"There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."
There are many disturbing things about this. First, they’re asking us to “snitch” on each other, to run yelling for teacher because little Billy called us a poo-poo-face. You know, “inform on your neighbors for the sake of our country!” Second, why does the White House want to be informed of what a blogger in Des Moines said? What do they plan to do about it? What will they do with this growing list of people who disagree with Obama’s policies and aren’t shy about saying so?"
Of course, they’re already taking heat on this issue. Rep Cornyn has demanded they end the program or disclose their procedures for protecting privacy.
"I am not aware of any precedent for a president asking American citizens to report their fellow citizens to the White house for pure political speech that is deemed 'fishy' or otherwise inimical to the White House's political interests," the Texas senator wrote in a letter today to Obama.
"By requesting that citizens send 'fishy' e-mails to the White House, it is inevitable that the names, e-mail addresses, IP addresses, and private speech of U.S. citizens will be reported… You should not be surprised that these actions taken by your White House staff raise the specter of a data collection system."
And that’s a good point. Once they have all these people reported and tracked, will they USE that information somehow? Tax audits in 2010? Or will the next request not be to report these people, but rather to inundate them with complaining and contrary emails and (in the case of blogs) comments?
Cornyn continued, "I urge you to cease this program immediately. At the very least, I request that you detail to Congress and the public the protocols that your White House is following to purge the names, e-mail addresses, IP addresses, and identities of citizens who are reported to have engaged in 'fishy' speech."
He said specifically the president needs to address how he intends to use the identities of those who are reported to him for having "engaged in 'fishy' speech."
Further, Obama should explain how he intends "to notify citizens who have been reported for 'fishy' speech."
This is something we should be concerned about. PresBo and the people in his administration don’t seem to have much respect for such trivialities as freedom of speech.
Personally, I think the first thing we should do is send in an email pointing to… the White House website. If there’s anything more fishy than a proposal to inform our government of dissent, I do not know what it might be.
Why do I think of Nixon and his enemies list?
ReplyDeleteWhoever reads the abuse mail box at the various web providers will busy handling this.
You are so full of it Matthew! This isn't about "snitching" on those who disagree with the Obama administration. It's about exposing the lies and disinformation being spread about health care reform. Many of which YOU are guilty of promoting with this pathetic lying blog!
ReplyDelete"PresBo and the people in his administration don’t seem to have much respect for such trivialities as freedom of speech."
Do you really believe this nonsense? If so, PROVE IT!
I guess lying about those you disagree with is fine if you just call it "free speech"? Matthew, you disgust thinking people with this kind of rubbish.
Basseluucp, I know what you mean. The White House having an enemies list is a very bad sign. I'm not sure this qualifies, but that's sort of the point. Why exactly DO they want this information? What are their plans for using it in the future?
ReplyDeleteSeeker, quite a few of your comments recently have been good ones. Though laced with hatred and vitriol, they have contained points relevant to the discussion. But posts like this one add nothing to the discussion and seem to be merely aimed at slandering and abusing myself and others. I direct you to rule one of the policies.
In the future, please try to make the main thrust of your comment constructive. If too many of these insult-only-comments show up, I will begin to reject them. Every now and then is one thing, but do it too often (determined by me) and I will start rejecting them.
I ask for manners, Seeker. Surely you can display one or two of those? I also ask that you tone down the hatred and vitriol a little bit. You make comments I could easily classify as abusive in each and every one of your comments. Count this as your first warning. Please tone it down a bit.
A Parody:
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. President
I'm worried about my neighbor. We live in a dry county and I've seen driving to the state line on several occasions and then come back to unload cardboard boxes into his garage. I believe he's bringing sinful booze back into God's country.
I'm worried about my neighbor. He's been recently seen with trailer trash women from over near Boaz. He tells his wife that he's off to the VFW meeting, but we all know he's hanging out with trailer trash women.
I'm worried about my neighbor. He was seen last week with a Mississippi State football shirt (not the traditional Auburn shirt). We are worried that he may have gone to the dark side.
I'm worried about my neighbor. He did the "cash for clunkers" deal....swapping his old Ford 150 in for a Toyota car. We think he's becoming anti-American.
I'm worried about my neighbor. He hasn't eaten steak in six weeks. He brags often about salad and fruit. We think he's gone off the deep end and become a vegetarian.
I'm worried about my neighbor. He's gone to watching reruns of Lawrence Welk and T J Hooker. He quotes Greek philosophers all the time.
I'm worried about my neighbor. He got drunk yesterday. He was weeping and crying for hours. Then he finally came up and admitted that he voted for you in the last election. He says if he just had free universal health care...he could rehab and maybe recover in time for the 2012 election.
I'm worried about my neighbor...that we won't get him into rehab in time to make him "right".
---My 5-cent parody for today.
Oh, and if you want to discuss or complain about this warning or about a rejected comment (when one is rejected), please do so via email. Comments of that nature won't be published.
ReplyDeleteNazi Germany IMMEDIATELY springs to my mind...
ReplyDeleteLiberals hide under your bed and drink your blood as you sleep. Democrats eat babies for breakfast and Obamachrist is a Kenyan Muslim Terrorist Socialist/Communist Racist Fascist Liberal! Ooooga booga!!!
ReplyDeleteLOL You wingnuts are just plain stupid.