It’s sufficiently appropriate for the current times that I’ll lift it entirely from Dave:
“The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.” [emphasis mine]
Theodore Roosevelt in the Kansas City Star, 149. May 7, 1918.
Yes, this is from Teddy “Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick” Roosevelt. Based on this, Roosevelt would clearly argue that those who are against people exercising their right to free speech and their right to criticize U.S. policy are “base”, “servile”, “unpatriotic and servile”, and “morally treasonable to the American public”. Using the logic heard often on talk radio and righty blogs, this anti-American behavior gives aid and comfort to the enemy and makes those who practice it objectively pro-Saddam.
AB
And, while we’re mentioning Dave Neiwert, when you have free time and are mentally prepared to be a little bit frightened, make sure to read his excellent 12 part series on “Rush, Newspeak, and Fascism“. If you’re not in a hurry, it will be easier to read when he finishes compiling all the posts into a single pdf.