Rape, murder, and Randi.

[BuyingThyme]

The First Amendment gave all Americans the right to peaceably assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances. These days, many of those grievances seem to be focused on the Iraq War.

The powers of war are the sole domain of the government. But it seems that the business of war is increasingly being conducted by private organizations (corporations).

So, if one has grievances about the way the war is being conducted by corporations, shouldn't one’s voiced grievances against the corporations be protected to the same extent that one’s voiced grievances against the government are protected?

Case in point: Randi Rhodes and Air America Radio are being sued by CACI.

As I understand it, CACI International Inc. wants $11,000,000 because Randi accused CACI employees of participating in rape and murder at Abu Ghraib. The case seems to hinge on whether or not AAR’s lawyers can provide direct evidence of CACI’s participation.

Thanks to the First Amendment, Randi can make these accusations against the government with little fear of legal retaliation. But when the words are applied to CACI, a government agent, they are somehow held to a different standard.

Therefore, the privatization of war seems to pose a direct threat to the First Amendment rights of all Americans.

And if the current trend towards corporatism continues, won’t all of our rights similarly be compromised?

I guess this is what fascism is all about, eh?