This is a man who seems to be remarkably lacking in common sense. Maybe it’s the infection of his thinking by leftism, but you have to be impressed by how consistently wrong he has been whenever he’s spoken his own mind. That tells me that there are significant weaknesses, or at least mediocrities, in important areas of his cognitive-intellectual profile. He reminds me of one of those professors whose limitations only become apparent after you’ve listened to 5 or 10 of his lectures.

You assume Obama is smart. Smooth, slick yes but smart only time will tell. As HST said years ago “the buck stops here,” ZerO will be tested for his intelligence for probably the first time later this month, no more affirmative action after January 20th, 2009.

Dan Kurt

Dear EU Commissioners, Assembly, and various bureaucratic offices,

How did your five years of negotiating with the Mullahs work out for ya?

I’m sure the IDF and Hamas are quaking in their boots at the thought of the EU “forcing” a cease fire on them.

Thanks for bumping my poorly placed comment. Better treatment than it probably deserved, and I agree with your point about browsers.

At this juncture, I think the best form of resistance against this type of “creeping censorship” is to be loud, articulate, and persuasive. Even those who wish to deny others the right to speak out do not want to lose their right to speak out. And the majority of American’s, in my opinion, are very wary of too much government intervention, they do not trust the government anymore, and that is a handle upon which “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers” can push and push and push. Oh well, my wife says it’s time for my meds again…..

The rating system will NOT be temporary. The adminstrative agency tasked with enforcing the regs – let’s call ‘em the INTERNET CONTENT REGULATION AGENCY (ICRA) will have a vested interest in finding problems, asking for money to address those problems, perpetuate its existence – and thus forever keeping a vigilant eye out for dangerous internet content (DIC).

Just a bad idea all around. Some examples of what could go wrong:

Gedankenexperiment I:

(Warning lots of third person for comedic effect).

Giant Jelly Fish Killer sets up a “Kook Right Wing Website” ™ — or(KRWW) in ICRA nomenclature.

However, under ICRA regulations CFR 1023.23-Z, he is required to fill out and submit forms – RA – 23010A, 231010B, to get a rating. Some bureaucrat needs to review it. Three years later, he gets a DKRWW (Dangerous Kook Right Wing Web) website rating (WR). He wants to fight the DKRWW WR. He hires a lawyer. Matter gets kicked up to an ALJ (adminstrative law judge) who works for the ICRA and eats lunch with the head of the RWWA DEP (Right wing website Department) of the ICRA that gave him the DKRWW WR. Needless to say, judgment in not rendered his favor and agencies determination upheld on an “absolute discretion of agency” standard. Administrative remedies exhausted, he files an appeal in federal court. This get’s kinda expensive. Giant Jelly Fish Killer puts off retirement until age 95. His wife is really pissed off at him.

The above being true, Giant Jelly Fish Killer has to consider it just * might * be better to just skip the whole website idea. So instead he trys to put the fact that he is no longer living in a free society out of his head. He watches a lot of The Monarch of Glen on PBS.

This what crazy libs like to call a chilling effect. This is probably what will happen.

Gedankenexperiment II:

But, say, Giant Jelly Fish Killer says screw the ICRA – and their poncy oppressive regulations – he’s a free born man of the USA. He sets up a site on an independant DNS system with proxys and plug ins and what not with the aid of his sidekick “Micro” (who was not killed by Jigsaw in Punisher: Warzone – no matter what it looked like). Now he is engagaging in behavior with criminal sanctions. Speech and thought has been criminalized. Super fantastic!

So, one day, the enforcement arm of the ICRA – the ICRA JBT (Jack Booted Thugs) come and knocks down the door – with a warrant for his arrest for the crime of operating a website in contravention of ICRA policy – forcing our hero to ask himself as the front door blows off its hinges and a flash-bang detonates: “How am I gonna come – hands on my head or the trigger of my gun?” Gun fight ensues while Johnny Cash’s “When the Man Comes Around” thunders in the background – sorta like in the end of Season One of the Sarah Connor Chronicles. Not being an unstoppable killing machine from the future, and unable to get the safety of his shotgun, our hero succumbs to a hail of bullets and truncheons before Johnny can start signing about Virgins and Wicks or Wigs? (which, truth be told, he never quite got anyway always meant to to Wiki it but……).

Mrs. Giant Jelly Fish Killer is upset that that there is blood all over her nice hardwood floor. She is somewhat relieved as she does not have to endure husband’s right wing diatribes about “Obama’s Police State”, and questionable enthusiasm Cash’s later Rick Rubin produced material.

The above being true, Giant Jelly Fish Killer decides that it * might * not be worth it. Instead, he watches a lot of Monarch of the Glen on PBS, while muttering to himself about Edmund Burke, single malt scotch, and Dawn Steele. Eventually, one of his neighboors reports him to Obama’s Domestic Security Force JBT for having a large stash of National Reviews and reading the Belmont Club. Door gets knocked down. Gunfight ensues.

***

Ok. Some hyperbole, I know – but they keep chipping away at our freedoms. It is real. They never stop and it is really starting to piss me off.