A report out of The Seattle Times shows the further measures the Bush Administration are taking to ensure information is sanitized and spun in their favor for American's consumption.
Foreign dissidents facing U.S. hurdles to publishing
Why should we care if foreigners can't publish freely in the US? Well, imagine you are an Iraqi dissident and you have first hand knowledge of the impact of the War on the country and let's say it is not too flattering for the US... maybe you were in Abu Ghraib (as quite a few Iraqi women were) and want to share your experience with the world, or maybe you were out shopping in the market in Fallujah when the bomb fell and killed your family in front of you. Well, no one in the US will hear about it if it doesn't conform to the official Bush administration story under this ruling.
Or perhaps you are a liberal Muslim in Pakistan and deplore the countries relationship to Al Qaida... maybe you happen to know that the intelligence services regularly work with individuals sympathetic to terrorism and that the American's look the other way on most occasions... you obviously can't/ won't be published in Pakistan and now the US will make sure you can't be published here either.
This is one more example of the weakening of democracy in the US. It limits a citizen's information and sources. If a citizen is only hearing one side of the story how can they make an informed decision as to how they feel their country is being run and the honesty and integrity of its leaders? They can't of course and that's just what Bush and the Republican's are counting on.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
and then there's that monkey thing
2 - David Flanagan
I read the article and, from what I've read, I agree that enforcing these regulations, which have actually been in place since 1917, is a bad idea. Does this mean that the regulation will stand, or that President Bush is trying to "sanitize" information coming into this country? That is a big stretch.
First of all, there is a very real chance the regulation will be shot down in court. Secondly, this regulation could hurt the Bush Administration far more than it might help. Take for example books being published by foreign dissidents that support the Bush Administration's stance on the war against terror.
It sounds like there is more to this whole issue than this one article is willing or able to discuss.
Thanks,
David
3 - Albanesse
Wow... but nothing surprises me anymore. We live in a time where government doesn't listen to anyone anymore. I guess this is "political capital", to stop free thought... now I get it.
4 - Aaman
That's why blogs provide a voice to the individual, which can be amplified and broadcast far more effectively, IMHO than books. Dead wood is passe, methinks, as a form of publication.
5 - Eric Olsen
books have their place but compared to the Internet they are v-e-r-y s-l-o-w
6 - Temple Stark
you rarely need to use your imagination for anything on the Internet. Books allow that.
I think that skill is falling and failing.
Sometimes, often s-l-o-w is better for understanding but peoplearejustinahurry.
7 - Mike Kole
Government doesn't listen anymore? Tell me when it did. Each administration of either party tries to manipulate and spin public opinion. I've never seen otherwise in my lifetime.
Not a justification of the Bush Admin, though. I would like to see US publishers free to print whatever the heck they like.
8 - spiderleaf
Books aren't dead, just a luxury... a cold rainy day inside with a hardcover and a tea is a comforting day to be sure.
9 - spiderleaf
The 'sanitizing' remark is a cumulative observation based on this, the unwillingness to show the wounded soldiers, the coffins of the dead, the blackout on honest reporting on WMD's before the war, etc.
The fact that the administration is resurecting an unused regulation at this point in history does give one pause however, but point taken on the reverse application.
10 - Aaman
I absolutely agree with Temple that there is no substitute for a good book on a rainy day - my, and I believe others' point is that for those unable to express themselves in print, the Internet is a valuable mode of information dissemination.
Of course, remember that over 80% of the Internet is still text, and imagination runs wild with text, paper or electronic.
11 - Temple Stark
Aaman what is rthe difference between expressing yourself in prnt and expressng yourself on the Internet.
Cost obviously, but it seemed you were saying something more. And I am relieved people still like books - because I plan to sell one soon (and not my dog-eared copy of Dune either.
12 - Aaman
On the plus side,
1. Reach - easily propagated memes
2. Unrestrained expression
On the minus side,
1. lack of editorial control means poor presentation,
2. Inability to be heard in the crowd - graphomania as a form of censorship (there's a thought)
I'm sure there are more aspects that can be cited.
13 - Temple Stark
And if that was your point, then saying Dead wood is passe, methinks, as a form of publication.
seems ot say a wee bit more tan that.
14 - Aaman
Well, let's get off dead wood and onto the topic at hand - stifling dissent. The Internet is more adept at circumventing such measures than publishers. Thus, my point.
15 - Eric Olsen
I see it as looking at two ends of a funnel: the narrow end is tradtional publishing, with high barriers to entry, and the open end is the Internet where the barriers are very low making it very hard if not impossible to stifle dissent or anything else
16 - Aaman
In case you haven't seen it already, the latest Straight Up column on the main page of blogcritics reports on the same theme that the US government has finally allowed Shirin Ebadi to publish her books, besides dropping restrictions on other foreign writers.
Did blogcritics affect the meme?
17 - Steve S
A blog doesn't look right on the coffee table.
18 - spiderleaf
great to hear regardless...
19 - Eric Olsen
I do not seef the rise of the Internet as reflecting negatively upon books, but as a complement and supplement to them. Books are completed wholes while the Internet is an unending work in progress. We need both