Constitutional Law, Free Speech, International, Media, Politics, Society

Yes We Can: United States Declared “Enemy of the Internet” With Iran, North Korea, and Other Bad Actors

President_Barack_Obama1-foam-fingerWe previously discussed the rapid drop of the United States in the protection of the free press. Now, the respected Reporters Without Borders has produced a separate report on Internet freedoms. In yet another dubious distinction for President Obama, the United States is now listed with such “Enemies of the Internet” as Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. This is our first time on the infamous list — a true accomplishment for an Administration that has been denounced for its wholesale attacks on privacy and other core civil liberties.


The Administration (and its Senate allies like Sen. Dianne Feinstein) spent little time in setting itself against the open Internet forum and has sought a variety limitations and sanctions for Internet speech. Our mass surveillance programs features prominently in our inclusion of this list. The National Security Agency has worked furiously to break down walls on the Internet while the Justice Department has pursued various individuals for web posting.

There will come a day when Democrats will seek again to speak in favor of core values of free speech, free press, privacy, and the like. When that day comes, there will be a chorus of howls from civil libertarians who have watched in astonishment as the Democratic Party enabled these assaults on freedom either actively or by acquiescence. The trading away of the power of principle for the power of personality will, in my view, be judged harshly in history. Obama will leave office in a few years and what he will leave a much larger security system, more extensive surveillance, and a mountain of hypocrisy for his supporters to climb in his wake.

I am not sure how the Administration will celebrate its latest distinction, but the First Lady is currently traveling at great public expense in China. That would seem a perfect place to celebrate since the White House told reporters that they would not answer any questions. However, the First Lady (despite announcements that she would avoid discussion of human rights) did call for respect for freedom of speech and other rights.

Source: Salon

135 thoughts on “Yes We Can: United States Declared “Enemy of the Internet” With Iran, North Korea, and Other Bad Actors”

  1. Turley is right on again. Apologists for our president and party in power need to wake up and smell the Illuminati. Then vote Paul and Snowden.

  3. The title of the posting is: “Yes We Can: United States Declared “Enemy of the Internet” With Iran, North Korea, and Other Bad Actors”. It should have ended with this, IMO:

    “This is our first time on the infamous list — a true accomplishment for an Administration that has been denounced for its wholesale attacks on privacy and other core civil liberties.

    The Administration (and its Senate allies like Sen. Dianne Feinstein) spent little time in setting itself against the open Internet forum and has sought a variety limitations and sanctions for Internet speech. Our mass surveillance programs features prominently in our inclusion of this list. The National Security Agency has worked furiously to break down walls on the Internet while the Justice Department has pursued various individuals for web posting.

    There will come a day when Democrats will seek again to speak in favor of core values of free speech, free press, privacy, and the like. When that day comes, there will be a chorus of howls from civil libertarians who have watched in astonishment as the Democratic Party enabled these assaults on freedom either actively or by acquiescence. The trade of power of principle for the power of personality will, in my view, be judged harshly in history. Obama will leave office in a few years and what he will leave a much larger security system, more extensive surveillance, and a mountain of hypocrisy for his supporters to climb in his wake.” -Jonathan Turely

    To have ended with the topic of Michelle’s travel to China only serves to obscure the larger, more important issues.

  5. swarth, you didn’t read anonymously posted’s comment. The mainstream media, bloggers, even me, we’re all over Laura Bush for her extravagant waste of money. Not so with the mainstream media and Michelle.

  7. A Consolidated Media, is Essential, to a Properly Functioning, Fascism..!

  8. With Lee J. on this one. Samantha, Never heard that Laura Bush’s travels were evil before I read your statement.

  9. I am not sure how respected Reporters without Borders is when they are defunded by UNESCO?

    http://mathaba.net/news/?x=585297

    Mrs. Obama has been talking about free speech and education, which are human rights. She seems to have broken her promise.

  11. I’m always amazed how some people justify being a disciple (sheep). Mrs. Bush’s travels were evil, so therefore Mrs. Obama’s travels are NOT evil. They are not in the military, but they follow orders just the same.

  12. In the United States, Beijing’s use of “soft power” is getting increased scrutiny as China pumps money into U.S. universities, including the establishment of dozens of Confucius institutes. Such institutes feature arts and language programs aimed at projecting a benevolent image of Asia’s rising superpower.

    The United States has its own instruments of “soft power,” and the Obama family is a big part of that toolbox. Over the next six days, China’s television audience — the largest in the world — will be inundated with images of an attractive multi-generational U.S. family, the feminine influence on the first African-American to be elected president. The optics can’t help but advance the U.S. image in China, even if the Obama doesn’t make speeches about the virtues of democracy.

    Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/03/20/4006523/michelle-obama-arrives-in-china.html#storylink=cpy

    Professor Turley more and more seems to need to add snark about the president/and in this case Mrs. Obama. It is unnecessary (and one reason I have been less active on the blog). I am not a defender of much of what this president has done, I am disappointed in him in the NSA, transparency etc,)

  15. Reblogged this on danmillerinpanama and commented:
    Another historic first for President Obama et al. They must be proud of the bang-up job they have been doing on the First Amendment and the rest of the Constitution.

    During the remainder of his term in office, we can’t wait to move forward to the internet, press and other freedoms so enjoyed by el Presidente Maduro in Venezuela.

    NB: When last I checked, the YouTube video embedded at the link was unavailable to anyone with a United States IP address. Neither, I understand, has anyone with a U.S. IP address been able to watch the same video embedded in an article at the Al Jazeera English language website. There is, doubtless, some good and innocent explanation. I just have been unable to find it.

  16. From “Reporters without Borders”:

    http://12mars.rsf.org/2014-en/2014/03/11/usa-nsa-symbolises-intelligence-services-abuses/

    The report:

    http://12mars.rsf.org/wp-content/uploads/EN_RAPPORT_INTERNET_BD.pdf

    From the first link:

    “Jacob Appelbaum, the developer of the Tor privacy tool, is a journalist with Der Spiegel. He is a committed privacy advocate and has worked with WikiLeaks several times. After being harassed by the U.S. authorities, Appelbaum, an American, decided not to return to the United States in the wake of Snowden’s disclosures. He now lives in temporary exile in Berlin, where he says he has also been the target of surveillance by the intelligence services.
    The NSA has been helped in its determined pursuit of WikiLeaks by GCHQ, since all visitors to the website have been monitored by the British agency’s TEMPORA surveillance system. Their IP addresses and the terms entered in search engines to access the site are intercepted and recorded.”

    And it goes way beyond the internet, to the streets of the U.S. and other countries. Most good people have no idea what’s transpiring.

  17. Agree with rafflaw.

    ———————————-

    http://www.ntu.org/governmentbytes/7-9-13-first-lady-international-flights-vacations.html

    “For the time being, however, Mrs. Bush’s list of trips will remain in first place.”

    “Regardless of their political affiliations, the international travel records of First Ladies present a transparency issue for taxpayers that are separate and distinct from those of Presidents. This is especially true as it appears that more and trips are being taken separately from Presidential spouses. For the time being, however, Mrs. Bush’s list of trips will remain in first place.”

    http://www.ntu.org/governmentbytes/7-9-13-first-lady-international-flights-vacations.html

  19. It is a dubious distinction to say the least. However, I do not understand the comment about the First Lady traveling at great expense. All First Lady’s travel at great expense. The idea that as a First Lady she should be tackling political issues puts her into the trick bag where opponents can attack her like Hillary Clinton was attacked for speaking up on current issues while she was First Lady.

  20. I suppose it is not fair to warn that The Redcoats Are Coming. Because the American are worse than the Redcoats of 1776. There is an article in Constitution Daily (today) about the Redcoats not quartering in our outhouses, but I don’t buy it. Well, I buy Constitution Daily but I don’t buy the argument that the quartering of troops was not all that bad. It is why we put the Second Amendment in front of the Third Amendment, at least then we could shoot em if we could not guarantee they would not occupy our homes. So, I think that the Second Amendment and Third Amendment should be considered a package and that this intrusion into our phones, emails and other personal effects needs to be addressed. Down South here I can substitute “Yankees” for Redcoats and still garner support.

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