Defending the Truth

It turns out that for months the DoD has been monitoring soldiers blogs, and even shutting some down. A few soldiers have simply been scared into compliance. I understand the need for OPSEC, but this seems extreme & scary to me.

I have a couple of posts about it on my warblog (link below). I for one do not intend to be silenced. I think the public is entitled to stories that are not impacted by a news organizations political agenda. What I find most shocking, is that given the fact that the 'War on Terror' is so unpopular these days, you'd think the Pentagon would want more military bloggers. It seems to me that military bloggers are more likely to show things in a more positive tone.

Unless of course, they are telling the truth, and the truth itself is not positive...

I really don't see this as a big deal at all.

I have been "monitoring" your blog. So what?

And I'd think you'd WANT the DoD monitoring some of this. Do you want some stupid Army guy giving away positions, or anything like that?

If it's on the internet, it's fair game.



Now shut up and drink your coffee!

People talk about how the news is not telling the "whole story", and how we need to listen to stories of the troops in order to know what's really going on with the war effort.

But then we have the government silencing those stories.

If they violate security, that's one thing.

But to generally scare military members into not talking about their experiences ?
That's engaging in precisely the same censorship that they accuse the news industry of doing.

My only concern is that the DoD may be silencing blogs that don't really need to be. And some commnaders have ordered their men to stop altogether. That's just plain wrong and stupid.

I understand the importance of OPSEC, but in a day when you can go to google maps and get detailed, and accurate pictures of every military installation in Afghanistan, and you can get phenomonal intel for free from places like Global Security, I don't really think milblogs are the threat. Monitoring for OPSEC is fine, but I think the avergage service member who is savy enough to be a blogger, is smart enough to know what they should and should not post.

My fear comes from the idea that they may begin to silence people for not agreeing with the administration, and that would be seriously fucked up.

When you find a blog that is silenced for no reason, then you can cry wolf.

I am not trying to cry wolf. I am asking that people keep an eye on the actions of their government. I am asking that you avail yourselves of the democratic process and ensure that you make the right decision at the polls for the right reasons.

I don't see how anyone could say I am crying wolf.

Well... in all fairness, you did call the Army's coffee "swill".

You're screwed!

Okay. I'll keep an eye on your blog.

He when it comes to OUR TROOPS we have been told by a head republican

"Military men are dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns for foreign policy." ~ Henry Kissinger

In cadence...

"They say that in the Army the coffee's mighty fine...

It looks like muddy water, and tastes like turpentine!

Oh lord I wanna go...

But they won't let me go...

Oh oo oh oo oh oo oh oo oh HEY!"