This particular piece, WSWS or no, describes in some detail the reasons why protection against coerced self-incrimination was and still should be such a big deal. The case of John Lilburn, discussed in the article, is instructive:
> > Lilburn refused to incriminate himself and denounced forced > self-incrimination as an illegal usurpation . . . . He was held in > contempt of court and dragged behind an oxcart from London’s Fleet Prison > to Palace Yard as he was lashed with a three-pronged whip 200 times. He > was then pilloried but still refused to testify against himself. Lilburn > became a hero and leader of the 17th-century Leveller movement ... . The fact that self-professed revolutionaries may be incapable of grasping this reveals one of the biggest failings of so-called "marxism-leninism" and stalinist and maoist style so-called revolutionary justice, which too often depends entirely on coerced confessions and Salem-style public shaming for its own sake. The legal arguments in this case revolve around substantial issues of justice and deserve to be weighed That is part of learning to think. The right not to be coerced into self-incrimination is no mere legal technicality no matter who is on trial for what where. Barring actual evidence of some as-yet-undiscovered conspiracy (ok, wait for it) I do not believe that any sort of patriarchal fix went in here or that money changed hands to procure this result. It would be great if the SEP could be as nice about procedure and principle when they are retailing their insane conspiracy theories--eg about Joseph Hansen's alleged role in the murder of Trotsky--or when abusing the legal system in one of their sinister and frivolous lawsuits as they are here. But that is irrelevant to the point at hand, which has nothing to do with asserting Cosby's innocence or supporting his alleged cause as per Felicia Rashad. Also see Stinkbomb B. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#9666): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/9666 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/83966949/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
