A Nation of Informers

[Guest Phantom6]

I would much rather error on the side of caution and be vigilant and extremely sensitive regarding this message by the administration than see the further erosion of our rights as citizens in this nation.

If this healthcare thing that the administration is so worried about is all that great why are members of Congress unwilling to take advantage of the plan they are trying to push down our throats? I see the liberals in Congress and the White House as a bunch of elitists that believe they are above what they are trying to force upon the citizens of this nation. If the White House is so open and honest regarding this healthcare plan that their liberal buddies or pupets are rushing to get passed why are they denying that they are trying to create socialized medicine when in a speach a few years back (2006 I believe) to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) did Obama talk about the fact that if his ideal version of healthcare reform were to be implemented it would take a few years to get to the point to where all other health insurance providers would be eliminated by the government's single payor plan? Oh, don't believe the familial-like link between Obama and the SEIU? Well here's the landing page of the union's website:

and the free Poster you can sign up for at your SEIU local office now:

This administration is accusing average citizens that have spoken out against or questioned the healthcare innitiative and disavowed any particular group affiliation at townhall meetings all across the country of being sent there by the "powerful and corrupt" insurance companies who fear the winds of change in the healthcare industry. Republicans, Libertarians and Democrats alike who openly question this administration's ideas on not only healthcare but other policies as well are branded as "right wing reactionaries". I am concerned when the administration is advertising for citizens to "rat each other out" regarding adversarial positions. Heck when Obama spoke in Bristol at what was supposed to be a townhall atmosphere the other day he spoke before what was reported by our local media and some in the national media alike as being a "hand picked audience made up of certain Kroger Company employees" and got nothing but drooling adoration for what he had to say. The stage wasd set, the actors played their parts and followed the carefully laid out script from the administration. This was a far cry from what has been reported at other meetings conducted by Senator Arlen Spector, Kathleen Sebelius and others promoting this administration's policies.

I'm not so sure that this White House is not asking for informants with an eye toward trampling first amendment rights. Whether they are in fact or not, IMHO it is better to be watchfull and on guard for this possibility than to not see that train coming 'round the bend.

In 1921, the noted American journalist and editor of the New York World newspaper which was a pioneer in investigative journalism, Frank I. Cobb (1869-1923), wrote the following regarding freedom of speach:

"If the author of the Declaration of Independence were to utter such a sentiment today, the Post Office Department could exclude him from the mail, grand juries could indict him for sedition and criminal syndicalism, legislative committees could seize his private papers ... and United States Senators would be clamoring for his deportation that he ... should be sent back to live with the rest of the terrorists."

Damn, that is starting to sound more and more like he could have been writing that today and talking about what Janet Napolitano and others in this administration apparantly believe, eh?!

Yup, I'm at least keeping an eye open here and would submit that all Americans would be wise to do so as well.

Edited August 6, 2009 by Phantom6

[Guest FroggyOne2]

You nay sayers need to wake up! This was also reported by Mark Levin.. this isn't tin foil..

[Guest FroggyOne2]

I just heard a good idea to do with this.. use the snitch line on the White House web site. Use it to report the liers about the health care reform bill.. you know whom I am talking about.. Schumer, Boxer, Barney's frank, Stretch Polosi, and the other ilk.

[Guest SUNTZU]

I just heard a good idea to do with this.. use the snitch line on the White House web site. Use it to report the liers about the health care reform bill.. you know whom I am talking about.. Schumer, Boxer, Barney's frank, Stretch Polosi, and the other ilk.

[BrasilNuts]

I did my duty as an American citizen and reported the video on this site: The White House - Blog Post - Facts Are Stubborn Things

[BryanP]

This kind of thing was a bad idea when the Bush administration proposed it, and it's still a bad idea.

[Guest BoltAction]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone sent an email and gotten any kind of reply? They claim they're not logging email/ip addresses, but I'm just wondering.

[Guest SUNTZU]

They also claim they're not socialist.

[mcurrier]

This kind of thing was a bad idea when the Bush administration proposed it, and it's still a bad idea.

Yeah...that evil George Bush!

Not even closely the same thing.

Big difference between reporting possible terrorist activity (seeing a couple guys with bombs strapped to themselves and rocket launchers climbing a fence near the airport) vs. reporting that your neighbor does not like Obama's health care proposal and is informing his friends and neighbors of the problems with it using 'facts'. One is a potential deadly issue, the other is a freedom of speech vs. disagreeing with The Leader issue.

[Mark@Sea]

Doesn't seem to be popular with some folks. I wonder why?

Flag Me pictures by Cincy912 - Photobucket

[Guest mikedwood]

I did my duty as an American citizen and reported the video on this site: The White House - Blog Post - Facts Are Stubborn Things

You are a great American sir!

[BryanP]

Yeah...that evil George Bush!

Not even closely the same thing.

Big difference between reporting possible terrorist activity (seeing a couple guys with bombs strapped to themselves and rocket launchers climbing a fence near the airport) vs. reporting that your neighbor does not like Obama's health care proposal and is informing his friends and neighbors of the problems with it using 'facts'. One is a potential deadly issue, the other is a freedom of speech vs. disagreeing with The Leader issue.

Yeah, because having cable installers and postal workers report on what they see in their customer's homes would have worked well. It wasn't just "Hey, a bomb." That's naive. It was more like "Hey, this guy has a lot of guns. And a Koran. Better call someone." Which, thanks to the books from a comparative theology course I took, is a category I would fall in to. I have a Koran, sandwiched in between the Talmud, a Christian Bible, the Rig Veda, and various other similar works. I can just see how that would have gone over.

[Smith]

Yeah, because having cable installers and postal workers report on what they see in their customer's homes would have worked well. It wasn't just "Hey, a bomb." That's naive. It was more like "Hey, this guy has a lot of guns. And a Koran. Better call someone." Which, thanks to the books from a comparative theology course I took, is a category I would fall in to. I have a Koran, sandwiched in between the Talmud, a Christian Bible, the Rig Veda, and various other similar works. I can just see how that would have gone over.

I know what you are saying but it's apples and oranges. It's like saying spying on citizens is wrong so no citizen can be spied on ...... even if they are actively financing and working for Al Queda. It is a blurry line for sure.

[BrasilNuts]

If I see my neighbor selling crack I'm going to call the police. If I see him beating his wife I'm going to call the police. Those things are illegal and should be reported.

When the government starts asking you to report people just because they disagree with a health care plan that's going to far.

Soon it may be illegal to disagree with BHO.

[Guest redbarron06]

We should find the full text of the 1400 pages bill and copy and paste it into the email. I bet a couple million of those would shut the server down.

[Guest Phantom6]

BrazilNuts, you inspired me. Below is a copy of the email I sent.

-------------------------------------

Suspect Information</SPAN>

Mike<brushymtnmike@yahoo.com>

Friday, August 7, 2009 9:23:33 AM

To:flag@whitehouse.gov

Comrades,

I saw something on the web about health insurance reform that seems "fishy" and wanted to do my patriotic duty as a loyal American who believes in change and report it. Below are sites which I believe contain gross errors regarding the current healthcare debate. Please contact these folks and make them stop.

The Current Situation

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/

(It all started here)

A Healthcare System that Works for Everyone

http://www.democrats.org/a/national/affordable_health_care/

(and here)

Chairman Kaine on the Need for Health Reform Now

http://www.democrats.org/a/2009/06/chairman_kaine_4.php

President Obama's Three Principles of Healthcare Reform

http://www.democrats.org/a/2009/05/president_obama_27.php

Pelosi Remarks on Health Insurance Reform

http://www.house.gov/pelosi/

SCHUMER JOINS Push

http://schumer.senate.gov/new_website/record_print.cfm?id=313486

Experience Shows Benefit of Government Role in Healthcare

By Barney Frank

http://www.house.gov/frank/speeches/2006/03-30-06-va-government-role-healthcare.html

Senator Boxer on the Need for Health Care Reform

http://boxer.senate.gov/senate/floor_speeches/06162009.cfm

THE SECURITY YOU GET from health insurance reform:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/health-insurance-consumer-protections/

A Weekly Update on Health Reform

http://www.healthreform.gov/

New CEA Report on Small Businesses and Health Reform

Posted by Terrell McSweeny

http://www.whitehouse..gov/blog/New-CEA-Report-on-Small-Businesses-and-Health-Reform/

Facts Are Stubborn Things

Posted by Macon Phillips

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Facts-Are-Stubborn-Things/

Thank you!

---------------------------------------------

Actually I screwed up the first time I tried to send this. I was typing really, really fast and I accidentally left the letter "l" out of flag and apparantly they have a mail capture system there that picks up anything remotely similar to the correct spelling of the address 'cause I received a reply saying that my message had been forwarded to Barney Frank's office.

Just Kidding!

I now await the repercussions of my seditious act-

[mcurrier]

Yeah, because having cable installers and postal workers report on what they see in their customer's homes would have worked well. It wasn't just "Hey, a bomb." That's naive. It was more like "Hey, this guy has a lot of guns. And a Koran. Better call someone." Which, thanks to the books from a comparative theology course I took, is a category I would fall in to. I have a Koran, sandwiched in between the Talmud, a Christian Bible, the Rig Veda, and various other similar works. I can just see how that would have gone over.

Sorry my analogy wasn't worded to your liking, but I try to oversimplify things to the lowest common denominator.

Jefferson had a Koran, but I wouldn't be reporting him as a potential terrorist.

Point being, BIG difference in what Bush was doing vs. what Obama is trying to do. I'll even oblige you by saying a. one not so good and b. one very, very bad. Now I leave it to you to place those two labels on Bush and Obama as you see fit and then we will more clearly understand your position.

[Guest slothful1]

According to 5 U.S.C. § 552a, United States agencies, including the Executive Office of the President shall “maintain no record describing how any individual exercises rights guaranteed by the First Amendment unless expressly authorized by statute or by the individual about whom the record is maintained or unless pertinent to and within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity.”

[BrasilNuts]

Comrades,

....perfect

[memphismason]

What are you guys saying?

[Guest thorn]

If they only offered a cash reward for every report

[Guest mustangdave]

If they only offered a cash reward for every report

That's next....

[Motasyco]

If they only offered a cash reward for every report

They have to finish printing up the Cash For Clunkers money before they can print up money for this.

[Guest mustangdave]

They have to finish printing up the Cash For Clunkers money before they can print up money for this.

I'm thinking they'll barrow California's IOU's....

[memphismason]

I'm thinking they'll barrow California's IOU's....

California....what a silly country.

People's Republic of Komiefornia