Aussie Soldiers silenced.

[builder]

So what are the troops fighting for? Freedom? Like fuck they are. They're not even free to record their own experience of war so friends and family can offer support on private blogs.

 

 

"The Australian Defence Force has banned soldiers from writing online journals and has deleted blogs from troops serving in Iraq," the Sunday Mail reports. "Critics say the soldiers are being denied the very freedoms they are fighting for."

 

Hell yes. What a way to destroy morale in the battlefield.

 

...A 26-year-old Sunshine Coast soldier serving in Iraq was placed under review and his milblog "Iraqi Letters" was deleted during the ADF's move to silence servicemen online.

 

The soldier's writing was positive of the army [The blog was an excellent advert for the ADF" one commenter said -- ed.] and at times poetic, detailing the taste of cold water on a dust-parched throat and the friendly ribbing soldiers received after the Socceroos lost to Kuwait.

 

From what I can gather, all Aussie military blogs were blanket-banned in one go. How fucked up can the ADF be? Not even willing to read the blog before wiping it off the web?

 

...Neil James, the executive director of independent lobby group Australia Defence Association, said milblogs should be allowed provided they were risk-assessed and any potential security violations censored.

 

"(Blogging) is not going to go away and the Defence Force is going to have to face up to this," he said. "It is not something that can be ignored."

 

As if a professional Soldier is going to place his mates and his actions in jeapoardy by blogging classified information? Jesus H Keerist.

 

Maybe if everything was going jim-dandy in Iraq, and world opinion was solidly behind the operation, then the western militaries could afford to silence the mission's most vociferous supporters. As we all know, it ain't. The entire operation is teetering on one foot. And short-sighted bureaucrats seem to be doing everything they can to shoot that foot off.

 

Short-sighted is not the word for it. Big Brother is what this shit is.

 

Hence the incoming draft. But guess what? You dumbarse retards can't make people fight for you. Grow some intelligence.

 

Article here.

[rizzo]

There are some professional soldiers that have put other soldiers in jeopardy because of their blogs. Sometimes people don't think about what they post, or how it can affect others, and it ends up being dangerous.

 

While I don't want to see all military blogs banned, I can't see how it would be possible to monitor all blogs for content.

[builder]

There are some professional soldiers that have put other soldiers in jeopardy because of their blogs.

 

Where and when exactly, Rizzo? Do you have any sources to back that claim?

 

Sometimes people don't think about what they post, or how it can affect others, and it ends up being dangerous.

 

Rubbish. It ends up being an accurate picture of a hellhole that nobody would wish on their worst enemy, and now that recruiting is in full force, any and all negatives need to be removed for the "good of the country".

 

While I don't want to see all military blogs banned, I can't see how it would be possible to monitor all blogs for content.

 

As any blog or forum owner will tell you, it takes one mouse click to allow or disallow instant posting. If the moderator of the blog chooses to, she/he will vet all posts before posting. It's that easy.

[ParasiteGod]

I think as long as you're not posting sensitive information, or anything that could get someone fired, then sure blog. And I guess as long as they're blogging during their free time, and not while they're supposed to be doing something, it's not really a problem.

But then, who's going to go through and check the entries? You can't just have Joe Blow Moderator read them, because of the sensitive information. But then, it's not like anyone in the military has that much time on their hands. I suppose you could waste a bunch of money and hire moderators, and make it a position within the military/government, but that would just be retarded now wouldn't it?

Maybe it's because I don't blog, but I have a question. Builder, who is the moderator of the blog, usually?

[snafu]

Hell no they shouldn't be blogging. The average foot soldier might not comprehend what's sensitive or not. They can tell their story when they get home.

[Msixty]

Soldier: "yeah, so we went on our daily 4:30 patrol on ah halem yesterday, and a damn IED almost blew our truck off the road, thank god it was a small one..."

 

Jhonny Jihad: "Ahkmed!!! get a bomb ready for that corner on ah halem! make it twice as big, AND HAVE IT READY BY 4:00"

 

yes, no harm done right?

 

i say as long as they give NO location other than "iraq" or "middle east" "sand filled ass crack" etc... or troop movement, unit spec. or violate any form of OPSEC it should be fine.... but nobody can read each one page by page AND keep up with new blog pages added to already cleared ones, so they blanket ban them.

[Mack the Knife]

Where and when exactly, Rizzo? Do you have any sources to back that claim?

Although you won't read about it on CNN or your morning newspaper, there have been instances where insurgents have been in possession of maps and pictures showing locations of barracks, dining facilities, and other HOAs, which were used to direct mortar rounds. Often these pictures were have found to come from emails and blogs telling friends and family about how things were and such "over there". This is a very serious issue, it's not just about free speech, a soldiers' life could very well depend on it.

[phreakwars]

Although you won't read about it on CNN or your morning newspaper, there have been instances where insurgents have been in possession of maps and pictures showing locations of barracks, dining facilities, and other HOAs, which were used to direct mortar rounds. Often these pictures were have found to come from emails and blogs telling friends and family about how things were and such "over there". This is a very serious issue, it's not just about free speech, a soldiers' life could very well depend on it.

You know Matt, that makes me wonder why the fuck this info is NOT told to the public. I don't think quite as many people would bitch about it then.

 

And, in defense of that statement, I notice you for instance NEVER talk about where you are serving, or where your stationed, and I have never pushed the subject, and I refuse to disclose your I.P. even. And, I also believe that soldiers should be censored for their own safety.

.

.

[rizzo]

If I searched around, I'm sure I could find specific sites and info to back up my statements. What I am going on are the things I have seen posted in the military community. AD members telling their spouses specific information, and that information getting posted on a public board. Even emails that can be intercepted by anyone who knows how. A seemingly innocent statement of when a ship is pulling in, can fill in the last missing puzzle piece to someone.

 

Personally, I'd rather have all members not post anything than have them put others at risk.

[builder]

Builder, who is the moderator of the blog, usually?

 

The author/originator of the blog is the moderator.

 

Blogs are not a new craze.

 

Why delete them now? Recruitment time?

[builder]

Okay, I've waited for some articulate responses. Now it's my turn.

 

We are at war? Really? Which country/s are we currently at war with?

 

Who declared war on whom?

 

You mean the "war on terror"?

 

A mindlessly inaccurate generalisation, created on an inarticulate and clearly pathetically unfounded premise, made by a faction of self-serving seemingly idealistic christian fundamentalists, to describe the PNAC plan for world domination by a select few?

 

And you buy into this premise?

 

Under your clearly deluded misunderstanding, all blogging will now cease and desist, and boards such as this one will also be wiped from the web on the assumption that what is said here may or might undermine the efforts of a few to impose sanctions of speech freedom on the rest of us?

 

I can't believe that rational thinking people could be so shallow and bereft of purpose.

 

You'll give away your rights to freedom of the press, and freedom of speech, to protect some inane attempt at imposing democracy on a nation of religious fanatics, with the end game being political and financial control over an oil basin in a desert?

 

Un-fuckin-believable.

[ParasiteGod]

The author/originator of the blog is the moderator.

 

A highly reliable source, I'm sure. No, fuck that noise. No blogging.

[Mack the Knife]

A highly reliable source, I'm sure. No, fuck that noise. No blogging.

Classic! Especially those just pretending to be in the military.

[hugo]

They already destroyed the 1st Amendment with McCain/Feingold.

[rizzo]

Whatever your feeling about the current war we are fighting, the lives of men and women are at risk daily. Your disdain for this war does not change that fact.

 

Having the power of a freedom means we have to take care of, and take responsibility for that freedom. Just because we have the freedom of speech does not mean that we can be careless with it. When it puts the lives of others in danger, we are being careless. There are OPSEC (operational security) rules in place to protect the lives of our soldiers and sailors. Taking away their "right" to blog is nothing more than protecting the lives of others.

[hugo]

The Patriot Act at least has a legitimate national interest of protecting the nation's citizens. McCain/ Feingold's only objective was to protect incumbant office holders.