Homeland Security to Compile Database of Journalists, Bloggers

Rogue Valley said:

DHS ultimately reports and answers to the president.

This journalist database is not a good idea and the potential for political abuse is high.

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Agreed. As much potential for political abuse as a firearm registry.

Thoreau72 said:

To borrow from a previous POTUS, the constitution is really just a damn piece of paper.

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Sounds about right, considering a fair number of Obama's EOs have been struck down by the courts as exceeding the power of the office, among other reasons.
Some Constitutional Scholar he. :roll:

DaveFagan said:

Looks alarming to me. You can't enforce censorship until you identify the targets of censorship. This would be a beginning step. The USA MSM is such a fantasyland that they fear independent, open, investigative, objective journalism that counters their narrative that is an agenda driven priority. A harbinger of the future.
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Agreed.

Now to look at the active and ongoing censorship of any non-leftist ideas, speech and thought now sweeping through social media platforms.

eohrnberger said:

Sounds about right, considering a fair number of Obama's EOs have been struck down by the courts as exceeding the power of the office, among other reasons.
Some Constitutional Scholar he. :roll:

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Greetings, Erik. :2wave:

I recall that the Supreme Court voted unanimously, on two separate occasions, that he had exceeded his authority! I also recall that he had recommended two of those Justices himself! :fyi:

polgara said:

Greetings, Erik. :2wave:

I recall that the Supreme Court voted unanimously, on two separate occasions, that he had exceeded his authority! I also recall that he had recommended two of those Justices himself! :fyi:

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Greetings, Polgara. :2wave:

Indeed. Factual that.

DaveFagan said:

Looks alarming to me. You can't enforce censorship until you identify the targets of censorship. This would be a beginning step. The USA MSM is such a fantasyland that they fear independent, open, investigative, objective journalism that counters their narrative that is an agenda driven priority. A harbinger of the future.
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That's absolutely correct.

You can bet that "conspiracy theorists" and anyone critical of government policies will be targeted.

What worries me is that posters here would fall within the scope of this new DHS database, that we may all need to avoid expressing certain views, referring to specific sources, using particular terms or expressions, if we are concerned there is anything in our cyberspace past that could in any way be used against us. If you've ever visited a porn site, one that promotes online gambling, discusses firearms, where offensive terms associated with racist or sexist views are used, any site promoting anything the DHS could consider in any way improper, this will be found and used to keep you from posting views they disagree with right here.

In a time of universal deception, speaking, posting or writing the truth is a radical act, punishable by law.

The folks at DHS are no doubt enamoured of the old aphorism: "Fear is the beginning of wisdom." That is of course utterly false. Fear is the beginning of authoritarianism and subjugation.

Welcome to the new, improved USA with government of some of the people, despite the most of the people and on all of the people. Just like Britain enclosed common land for private use, and banking laws enclosed free truck, barter and exchange of goods and services between individuals, so now the DHS and by extension the whole American state is moving to enclose the free flow and exchange of ideas and to develop the capacity to surveil and possibly legally prosecute those who dissent from the state's approved narratives. As long as collecting such data is illegal, it cannot be used in a court of law in order to prosecute or sue persons. But the moment it becomes legal to do so, then the torts and criminal prosecutions will proliferate.

Mr. Ben Franklin was right, all those many years ago. A state which is powerful enough to protect you from all possible threats is also powerful enough to take away everything which you value, and thus becomes the greatest possible threat of all.

Enjoy the Gotterdammerung of liberal democracy and republican protections; and why not play some stirring Wagner as some nice mood music as the light of liberty dips below the authoritarian horizon. 241 years was a pretty good run, I suppose.

Or, you could all get up off your asses, step away from your keyboards and do something about it.

Err. Yah, right. What was I thinking? Isn't the music of Siegfried's Funeral March simply divine? And so apropos too!

Enjoy the twilight.
Evilroddy.