The BIG Sweep: Reporters & Bloggers Beware

Bush Declares War on Freedom of Press

Using many of the questionable surveillance and monitoring techniques that brought both questions and criticism to his administration, President George W. Bush has launched a war against reporters who write stories unfavorable to his actions and is planning to prosecute journalists to make examples of them in his "war on terrorism."

...

As part of the investigation, the Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency are wiretapping reporters' phones, following journalists on a daily basis, searching their homes and offices under a USA Patriot Act provision that allows "secret and undisclosed searches" and pouring over financial and travel records of hundreds of Washington-based reporters.

...

In recent weeks, the FBI has issued hundreds of "National Security Letters," directing employers, banks, credit card companies, libraries and other entities to turn over records on reporters. Under the USA Patriot Act, those who must turn over the records are also prohibited from revealing they have done so to the subject of the federal probes.

This is getting ridiculous... and very scary... and I'm just willing to bet there are some of you out there who think this is a great idea!

:shk:


[edit on 4-4-2006 by loam]

Well, I don't think Bush is going to do that...

BUT HE MIGHT!

IT'S SCARY!!!

Hey - what about bloggers from Europe?

I'd like to think he could'nt get away with it, though a part of me thinks he may be able to.

I think it will more difficult for him to do so than it would have been 2 years ago, since alot of the American populace, including influential people like celebrities, seem to be against Bush and the government now-a-days.

It really is Hitler number 2 . SEIG HEIL Bush! Not.

I guess they can't say "well, if you're not doing anything wrong, it won't affect you" anymore can they. Just wait, this is the tip of the iceburg. We are losing freedoms left and right and everyone is just complacent about it. It makes me sick.

can't say i'm surprised. wehave discussed things such as this in the past. unamuseingly those who mentioned such things as comming were called prety much lunitics "it could never happen". well wether or not this story is true i can see it happening. this is like all the "if you are against the war in iraq then you obviously are against freedom and possibly a terrorist yourself." messages that are all over this site. it is an "you are either with us or against us" type of thing. just because one does not like the currant president/war in iraq does not nessisarily mean that you don't also love the states and the freedoms that the west has (or at least used to have at anyrate).

One little step at a time...that's how it is done. One step at a time, nice and slow and people will accept things like this...

Oh how I hope I am wrong.

Today's Best Cartoons


Cartoon by mister Mike Keefe for The Denver Pos

I particularly loved this part of the article:

...

Just how widespread, and uncontrolled, this latest government assault has become hit close to home last week when one of the FBI's National Security Letters arrived at the company that hosts the servers for this web site, Capitol Hill Blue.

The letter apparently demanded traffic data, payment records and other information about the web site along with information on me, the publisher.

Now that's a problem. I own the company that hosts Capitol Hill Blue. So, in effect, the feds want me to turn over information on myself and not tell myself that I'm doing it. You'd think they'd know better.

...

Makes you wonder how widespread this really is....

Unbelievable.

Seemingly whatever is required. Square peq, round hole, bigger hammer. These individuals are truly adept at full-spectrum warfare and transformational information systems utilization including the 'net and maybe even this post...
I don't see any credible way to fix this... any ideas?



[edit on 4-4-2006 by V Kaminski]

Should this not be in the political part of this site?

The last time I made political comments at ATS I was warned to not do it again?

Otherwise I have some very strong comments on this thread and the motive behind it.

"Mmm Mmm Mmm..."

*Shaking head*

*Turns around and yells into the dining room*

"Hey, honey? Set another place at the table, will ya? The (F)ederal (B)logger (I)nvestigators will be here for dinner... Unless they have already been here..."

JDub

Originally posted by BlueTileSpook
"Hey, honey? Set another place at the table, will ya? The (F)ederal (B)logger (I)nvestigators will be here for dinner... Unless they have already been here..."

Did you check the sink for dirty dishes???

thanks Bushco...
he has sealed the fate for the republicans forever...
they will never be trusted with ultimate power again.

Lord save us from swinging it to the dems though, it could still get worse (shudders at the thought)

So does this include the rampant ramblings of ATS posters? are we considered journalists, or bloggers?

censorship in the internet age...

they really are THAT stupid

Originally posted by LazarusTheLong
thanks Bushco...

he has sealed the fate for the republicans forever...
they will never be trusted with ultimate power again.

Lord save us from swinging it to the dems though, it could still get worse (shudders at the thought

)

I completely agree....

If we don't lose everything, and avoid outright oppression, maybe the good that will come from all of this will be the emergence of new political parties, or a massive redefinition of the old ones.

*crosses fingers and hopes it don't get too rough*

Originally posted by LazarusTheLong
So does this include the rampant ramblings of ATS posters? are we considered journalists, or bloggers?

There is another "class" out there besides being a journalist or being a non-journalist. There are now "Citizen Journalists" that are not professional journalists but feed stories to small and medium newspapers. I wonder if those people are at risk of this also?

Also, with my post above this one, I was not saying that I don't think this could or is happening. It was just one of those silly moments where I thought that I would poke some fun.

JDub

Looks to me like Black Sabbath saw it all coming when they released Paranoid back in September, 1970.

War Pigs

Gen'rals gathered in their masses,
Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction,
Sorcerer of death's construction
In the fields the bodies burning,
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind,
Poisoning their brainwashed minds
Oh Lord Yeah!

Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave their role to the poor, yeah

Time will tell on their power minds,
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess,
Wait 'till their judgement day comes, yeah

Now in darkness world stops turning,
Ashes where the bodies burning
No more War Pigs have the power,
And as God has struck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees the war pigs crawling,
Begging mercies for their sins
Satan, laughing, spreads his wings
Oh Lord Yeah!


Paranoid

Finished with my woman 'cause she couldn't help me with my mind
People think I'm insane because I am frowning all the time

All day long I think of things but nothing seems to satisfy,
Think I'll lose my mind if I don't find something to pacify

Can you help me occupy my brain?
Oh yeah

I need someone to show me the things in life that I can't find,
I can't see the things that make true happiness, I must be blind

Make a joke and I will sigh and you will laugh and I will cry
Happiness I can not feel and love to me is so unreal

And so as you hear these words telling you now of my state
I tell you to enjoy life, I wish I could but (it's/I'm) too late

I can nearly feel the base line pounding when I read those lyrics sitting here almost 36 years later.

Thats kinda scary...what is this world coming too?!

well we ahve been saying it all along and the people had their fingers in their ears because our voices didn't say what they wanted to hear!

Bush and co are going to rule with a rod of iron, and every man women and child will be a slave to the corporate companies that sit in the white house. The USA will go from the: land of the free and home of the brave, to the: land of the fee and home of the slave.

Its coming folks, the slap down is being planned, readied and aimed! just who do you think you are to actually think you have the right to freedom...tsk tsk you silly little people.

I am SHOCKED....that people will take to the streets to protest the rights of ILLEAGAL ALIENS in America yet nobody is marching the streets to protest the removal of our rights to basic freedom of speach..........

Lame friggen Americans....PEOPLE WAKE UP! these are our BASIC freedom of speach rights just flushing down the toilet!!!

[edit on 4-4-2006 by theRiverGoddess]