Flag Away!

This post is in response to something posted on the White House website. I quote:

"There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out
there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care.
These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or
through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them
here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an
email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that
seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov"

<Takes a Deep Breath>

To say that I was shocked by this would be a gross understatement. I have been thinking about this for the last couple of days. I wanted to make sure I was not overreacting. Of course, the right wing talk radio folks are all over this; comparing these actions to those taken by Hitler in the days leading to World War II. I have also heard references to McCarthyism. After thinking about this for the last couple of days, I have concluded that this is one of the worst things this administration could have done. I will leave the other comparisons to those high paid talk radio hosts. I wish to convey the point-of-view of the average, disappointed American, who is now not sure just what kind of change this administration is really trying to bring to this country.

Let me start with the impact to civil rights, and the right of a US citizen to not be oppressed by their government. I thought the Democratic party was an advocate of civil rights, including the right for an individual to protect their privacy. Wasn't this the basis of the attacks on Bush 43? So, how is this any different from what the Bush administration did? In fact, in my opinion, this is worse. This was not about a unilateral policy that enabled the government to listen to our phone calls. This administration is asking neighbors to inform on neighbors. Think about it. Read what was put on the White House website. This clearly states that they cannot watch everyone; so, they want Americans to report the "fishy" behavior of other Americans.

Now, I am sure this administration will say that people (average Americans like you and me) are just overreacting. That, all they wanted was the content (the substance) of the arguments, so they can better prepare their rebuttals. Well, they clearly did not think this through; kind of like the New York fly-over with Air Force One. You have to think about human nature to understand this point. What is the easiest way for someone to forward the information, this administration requested, to the email address provided? Answer: you hit the forward button on the email program. Given the level of technical expertise this administration has with the Internet, how did they think people would forward the information to the White House? Doesn't this look like the intention was to get not only the substance of the emails, but also to have a record of who sent the email in the first place? This administration wants us to believe that this was the only way to get the substance of the emails. I reject this argument. It's called Google. Anyone on the planet knows that if you want to find something on the Internet, you just ask Google. So, the only logical conclusion is that this administration is not interested in the content of the discussions, but, rather, the participants in the discussions.

I have two previous posts on this blog concerning health care. I am asking questions, because as an American citizen I am entitled (according to the first amendment) to the answers. I am not willing to accept "trust me - this is going to be good for all Americans". I want to know details. Our elected officials need to remember that they are supposed to be serving the interests of the American people. And, as an American citizen, I take my responsibility to elect competent
leadership very seriously. This is why I want to know what is happening; so when it comes time to elect my leadership, I can make an informed decision. Perhaps I am being a bit paranoid, but it looks to me like this administration is trying to intimidate me into not asking questions. Its almost like they are afraid that if I ask questions, then others will start to ask questions. And, that once enough people start asking enough questions, public opinion will shift away from what this administration has worked so very hard to craft. What else could explain this administration's motivations for asking neighbor to inform on neighbor?

I am very disappointed in this administration. There are two ways to look at this: either this was yet another error in judgment, or, the intention was to make a list of those who do not agree with them. Neither of these are acceptable, and, this is certainly not "Change I can believe in". Why would this administration need such a list? The only logical answer is intimidation. It's bad enough that the government is listening to all our phone calls. But, at least the their purpose is to protect innocent Americans. This, on the other hand, is strictly political. How can this administration expect the American people to believe in what they are doing, if they are trampling our civil rights whenever they please? Of all the administrations, you would think this administration would be respectful of our civil rights. Instead, it looks to me like the same old nasty politics. Only, this time its worse. This time the administration wants to turn neighbor against neighbor. What happened to the promise of working together for America? Where these just words to get elected?

For those of you out there who are trolling the blog-o-sphere looking for blogs to turn into this administration, here I am! There is a nice convenient "send email" link on the top navigation for this blog. I have provided you with the email address - all you have to do is cut-n-paste. As a moderate independent (60/40 in the last election), I vote for the person that I think will do the best job. When we vote, we are essentially "hiring" our leadership. As an employer, I have a certain standard that I use to make sure I hire only quality personnel. I use this same standard when selecting who I will vote for in an election. I have suggested a number of things in my blogs that I believe would be beneficial to our country. And, I would love to have this administration reading through my suggestions and opinions. There are also a number of questions that I would still like answered on health care. So, flag away!