Rothbard: Banned in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island Gov. Dan Carceiri is pushing for a new security law in his state. From an Associated Press report:

Gov. Don Carcieri's new homeland security law would create new felony charges, require annual safety audits of every public school and close some public records, including those that show whether businesses comply with state Fire Safety Code requirements.

The bill, which Carcieri introduced last week, also resurrects World War I-era laws that make it illegal to "speak, utter, or print'' statements in support of anarchy; speak in favor of overthrowing the government; or to display "any flag or emblem other than the flag of the United States'' as symbolic of the U.S. government.

Rhode Island's ACLU is, unsurprisingly, in opposition. For more on their critique, see here.

Comments

[Jean Bart]

?

[Rick Barton]

The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home.

James Madison

[Julian Sanchez]

I wonder if that last provision makes it illegal to fly the Adbusters "Brands and Bands" flag.

[garym]

Creeping censorship is starting to look more like an Olympic sprint.

[mike]

How about the gadsden flag?

[Jennifer]

Illegal to "teach or advocate" anarchy? Here's a serious question: I do not advocate anarchy, but as a high-school teacher, would it be illegal for me to tell a student "anarchy is the belief that human beings do not need government?" Technically, I'd be teaching anarchy.

[matt]

JB,

If the question you were asking was about the title, it was an allusion to Murray Rothbard. Rothbard was an Austrian economist and anarchist who started the modern libertarian movement in America.

[Jean Bart]

matt,

No, I know who Rothbard is and have read him (indeed, there was a clique of us insane French liberty people - I don't know if I am pure enough to be a libertarian - who read Rothbard, Hayek, etc. when we were young officers). My question mark was more concerning whether this official is insane or not. 🙂

[brendan]

How could "Anarchy, State and Utopia," a minimal-statist text, be taught in a college classroom without a discussion of anarchy?

I guess it would just be "State and Utopia."

[Xrlq]

I love laws like this one, they give the ACLU something productive to do for a change.

[matt]

Gotcha, JB. Glad to see you've read Rothbard and Hayek.

To answer your second question...I doubt he's insane, most of these totalitarian little fascist-types know exactly what they're doing.

[Kevin Carson]

Wow. This guy must read Adam Yoshida's blog.

[MALAK]

Must be an old flag. No Alaska or Hawaii, among others.

[Jason Ligon]

"... I guess it would just be "State and Utopia.""

Heh. All they need is a restriction on economic texts that discuss 'human action', and the coup is complete.

[Randy]

The real question is, who defines "anarchy?" Could anarchy not be construed as any system of government or rule that differs from the current system? Therefore, couldn't anyone who's not a Republican or Democrat be arrested for espousing governmental ideas and ideals that stray from the Rep/Dem standards? Hm...No, I don't see why this would be a problem.