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01/01/2004 Archived Entry: "There's always some way to resist"

NO MATTER HOW BAD THINGS GET, YOU CAN ALWAYS RESIST. 2003 was a rotten year for freedom and there's not much sign that 2004 will be better. But at risk of being optimistic (optimism being against my religion), remember this year that no matter how bad things get, there's always -- always -- some way to preserve your individuality and strike back against tyrants.

They guys above -- remember them? -- were captured by the North Koreans back in January 1968. Now, if you're going to fall into the hands of tyrants, the North Koreans are about the last ones you'd choose. For sheer human kindness, they make Joseph Stalin look like Mister Rogers. But even after months of captivity and torment, and even after being forced to confess to crimes, these Americans managed to strike back, persuading the bad guys that their gesture was the "Hawaiian good-luck sign." To start the year with an even bigger smile, read the "confession" of the crew's commander, Capt. Lloyd Bucher. Out loud.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch where (despite optimism being a heresy, punishable by the Inquisition) things are still a hell of a lot better, TC sends this lovely .pdf document from a higher plane. Use it to intimidate a bullying bureaucrat or enforcer. And, as TC also notes, this color-of-law warning isn't just a joke. It has teeth. The FBI even has a whole department to investigate color-of-law abuses. (And yeah, yeah, no need to remind me that's like the foxes having a department that investigates hen-house invasions.) It's still something.

New Year's Cheers!

Posted by Claire @ 09:48 AM CST
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