As someone who used to be libertarian, the concerns regarding the board should be self-evident to you. That's what's so sad - the point of my last post. But if you would like for me to spell them out to you, I will give it a shot.Sam Lowry said:I was challenged in my opposition to the Patriot Act just as I'm challenging you now. In response I listed about ten specific things enabled by the Act which I found objectionable. What specific powers does this DHS board have which you find objectionable?Mothra said:What happened to the libertarian-leaning, limited-govt. advocating Sam Lowry? The guy who incessantly decried the govt. overreach of the Patriot Act back during the Bush years? He would have bristled with the suggestion of a partisan, govt.-created board designed to "re"educate Americans. Did Trump and COVID scare it out of him? Or does he only bristle at such overreach when it occurs under a Republican administration?Sam Lowry said:What is "such a board?" What are the characteristics that make it alarming?JXL said:Sam Lowry said:What exactly are we running with? Do you know? What I've heard so far is...there's a board.Malbec said:There is a reason your grandmother told you not to run with scissors. You might not "assume" something bad was going to happen, but she gave you that warning nonetheless. If you still can see out of both eyes, you can thank granny.Sam Lowry said:1) Of course I can imagine problems that might arise. I don't necessarily assume them as fact, though. Do you see the difference? A lot depends on what powers the board exercises, which no one here seems to know.Mothra said:Two questions:Sam Lowry said:
I didn't say I was cool with it. I am 1) amused by hysterical reactions like yours and 2) questioning what exactly the problem is. As far as I can tell Doc's response pretty well sums up the issue. They are not creating a new agency, by the way.
1) You seriously can't think of what problems may arise by a Democrat administration's formation of a board designed to fight "disinformation"?
2) Have you been living on another planet the past couple of years?
"Hysterical." LOL. Like the word "conservative," in the words of Inigo Montoya, "I don't think that word means what you think it means."
2) Yes. It's called Earth, and I send regular dispatches from my outpost here. Stay tuned.
The fact that people are even talking about such a board is itself cause for alarm.
The dangers of such a board are self-evident.I suspect your friend quash could help you understand the dangers.
As a caveat, let me first say we don't know what the board's "powers" will be. Unlike the Patriot Act, those have not been spelled out yet. However, what we do know from statements from the admin is that it's yet another govt.-created board, which would typically be problem no. 1 for any purported libertarian. Most libertarians I know believe more govt. is not a good thing.
Second, we know this board will apparently be staffed by people selected by the Biden admin to "fight disinformation," whatever the Biden admin considers that to be. That's problem no. 2. Sam, can you think of any reasons whatsoever that a govt.-created board staffed by Biden partisans might be a concern to libertarians or conservatives, especially when "truth" is often-times in the eye of the beholder? Can you think of any way a board such as this, with govt. insignia and backing, could be abused or used to do the admin's bidding? Does it at all sound similar to 1984's Ministry of Truth, a governmental department that controls information coming from news, entertainment, arts and education?
According to Psaki, two of the areas it will focus on are COVID and elections. Undoubtedly, that's sweet music to your ears, and I am sure the reason you purportedly can't see why anyone would be concerned with such a board. But can you honesty think of ways that a board such as this might try to control information or limited speech?
I think an intellectually honest answer to these questions will help you understand why the idea of such a board is a concern to any reasonable libertarian or conservative.