A New Dispassionate Liberal By: Mark W Adams

I'm delighted to announce that Cleveland Attorney Philip D. Althouse finally accepted my invitation to become a Dispassionate Liberal contributor instead of just sending me the occasional piece of fantastic information to put up here myself.

Phil and I met in Law School and found we shared many of the same beliefs about the dysfunction of our system of government, and specifically how (at the time) the Reagan Republicans were ruining this country. Little did we know what Republicans were capable of.....

A professional teacher, registered nurse, mediator and practicing lawyer, Phil is one of the nicest people to ever come out of Milwaukee, you can read his complete bio here, and some of his publications here.

For a taste of what you can expect from Phil, take a look at his treatment of the Patriot Act(s):

WHEN BIG BROTHER COMES KNOCKING

Philip D. Althouse

Vocal proponents of socioeconomic or political change, human rights advocates, and members of racial and ethnic minorities have been scapegoats of public sentiment and targets of the federal government, especially during tough economic times. In 1919, during a post-war economic slump and domestic unrest, a series of political bombing attempts against political and financial leaders ended with an explosion at the home of U.S. Attorney General A Mitchell Palmer. The Justice Department effort led in part by J. Edgar Hoover, head of the Alien Radical Division, rounded up thousands of suspected immigrant subversives across the country. Many were held incommunicado and some tortured. 500, mainly from Eastern Europe, were deported . In Cleveland, May Day was marked by rioting. “Patriotic” groups confronted Trade unions and socialists who were holding a parade Superior Avenue to protest the jailing of Eugene Debs and to promote the mayoral candidacy of Charles Ruthenberg. Two people were killed and scores injured. A mob of over 100 anti-red rioters destroyed the office of the Socialist Party on Prospect Avenue.

That's right, they named a building after the cross-dressing head of the FBI's Alien Radical Division, who went on to take over the whole agency -- making his bones by exploiting our irrational fear of outsiders and and a public that turned a blind eye to torture and illegally "disappearing" people as long as they weren't one of us -- whoever "us" has become.

I didn't know that, did you?

Welcome Phil! Glad to have you aboard.