In times of war, defense of the Bill of Rights becomes even more urgent

In times of war, defense of the Bill of Rights becomes even more urgent.https://t.co/FRKu4p2cEl

— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 24, 2022

David Keene writes at the Washington Times, “Wilson, like many national leaders before and since, considered anyone who questioned his policies disloyal and argued that by doing so, they 'sacrificed the right to civil liberties.' He was hostile, particularly to German Americans, whom he called 'hyphenated' and regarded as a fifth column within the country. They were persecuted by a president who declared that 'any man who carries a hyphen about with him carries a dagger that he is ready to plunge into the vitals of this Republic when he gets ready.' This was the same attitude that led Franklin D. Roosevelt to round up and intern Japanese Americans in World War II and regard both German and Italian Americans as a threat to U.S. security.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and many of his harshest critics in this country seem to be channeling Wilson’s spirit. One of the Russian dictator’s first acts after launching his unprovoked assault on Ukraine was to make it a jailable offense to criticize or even call the invasion an invasion.

Last week at a massive Moscow rally, Mr. Putin dismissed his critics as 'gnats.' He suggested true Russians will 'always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors,' calling those who disagree with his policies 'fifth columnists' and vowing that Russians will 'simply spit them out like an insect in their mouth, spit them onto the pavement.'

In our country, some politicians are similarly labeling anyone who questions the wisdom of our response 'traitors.' Suggesting that President Biden’s policies may have contributed to the crisis leading to the invasion are described in much the same terms by people who recognize authoritarianism in foreign politicians, but not in the mirror. Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, former Democratic former Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe are calling out Fox commentator Tucker Carlson and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard not for being wrong, but for treason. They would undoubtedly spit out such fifth columnists like an insect in their mouth.”

Read the entire column.