A Green Light to Spy on Americans? Nonsense!

City Journal ^ | Nov 25, 2002 | Heather Mac Donald

[wingnuts'nbolts]

Don't believe the mainstream press's account of the latest court decision on intelligence sharing.

Maybe it's post-election payback. Or maybe just rank ignorance. Whatever the cause, the press's flagrant distortion of a recent court decision on the intelligence sharing represents an escalation of the elite's war on the war on terror.

[wingnuts'nbolts]

This is a must read. One cannot read and believe the manstream media, not now, not then, not ever.

[Thane_Banquo]

Yeah, they did the same damn thing with the Total Information Awareness project. It is only a research project. The Homeland Security Bill only authorized the Pentagon to research the project. It is not authorized by Congress for actual use. But those who want a weakened America flagrantly distorted the truth to stir up passions among well-meaning conservatives and libertarians.

[wingnuts'nbolts]

During WWII the people were asked to watch their neighbors and report suspicious activity. Certain people were asked to do even more, like photograph mail. We were at WAR and the people were afraid. And they should be afraid of the terrorists now.

[knuthom]

Such falsehood is truly breathtaking. Take the New York Times’s charge that the government now has “broad new authority” to spy on “ordinary Americans.” If disbarment were possible in the newspaper business, the New York Times should be disbarred for such gross inaccuracy.

[OldFriend]

One thing FreeRepublic taught me some years ago was not to react to anything printed in the media, or I should say over-react.

Before we begin to rant we MUST seek the original document and learn the truth. The TRUTH is something the lamestream media desires to hide from the American people at all costs.

[wingnuts'nbolts]

You will be please to see such blatant lying exposed.

[Always A Marine]

I am not convinced that TIA is all goodness and light. From my experience in government and from reading history, I believe that we cannot trust in the benevolence of a dictator -- his permanent new powers will someday pass to a successor less restrained by principle, and empowered by unforseen circumstances.

Power that is delegated will eventually be used, so we'd better be careful what we wish for.

[wingnuts'nbolts]

I don't disagree with you. I am simply infuriated at the blatant lies of the press.

[FreedomPoster]

>>I don't disagree with you. I am simply infuriated at the blatant lies of the press.

Exactly. While the effect of this bill, and the government in general, bear watching, it is a given that what we have "learned" of it from the lamestream media is a huge steaming pile.

[wingnuts'nbolts]

PING!

[Miss Marple]

Thank you so much for pinging me! It would be helpful if all freepers, when reading inflammatory stories, would search out the original documents or experts in the field.

Their is a concerted agenda by much of the press and the major networks to inflame the conservatives and stir up trouble for the administration.

While not all ideas coming from the White House will necessarily be something I agree with, I would at least like to know the truth, rather than wasting my time being upset about something that is falsely portrayed.

Prime perpetrators of this tactic of inflammatory writing are Dana Milbank of the Washington Post and almost all writers for The New York Times. Any articles from these sources should be gone over with a fine-tooth comb.

[wingnuts'nbolts]

It is true that our freedoms always bear watching and that the left never sleeps.

[wingnuts'nbolts]

They the NYT are truly traitorous and disgusting.

[FreedomPoster]

>>Any articles from these sources should be gone over with a fine-tooth comb.

That's the wonderful thing about FReepers. They immediately identify the B.S. in articles from these sources for all to see. That's why the left is faltering so; they no longer control information dissemination.

Personally, regarding articles from these sources, I suggest throwing them directly on the compost pile, but to each his own.

[wingnuts'nbolts]

I've never posted before because an article had always been posted already on FR dealing with the subject. But I just had to post this seeing as it was not up. The truth is what hurts the destroyers.

[dirtboy]

Such falsehood is truly breathtaking. Take the New York Times’s charge that the government now has “broad new authority” to spy on “ordinary Americans.”

Heck, we here at FR were questioning that claim the day Safire's column came out. But what was amazing was how that lie spread like wildfire - to the Washington Times, Newsweek, Neal Boortz, the Cato Institute (who changed the lead-in for the story after I e-mailed them about the error) - even Bob Barr fell for it - and I would think that Barr would have checked the text of HR 5710 before commenting on a claim from the media. What the hell ever happened to fact checking? I think folks swallowed this story because it fit in with what they already believed about the Homeland Security Act - which, ironically, probably has provided for a net INCREASE in privacy, since it banned National ID Cards, banned TIPS and provided for a National Privacy Officer.

I see two main problems here. First, reporters and radio talk show hosts who make wild claims seldom mention the section number of the bill, making it very difficult to verify their claim. And second, I guess it doesn't help their ratings if they cover legislation such as the Homeland Security Act in a calm, sober, fact-finding manner. So a bill that should have been covered as "The Homeland Security Act - Brain Numbing Administrative Detail with a few problems and a few benefits" is better hyped as "The Homeland Security Act - the End of the Republic As We Know It" - when the truth is far different.

This exercise has been quite an eye-opener for me. I'm thinking of forming a group on FR which will review legislation so we here at FR are not at the mercy of these nitwits.

[pgyanke]

I agree with you. I see all of this hype as the beginning stages of the Presidential run of 2004. By hyping the Homeland Security Dept into an Orwellian Big Brother, the left inflames the liberty-minded base of the President.

Notice recently how the President's approval ratings, although still high, have fallen. How can this be, considering his recent victories? It's because the left has been successful in painting one of his greatest victories as an affront to his constituency.

[FreedomPoster]

>>I'm thinking of forming a group on FR which will review legislation so we here at FR are not at the mercy of these nitwits.

There was someone posting a couple of days ago who was obviously reading through this entire bill. He said most of it was bureaucratic minutia, and also has some interesting comments on what the bill really said, as opposed to what is being reported in the media.

I don't remember his name, can anyone else help?

[Darlin']

Long but well worth reading and keeping. If the facts of this issue had not been distorted by so many liberal publications one might assume an honest mistake had been made but this article relieves that assumption.

[dirtboy]

That was me