Originally posted by One Bad Pig
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1) Anyway, remember the IRS scandal? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IRS_targeting_controversy
While it's not clear how far the IRS really went in making things more difficult for conservative groups compared to liberal groups, I think I can at least claim that it shows the possibility that the IRS can make my life more difficult, if not dangerous, for spouting anti-government stuff.
2) This instance is more clear--the persecution of Mike Millken, although he wasn't really anti-government. His financial operations simply made powerful people want to stop those and "punish" him, as suggested by a Forbes magazine author. This Wikipedia entry seems OK but it does not go deep http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Milken
3) Remember the game that some federal prosecutors played? The object of the game is to use a rather obscure federal law to accuse a celebrity (say, Mother Teresa) of breaking. The more celebrated the defendant and the more obscure the law, the better http://federaltaxcrimes.blogspot.com...ion-22813.html
Imagine a federal prosecutor would actually do that to me.
4) I read about someone who tweeted anti-government sentiments. He was paid a visit by FBI agents. Scary.
In summary, the government can find ways other than killing me (an "accidental" death) and imprisoning me. Make me pay more taxes or have to hire a lawyer to deal with charges of breaking some obscure law.
But that's not what Sparko meant. Anyway, I want to stop here.
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