Who should decide what is allowed to go on the Internet? Senator Joe Lieberman (I, CT) seems to think that he's the one. So, now, he's the Decider?
If you remember, last fall the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1955, "The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007." (Read original text here.) It passed with almost unanimous support. But, it came under fire. Well, not "fire" exactly; more like an all-out attack. And the attack didn't just come from civil liberties watchdogs but from Internet users of all kinds. Not only did the legislation deliberately target Muslims and Arabs, it was a tape across everyone's mouth. Free speech wasn't just being challenged. It was being declared "unpatriotic." (See The Wonk's November blog on the issue.)
H.R. 1955 (kinda reminiscent of the McCarthy era, isn't it?) would have set up a 10-person commission to investigate real or imagined threats from domestically grown terrorists and the ideologies that "radicalize" them. The details of the commission's powers were frightening, but it was the targeting of the Internet as an alleged vehicle for terrorists to spread their ideology and recruit new members that got Web users up in arms. And, for once, we won. The bill stalled in the Senate.
However, Senator Joe Lieberman, chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, won't let it go. He attacked YouTube for having terrorist-type videos. Citing "the threat of homegrown terrorism inspired by violent Islamist extremism [that] has found that the abundance of videos like these posted on the Internet has increased the likelihood that individuals within the United States will become radicalized and engage in terrorist acts," Joe wrote a piece for the New York Daily News. He said: ". . . I have asked Google, the parent company of YouTube, to remove from its Web site videos designed to incite violence against America and Americans or that show graphic violence against American troops and others, in violation of YouTube's own community guidelines. YouTube removed 80 videos at my request but has refused to take down many more." Clearly the man has either lost his mind or his devotion to Israel overrides his devotion to the U.S. Constitution. I suppose he'd react violently if accused of being "unpatriotic." But, there you have it. He is.
In the midst of all this, his committee, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, recently released a report entitled "Violent Islamist Extremism, the Internet, and the Home Grown Terrorism Threat." The report claims web sites and Internet tools are being used to spread pro-terrorism propaganda. This insane "report" illuminates nothing more than the crazy people promoting these policies. Just look at the citations used as authorities for the claims. Many are from the committee itself. Then there's Mitchell Silber, a senior analyst in the Intelligence Division of the New York City Police Department and co-author, along with Arvin Ghatt, of Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat." Silber, in October 2007, addressed The Washington Institute's Weinberg Founders Conference. Ya think maybe his perspective is a little skewed? You know, if you're a hammer everything looks like a nail.
Other authorities the report cites reads like a list of Bush's national security cronies: Michael McConnell, Director of National Intelligence; Robert Mueller, FBI Director; Bruce Hoffman, Rand Corporation. And it goes on. Only one real research study is cited. Check it out for yourself. The missive was criticized by civil liberties groups as "statistically and methodologically flawed. (See letter from the civil rights coalition.)
This so-called "report" is clearly self-serving. It repeatedly blames web sites and chat room for "radicalization," or, as it says, "portals" allowing terrorists to "participate in the global violent Islamist movement and recruit others to their cause." Another thing to note: While the report is supposed to be about terrorism, it focuses ONLY on Islamic terrorism, a clear indication of Lieberman, Silber, et al.'s view of the world against Israel.
Please understand. I support Israel and its right to exist. And just like with my own country, I don't support all its policies or actions. But it's not MY country and not MY place to weigh in on its problems. However, when we have U.S. senators undermining the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the all-important right of free speech in order to promote policies that support Israel or, for that matter, ANY country, I DO have to weigh in. This is wrong and we cannot tolerate it.