force" under this law? There are two problems here- whether this would fall within the intent of the law, and (a far more frightening consideration) whether the current 5-justice Conservative majority on the Supreme Court, which has already saddled us with a criminal Presidency for eight years and a totally corrupt electoral system, would refuse to recognize the treachery of the Republicans' behavior, and allow the government to be destroyed.
Let's just hope that we never have to find out.
Comments
How else can you explain the meeting yesterday where the Senate Republicans reportedly treated Cruz like a "lynch mob."
Of course, it may just be thatno matter how willing he is to do their bidding, Ted Cruz is still a member of an inferior race, and therefore disposable the minute he fails to know his place.