With all the crap surrounding Homeland Security lately. Propaganda videos at Walmarts and malls, taking over website domains, the new "rat on your neighbors" campaign, etc. Its starting to sound a lot like the Gestapo. And under a Democratic administration no less.

I find all of these stories frightening. When are "they" going to come after those of us who blog either using our real names or a "pen name".
There is no "starting over" option these days.
Perhaps Julian Assange is doing all of us a favor by using Wikileaks as a multi national test case for free speech.

Here's the Washington Post article on this issue.

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/articles/monitoring-america/

Funny, go back in time and all of these tyrannical actions start by justifying them for the public's safety or security.

Here I though Mr Obama was going to be a big change. Ultimately, we need to keep govt powers at a minimum necessary no matter who is in charge.

Jon -

Why are you surprised that its moving much further and faster forward under a "Democratic" administration.

Look around the world since 1918. It is almost uniformly the groups who self describe as left or liberal within their own societies who impose the most outrageous restrictions on personal freedoms.

Loyalist Spain, Stalin, the "National Socialists" in Germany, Mao-ists in China, Castro's Cuba, Peron in Argentina,its a world wide pattern. The "revolution" must be protected after all.

This is not meant to let conservatives or rightists off the hook. They do quite badly themselves, See, Mussolini, Italy.

Also in the Wash Post an article about the new task force to review Wikileaks called...the WTF or Wikileaks Task Force.
"WTF" pretty much says it all.

This is an intolerable affront to those of us who, were we the ones in power, would exercise it wisely, judiciously and with restraint. Isn't it odd that such people never seem to turn up in positions of authority?

Allan L.

Why?

Perhaps we need to implement the concept of "The 10th Victim."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_10th_Victim

Congratulations on your choice of that fine magazine, Reason. They actually believe in freedom!

PS:
In Oregon, you merely have to inform people you are recording them. And in public meetings, have the recorder visible. (I have no idea what happens if the cops says he does not want to be recorded and you answer "then don't say anything - the recorder stays on")

Thanks
JK

Sorry Nonny, can't let that comment slide.

Look around the world since 1918. It is almost uniformly the groups who self describe as left or liberal within their own societies who impose the most outrageous restrictions on personal freedoms.

This is an interesting re-write of history. One I doubt most serious historians or political scientists would agree with.

Loyalist Spain, Stalin, the "National Socialists" in Germany, Mao-ists in China, Castro's Cuba, Peron in Argentina,its a world wide pattern. The "revolution" must be protected after all.

Having lived in Spain, I can assure you that your description of their civil war is upside down. It was the Fascists, led by General Franco, who rebelled against the center-left Republican Government in 1936. While both sides committed undeniably brutal acts, the historical consensus is that the conservative Fascists committed more atrocities, executed more people, and their 35+ year rule over Spain after the war presents a record in stark contrast to what you describe.

And then, of course, there's the Nazis in Germany. The consensus among political scientists and historians is that the Nazis, and Fascists in general, are rightists, not leftists. While some models do find similarities between Fascists and Communists regarding their extremism and reliance on the state, it's disingenuous to assert that Nazis are leftists. Kind of like the pictures of Obama with the Hitler mustache. Classy.

It's also funny that your list mentions Argentina but leaves out Pinochet in neighboring Chile. Hmmm...almost like you're being selective...

"The consensus among political scientists and historians...". Yes, and the winners never write history to suit their own needs. Heaven forfend you look behind the current and see whats really going on.

It's only going to get worse before it gets worse.

The Roberts Court: Justices Offer Receptive Ear to Business Interests
NY Times (Sunday, 18 Dec. 2010)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/us/19roberts.html

"The consensus among political scientists and historians...". Yes, and the winners never write history to suit their own needs. Heaven forfend you look behind the current and see whats really going on.

I should favor the opinions of an anonymous blog commentor over my personal experience and the consensus of scientists and historians. Right.

Maybe you should pull back the Fox News/Rush Limbaugh curtain? Or am I assuming too much?

In Oregon, you merely have to inform people you are recording them.

I dont think that is true. Only one party has to be informed, and that would be you if you are recording.

Only one party has to be informed
That is the federal standard, many states require ALL parties know.

Here is Oregon’s recording statue: ORS 165.540(1)(c) :

165.540 Obtaining contents of communications. (1) Except as otherwise provided in ORS 133.724 or 133.726 or subsections (2) to (7) of this section, a person may not:
...
(c) Obtain or attempt to obtain the whole or any part of a conversation by means of any device, contrivance, machine or apparatus, whether electrical, mechanical, manual or otherwise, if not all participants in the conversation are specifically informed that their conversation is being obtained.
See: leg.state.or.us/ors/165.html

Public meetings rules are at:
doj.state.or.us/public_records/index.shtml

thanks
JK

Probable cause... we're the pigs and we don't need no stinkin' probable cause.

Joey -

Pinochet isn't worth mentioning because he had little long tern effect upon Chile. Peron, by contrast, had an effect on Argentina that has lasted 760 - 70 years.

But you are too young to understand.

And rther than your brief years in Spain, long after the Civil War, I suggest that just for entertainment and a little education that you read (not rereda, because its obvious you never have done it initially) Orwells Homage to Catalonia.

The "republican Government" was neither, and while it lasted was far more totalitarian than the Falange was in the same period.

Pinochet isn't worth mentioning because he had little long tern effect upon Chile.

How easily you dismiss someone who ordered thousands of political executions and locked up hundreds of thousands more.

While you're brushing up on Latin American political history, check out the right-wing Death Squads in El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala.

But you are too young to understand...The "republican Government" was neither, and while it lasted was far more totalitarian than the Falange was in the same period.

Yeah, I've read Orwell, Hemmingway, Lorca (who was assassinated by right-wing Nationalists). I've seen Picasso's Guernica. Take your condescension elsewhere. It doesn't change the fact that "thousands of non-combatants lost their lives in political executions carried out during the war, mostly by the Nationalists."

Your position that leftists or liberals "impose the most outrageous restrictions on personal freedoms" is simply untenable, regardless of what Glenn Beck tells you.

And that you offer up Nazism as evidence indicates you're operating in an alternate reality.

Maybe some basic classes in political science would help but for anyone interested Spain, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and most military dictatorships are of the Right, not left. Even Stalin was more to the Right in his country (versus Trotsky on the Left) though he used Leftist rhetoric. The first people that Hitler and Franco and Mussolini killed were communists, socialists, labor organizers, liberal members of the media, the liberal clergy, intellectuals. Plenty of bad guys to go around regardless of your political biases. So in short: Historical bad guys on the Right: Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Pinochet, maybe Peron (some debate). On the Left, Mao, Stalin (some debate), Castro, Pol Pot, Whatever Nut is in Charge in N Korea, etc. Maybe we can make a third category and group them all together.

Oh, by the way, Orwell fought for the Republican government in Spain. And the Republican government was elected by a democratic vote of the people like Allende in Chile and also, sorry, Pinochet rule in Chile had a profound effect on that country. Right Wing fascist military dictatorships have wrecked havoc upon their countries and have been supported by many in the Right in this country. People who claim to support freedom but in reality just support their own political biases.

Right on, George.

Clearly monsters on the left (Pol Pot, Mao, etc.) perpetrated horrible crimes against their people, but to say that they are *more* atrocious than monsters on the right (Hitler, Franco, Pinochet, etc.) is pretty silly and to claim Nazis/Fascism is a leftist ideology is simply crazy.

It's so crazy, in fact, that it sounded like Glen Beck. So I did a little search on the Googles. Lo and behold, Nonny Mouse is getting her talking points straight from Glen Beck's show.

Electronic conversations require one party consent, in person conversations require all party consent.

I been through this all in courts so I know for sure.