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The End of Treason

Reader comment on item: The End of Treason

Submitted by DA. Freiberg (United States), Aug 17, 2005 at 11:41

Sir,

You do not trace its demise far enough. The Imperial British accused the revolting American colonists of treason against the British Crown. They were correct in their definition.

However, as I believe Benjamin Franklin noted, "History is written by the winners". "Treason", isn't treason when a revolution is successful. Many groups since the American Revolution have called themselves "revolutionaries" as a result.

The bottom line on a "modern" definition of treason should be simple: whether you are a citizen or merely a visitor in a country, if your actions or speech harm (or praise harm) to that country or its allies in a substantitve way, then you have committed treason. This would include both harm to other citizens and visitors, as well as attempted overthrow of the government.

Perhaps it sounds odd to include visitors, short or long term as they may be, but if I invite someone to my house, it is reasonable to expect that that person does not proceed to set my house on fire or encourage others to do so. While those who are citizens should be put on notice that citizenship is a two-way street; if you don't want to be a citizen, go live somewhere else!

Note the exemption in American law: you can advocate for a change in government, as long as your advocacy is for a PEACEFUL change. Ay, that's the rub...but that distinction could still be used to prosecute plenty of traitors in the US, if the US would only summon up the moral fortitude to go after them.
Submitting....

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Reader comments (70) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
this discussion of treason doesn't seem complete w/o mention of the Rosenbergs & the Espionage Act [91 words]LindaNov 21, 2012 01:34200822
interesting omissions [211 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
John PhilipsSep 1, 2006 20:5654645
Control the Asylum seekers and Immigrants from Islamic countries [114 words]Faqi HussainSep 2, 2005 02:1125376
1killed for being American [49 words]maksmanAug 30, 2005 14:1625222
Re: Multiculturalislam [533 words]Reuben HorneAug 25, 2005 18:2625111
Treason [64 words]YovenAug 23, 2005 16:5225014
Astute observation... [77 words]J.S.Aug 22, 2005 15:5124963
Reply to Vijay's article [100 words]Rachelle Assouline-SeynaeveAug 22, 2005 07:1824957
Treason? [52 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
MarigoldAug 22, 2005 01:1824949
1Response to Jaladhi: Islamic Trojan Horse [274 words]Jan VinkAug 21, 2005 14:0824941
Revive treason [60 words]Martin E. WeinsteinAug 20, 2005 08:0524920
Response to Death of Reason [834 words]MaggieAug 19, 2005 17:3224911
Cooks disputing over recipes, Response to Ellen [397 words]charles fortnerAug 19, 2005 16:2924909
I totally agree - Response to : The End of treason (by JB) [4 words]tom nortonAug 19, 2005 15:5524908
response to mr pipes' response to ms. schneider [136 words]garyAug 19, 2005 14:2424902
A matter of will [121 words]Bill StahlbushAug 19, 2005 08:3524897
Can Islamists be charged with 'high treason'? [149 words]J.B.Aug 19, 2005 08:3124896
Jaladhi's comments [19 words]Bob EckerfieldAug 18, 2005 19:1824881
The Death Of Reason -- Just Feel The "Love?" [451 words]orange yonasonAug 18, 2005 15:2324874
1Islamic Trojan Horses in Non-Muslim Countries [291 words]JaladhiAug 18, 2005 10:0424863
get some piece of information [16 words]to_jaladhiNov 30, 2013 17:5924863
Response to Treason vs Free Speech- to Rachel Peck [323 words]Green DevilAug 18, 2005 02:4524855
Treason/Patriotism [86 words]Vivian E. WolfeAug 18, 2005 01:4824853
Re: Even the Moslems have a concept of treason [470 words]Reuben HorneAug 17, 2005 20:3424850
In response to Lex (on Lord Haw-Haw) [183 words]KierkegaardAug 17, 2005 20:0924849
The voice of the moderate Islam? [93 words]Paul ZAug 17, 2005 12:2824841
The End of Treason [255 words]DA. FreibergAug 17, 2005 11:4124837
The End of Treason [108 words]Stephen L. PassmanAug 17, 2005 11:0724836
Death of treason? [104 words]KenAug 17, 2005 11:0624835
By extension, there are no innocent civilians [186 words]garry priorAug 17, 2005 07:2224827
Why is the a concept of treason defunct? [32 words]Howard E. CookAug 17, 2005 04:3124825
It is Britain not the USA that has abandoned treason [839 words]MaggieAug 17, 2005 04:3024824
Treason [26 words]Patrick FoxJan 22, 2007 14:3324824
It should be redefined [350 words]Amitabh tripathiAug 17, 2005 04:2224823
The Test That Failed [412 words]David AroninAug 17, 2005 03:3124821
Is Treason Dead as a Concept? [39 words]FayAug 17, 2005 02:3524819
2Please define "radical Islam" [159 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Ray SarlinAug 17, 2005 01:4424816
Response to Pat and Jane: A World Without Borders is Fantasy [276 words]DaisyAug 17, 2005 01:2824815
Treason No Longer in Vogue [175 words]Arlinda DeAngelisAug 17, 2005 00:4924813
Learn from India [74 words]VijaiAug 17, 2005 00:2424812
Loss of purpose? [43 words]Ellen SchneiderAug 16, 2005 23:5724810
Treason as a concept [35 words]lr63146Aug 16, 2005 22:4524804
Treason [72 words]Paul RinderleAug 16, 2005 22:3024800
Treason revitalized [45 words]Douglas BoggsAug 16, 2005 21:2824798
Then what do we rally around to defend who we are? [192 words]David W. LincolnAug 16, 2005 19:2624792
We have lost the sense of a nation [175 words]L StarkAug 16, 2005 19:2524791
treason [51 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
ellen schneiderAug 16, 2005 19:0124789
Lord Haw Haw [52 words]Lex McAulayAug 16, 2005 19:0124788
pure bull [33 words]Mark SummersFeb 21, 2006 17:5124788
what is pure bull? [42 words]Lex McAulayJun 30, 2006 01:1224788
no reply by Mark Summers [63 words]Lex McAulayMay 26, 2007 20:3124788
End of treason [183 words]Charles OrenAug 16, 2005 18:2924787
Treason Hardly Dead, Only Moribund [223 words]Bill EiglesAug 16, 2005 18:2824786
Ignored traitors gain followers [173 words]JaneAug 16, 2005 18:2324785
re treason [113 words]Anthony DaytonAug 16, 2005 18:0324783
Treason in the 1940s & 1950s [39 words]Jinny Myler CollinsAug 16, 2005 17:1524781
If I may disagree [74 words]rightwingprofAug 16, 2005 16:4724779
Citizens of the World [153 words]PatAug 16, 2005 16:4424778
Re:Daniel"s safety. [32 words]B.BochkarevAug 16, 2005 16:0324774
treason doth prosper [196 words]dconnellAug 16, 2005 15:5524773
Treason and Free Speech Are Two Different Things [71 words]Rachel PeckAug 16, 2005 15:5024772
Redifining Loyalty: some questions. [403 words]DamonAug 16, 2005 15:4024769
Painful but true [34 words]David C. StolinskyAug 16, 2005 15:2724768
Perfectly Correct Daniel [255 words]JOHN GRAHAMAug 16, 2005 15:2724767
Treason and Sedition laws need to be re-enforced to win. [237 words]Ben ShniperAug 16, 2005 15:2024766
Taking a cue from our enemies, are we?? [323 words]Greg WrightJul 13, 2006 15:0524766
3WASTE NO TIME [56 words]linuccciAug 16, 2005 15:1724765
1Wll to fight, fight jointly; Khalsa and the Church [2388 words]Ravi Ranjan Singh BharatPanthiOct 23, 2010 15:4224765
Response to Pipes piece on Treason [101 words]Philip MannesAug 16, 2005 15:1724764
Disintegration [30 words]Darwin BarrettAug 16, 2005 14:2424759

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