Army stupid
Wednesday, 2 May 2007 | 288 readers so far
Sometimes, I come across a decision so stupid I’m momentarily rendered speechless. Today was one of those days.
Wired has published an article claiming:
The U.S. Army has ordered soldiers to stop posting to blogs or sending personal e-mail messages, without first clearing the content with a superior officer, Wired News has learned. The directive, issued April 19, is the sharpest restriction on troops’ online activities since the start of the Iraq war. And it could mean the end of military blogs, observers say.
Are you kidding me? I hope so. We live in a society where information flow is critical. The Pentagon and the Executive Branch are losing the hearts and minds battle. There is no doubt about that. The uncensored voices of our military personnel via blogs have been one of the few sources of positive, thoughtful information from the ground.
Why? Why would officials effectively choke off the thin trickle of spin free information coming from the war zones? An OPSEC review prior to publishing anything, per the new regulation supposedly now in place, will effectively kill any desire by our troops to publish what’s happening in their daily lives.
The unfathomable arrogance and stupidity of military bureaucrats overwhelms me. A micromanaged war is a war lost. Perhaps Harry Reid was right after all.
1 May 2nd, 2007 at 9:46 am
kitanis says:
hmmmm.
Although I understand the curtailment of speech for military personnel. But I fail to understand how the Army can enforce this directive. Blogs are one thing buuutt.
Personnal email? Whoa, I can name four CENTAF directives that that policy would violate alone.
The Army is now attempting to push playdough into the leaking dikes because its a public relations nightmare for them and they are now running scared. I can also smell the dirty underware of politics in on this one also. The war is now being fought both in theatre and by the congress against the President. Blogs are more than likely considered to be “loose” cannons by the powers to be.
But if this would be reported properly.. then its also skirting a issue that even the Army can not fight.
Amendment I of the US Consitution. Which is covered by the oath of enlistment and oath of commission of every serving military person.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. ”
If the Army wishes to tell a Soldier that he can not do personal email without permission of a superior officer and that gets out in the way I read the Wired article. Whooooo talk about public relations nightmare and the loss of morale.
Thank god I am going on Terminal Leave in June.. I don’t think I can take the rest of this fiasco while the troops are on the ground.
2 May 2nd, 2007 at 10:56 am
Trevor says:
Remind me to send you a little something when you retire!