Oppo Research in the Tradition of Einstein (Free Republic under fire)

The Corner at National Review Online ^ | 28 June 2008 | Byron York

[SE Mom]

The Washington Post has published an unintentionally amusing article this morning about one Danielle Allen, a "razor-sharp, 36-year-old political theorist" at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Studies. Allen, with doctorates from Cambridge and Harvard, won a $500,000 MacArthur Foundation genius grant a few years ago and now conducts studies at the Institute, where, according to the Post, "she works alongside groundbreaking physicists, mathematicians and social scientists. They don't have to teach, and they face no quotas on what they publish. Their only mandate is to work in the tradition of Einstein, wrestling with the most vexing problems in the universe."

And one of the most vexing problems in the universe, which Allen has decided to pursue in the tradition of Einstein, is the origin of a number of e-mails claiming that Barack Obama is a Muslim. Using the advanced research tools at her disposal, the razor-sharp Allen found…a couple of posters on the Free Republic website, plus a former political rival of Obama's who sends out zillions of e-mails to reporters every day.

The former political rival appears to have been completely open about the stuff he sent out, some of which was based on arguments similar to an op-ed that appeared in the pages of the New York Times. As for Free Republic, according to the Post, Allen "counted 23 freepers among those engaging in regular discussions about Obama's religion, and isolated a handful whom she began to suspect as having a role in the e-mail. Sifting through hundreds of postings, she began to piece together their identities."

Allen gave her information to the Post reporter, who used it to track down two allegedly offending freepers, one a 69-year-old retired grandfather in the suburbs of Boston and the other a 60-year-old schoolteacher in rural Washington state. Both said they had nothing to do with the emails. And that's about it.

But the article has a pretty clear subtext, and it is that the exchange of such information on the Internet should be controlled. "I started thinking, 'How does one stop it?'" Allen told the Post. "Citizens and political scientists must face the fact that the Internet has enabled a new form of political organization that is just as influential on local and national elections as unions and political action committees…This kind of misinformation campaign short-circuits judgment. It also aggressively disregards the fundamental principle of free societies that one be able to debate one's accusers."

Of course, we have laws that regulate the political activities of unions and political action committees. Is it going too far to guess that the scholar from the Institute for Advanced Studies might be searching for some way to do the same for Free Republic?

06/28 08:45 AM

[HerrBlucher]

She is paid to ensure the furthering of Marxist ideology.

Interesting that she chose the Muslim issue to pursue and apparently isn't at all concerned about the countless accusations that Obama is Marxist.

[PhilDragoo]

ALLEN, DANIELLE
CHICAGO,IL
60615 INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDY/PROFES
12/7/07

$1,100 Obama, Barack (D)

CLICK HUSSEIN

[WilliamofCarmichael]

I was just quoting the tenor of the book "Republic.Com" written by an employee of the University of Chicago (law school, I think).

You see, "cyberbalkanization" is a bad thing, dangerous for our democracy. It is a very popular book on the left. The Nytimese book reviewer loved the book.

Government should make you link to contrary opinions -- and not just to make fun of them. To keep our democracy you must consider the others' feeeeeeeeeeeeeelings.

I heard a couple of interviews with the author. When asked if the government should force people to link to and seriously consider conservative views the author had to think a few seconds then responded that, yes he supposed that would be needed also.

So it ain't just the Left's "Fairness Doctrine" to make radio fa-a-a-a-a-a-air that we have to defend against with blood -- our free speech, their blood.

[mnehring]

Was Danielle Allen violating federal law by using tax-exempt facilities to do Obama campaign research? What are Allen's links to Obama and his campaign?

[SE Mom]

NICE CATCH!

[Jo Nuvark]

[... It never occurs to these bozos that any
system designed to stop “lies” will mostly end
up being used to stop truth. Such is the history
of censorship...]

The smartest woman in the world should have
come to this reasoning by now. Obviously Ms. Allen
is a “Compartmental Genius”.

[river rat]

This “genius” proves the old saying:

“There is a thin line between genius and insanity”.

[denydenydeny]

But the article has a pretty clear subtext, and it is that the exchange of such information on the Internet should be controlled. "I started thinking, 'How does one stop it?'" Allen told the Post. "Citizens and political scientists must face the fact that the Internet has enabled a new form of political organization that is just as influential on local and national elections as unions and political action committees…This kind of misinformation campaign short-circuits judgment. It also aggressively disregards the fundamental principle of free societies that one be able to debate one's accusers."

The First Amendment doesn't have asterisks for "attributed" versus "unattributed" speech. The government may not abridge political speech, ever, ever, ever, period. The "fundamental principle of free societies that one be able to debate one's accusers" conflates political speech with legal proceedings, a confusion, coming from a so-called "genius scholar," that seems to indicate a desire to criminalize political speech.

Horrifyingly, this position is becoming more and more popular:

...Some prominent legal scholars say the United States should reconsider its position on hate speech. “It is not clear to me that the Europeans are mistaken,” Jeremy Waldron, a legal philosopher, wrote in The New York Review of Books last month, “when they say that a liberal democracy must take affirmative responsibility for protecting the atmosphere of mutual respect against certain forms of vicious attack.”

Stalinism chic.

[txhurl]

Looks like she IS, not was, using a tax-exempt office to do oppo research for Obama, and using taxpayer-financed laser paper to amass a huge file on Freepers, per the article.

[informavoracious]

They don't want debate. They want to shut down debate, destroy the opposition, and assume total and evelasting control.

Exactamundo. It appears Ms. Allen is a member of the Inner Party and is "gunning" for the position of Obama's Ministrix of Minitrue.

The irony is that many "liberal" totalitarians think "Big Brother" is Bush and the evil capitalist corporations, when in fact, "Big Brother" is THEM.

[SE Mom]

Good grief...here come those moral Europeans again.

pppfffttt..

[mnehring]

EXACTLY. Not only would this be against most school’s and business’s ethics policy, there also may be a major violation of FEC laws here in her using this office for opposition research.

[Earthdweller]

“Compartmental Genius”...LOL!

Likely just a leftist groupie, they like all fascists, they love censorship. You are being far too kind in your assumption that she is not aware of the presumed proposal of infringement on your right to express your opinion by making threats.

If these little Hitlers are tracking down private citizens and harassing them they may be liable.

[rbmillerjr]

btw, for any of you leftists tracking me down, please freepmail and I’ll give you my phone and address...

...and not to dishearten you, but my entire family, excluding me are Democrats in Maryland. Not one of them will vote for the radical Obama lmao.

[SE Mom]

BINGO!

And WHO is it, exactly that foots the bill for government grants?

[M203M4]

This is at the Institute for Advanced Study?

Let me guess.

Affirmative action was involved.

[Alas Babylon!]

Here she is:

Danielle Allen UPS Foundation Professor

[ClancyJ]

What an utter waste of time, a mind. Trying to spy on innocent posters of a website.

Well - they can have at it - there are millions of us. Maybe it will keep them from doing any work that would further their socialistic causes - such as environmental restrictions, school takeovers, economic ruin for the U.S.

[mkjessup]

Allen gave her information to the Post reporter, who used it to track down two allegedly offending freepers
Heads up! The "free" press is tracking down FReepers.

That's ok, most Freepers already know where the Washington Post building is located, we don't have to track them down!

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

Interesting that she chose the Muslim issue to pursue and apparently isn't at all concerned about the countless accusations that Obama is Marxist.

Simple tests to detect a communist. They claim (as well as do their supporters) they are intellectuals. They never admit they are communists. They condemn any passion for freedom as selfish, hateful, and greedy. They never condemn communism.