Bill Clinton Suggests Internet Fact Agency [Ministry of Truth]

Slashdot ^ | 5/16/11 | Soulskill

[Clint Williams]

eldavojohn writes

"Friday on CNBC, Bill Clinton gave an interview that is causing some unrest on popular news sites today. When asked if there is a role for government in terms of ensuring that the information out there is accurate, he replied, 'Well, I think it would be a legitimate thing to do. ... If the government were involved, I think you'd have to do two things ... I think number one, you'd have to be totally transparent about where the money came from. And number two, you would have to make it independent. ... let's say the US did it; it would have to be an independent federal agency that no president could countermand or anything else because people wouldn't think you were just censoring the news and giving a different falsehood out. That is, it would be like, I don't know, National Public Radio or BBC or something like that, except it would have to be really independent and they would not express opinions, and their mandate would be narrowly confined to identifying relevant factual errors. And also, they would also have to have citations so that they could be checked in case they made a mistake.' His statements have elicited responses ranging from a Ministry of Truth a la 1984 to discussion of genuine concern about internet rumors and falsehoods."

[leprechaun9]

Billy Clintoooon (the CZAR of Truth): "I did not have sex with that woman!"

[dforest]

Everyone knows by now that if the government is telling you what is fact, that means you are being lied to.

Oh Bill, you make me laugh. This guy gets more funny every year.

[proxy_user]

I’ll bet the Slashdot crew had fun with this one.

[Bean Counter]

[FredZarguna]

No doubt another proof of O'Sullivan's Law waiting to happen, as Bill knows full well.

NPR? The BBC? Independent? Thanks for being my amusement for the day.

[Carley]

Still fretting about that blue dress revelation on Drudge.

[Olog-hai]

Wow, where did he get all those ideas from, eh? His buddies in the European Union, whose war he fought to have the former Yugoslavia swallowed up by them? (Bismarck couldn't have asked for a better lackey.)

As far as the EU goes, they love the word "independent"; they use it as a synonym for "unaccountable to the public". The appointed European Commission is "independent" and not accountable to anyone. The European Central Bank is officially "independent" insofar as no public accountability. All EU-level politicians are completely immune from prosecution for as long as they hold their offices. This poison of "immunity" is pervasive at the United Nations too.

I knew that stuff like this would abound once the US leftists (due to EU prodding) went after ICANN. Wonder if a parallel free internet can be set up to counter this?

[FlyVet]

it would have to be an independent federal agency that no president could countermand or anything else because people wouldn't think you were just censoring the news and giving a different falsehood out.

Yeah, that'll work. Another giant, money-sucking alphabet agency unaccountable to anyone. Trust me, we'll tell the truth. It depends on what the meaning of truth is. And who pays us our salaries.

Bill's looking for Federal jobs for all the "journalists" of the failing news agencies. Another reason for them to fawn all over him.

[tommix2]

and their mandate would be narrowly confined to identifying relevant factual errors. Like weather conditions when Ron Brown's plane crashed?

[matt1234]

That is, it would be like, I don't know, National Public Radio or BBC or something like that

That depends on what the definition if "is" is.

[Venturer]

Bill Clinton is so full of crap.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

BJ wants to bring a guard aboard the Internet? No warder boarding the Internet — that’s torture, BJ!

[broken_arrow1]

Just what America needs, a truth czar; however, probably can’t find a democrat to fill the vacancy.

[Carley]

How about the 72 versions of the obl kill?