Reason.tv at Sundance: The Most Famous Flag Burner of Them All

He's the "Johnson" in Texas v. Johnson and the most famous flag burner of all time. An unreconstructed lefty with a soft spot for communism, he's profiled in the new documentary William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe.

reason.tv's Ted Balaker spoke with Gregory Johnson at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Approximately five minutes.

Comments

[Nick]

I guess I don't understand why communists don't just move to communist countries like freedom-seekers would move here. Whether they know we're not that free is irrelevent. I mean if I were a communist, I think Cuba would be acceptable to me. Do people really hate moving more than they hate their government and economic system of their country of residence?

[Warty]

Nick, some did.

[Warty]

Shit, I should learn to use preview.

[SpongePaul]

Do people really hate moving more than they hate their government and economic system of their country of residence?
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No countries make it hard to switch citizenships, which you would have to do to get out of the taxes from your current counrty. and most countries require that you speak the lanquage before you can even think about moving there. I would gladly move to austrailia or the EU, at least the taxes there are paying for something, at least thier socalism is set up ok. my dream... to open the first coffeshop/niteclub in the US, not gonna happen in my lifetime, lol

[David]

Antonin Scalia agrees with William Kunstler.

World implodes. 😉

[Mister DNA]

I'm unable to see the name "William Kunstler" (or Ron Kuby, for that matter) and not think of The Big Lebowski.

Do people really hate moving more than they hate their government and economic system of their country of residence?

Why move when you can just sit back and wait for your country to become a totalitarian police state? I feel sorry for those suckers who moved to Cuba. We've got eroding rights, yet we don't have to wait in line for bread.

[R C Dean]

No countries make it hard to switch citizenships, which you would have to do to get out of the taxes from your current country.

Actually, its not that hard to renounce US citizenship. Basically, you leave the country, and sign a form in the presence of a diplomatic or consular officer.

Now, becoming a legal resident/citizen of another country, well, that's a little harder. . . .

[BakedPenguin]

What about that idiot postal worker who defected to the USSR in the early 80's? If you worked at the USPS at that time, the Soviet Union couldn't have been much of a cultural change.

[A.G. Pym]

Anyone else remember a lapsed Marine who moved to the USSR, then returned? About 45 - 50 years ago?

Letting them come back might not be that great an idea.

[spambot]

Ironically it is (or was in the case of USSR) illegal to burn the flag in all communist countries. Try standing in a square in Havana and burning the Cuban flag. Won't get too far. To me that is all the info I need.

Having said all that I do believe in the right to burn the flag. Wholeheartedly. The way things having been going the past eight years (and no real sign of any difference soon) I am more of a fan of it with each passing day.

[Nick]

Warty's link notwithstanding, I would think Cuba would love to gloat about Americans moving there to abandon capitalism in favor of communism. But, I suppose the communist sympathizers here are just hypocrits and wouldn't dream of giving up their way of life to live in shit.

[Max O\'Shaughnessy]

Johnson: "Blibbety-gibbity, advance humanity, snickle-poop, communism, (fart), heeeee-haaaaaw!, Bob Avakian, heeeee-haaaaaaw!"

The Dude: "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention."