Censorship? Puh-leeze...

I consider it a matter of moral duty and patriotic responsability to keep classified, privacy act, and op-sec information off my Milblog. To criticize active-duty Milbloggers for following a legal order codifying this clear cut obligation is a gross distortion of reality.

And I said so on Kevin's site. I joined the MILBLOG ring just today (thank you Greyhawk!) as one of those veterans not constrained by regulations. I voluntarily choose to adhere to the same standards as those Milboggers currently in Iraq. Why? Because it's the right thing to do.

Mudville is a far right-wing site that is attempting to exploit the war for partisan purposes. Just look at it. Any links to [DELETED] sites dealing with military issues? I haven't seen any. It's all far-right-wing Republican junk, and anyone who doesn't see it that way is defined as a "[DELETED]" or "[DELETED]" or a [DELETED]. This site operates on the principle that if you're not a [DELETED] who ignores all the bad while rah-rah-rahing for more war, then you're not a patriot.

Out of curiousity: How did this site treat the passing of Col. David Hackworth. After all, he's the one who got the Abu Ghraib stuff to CBS News. Did this crowd spit all over Hackworth and his Medal of Honor or did it give him the condolences and thanks he deserved?

Uh.....Hackworth never was awarded the Medal of Honor.... 2 DSC's and a bunch of other valor awards, but no MoH. Get your facts straight. And yes we honored him appropriately, as a fallen brother, even if many did not agree with him all the time.

There are quite a few links in here that are not "far right Republican junk" as you so like to put it. Command TOC and IRR Soldier being two that come to mind right away. There are also quite a few Iraqi sites linked to here that sometimes don't give high praise to the US or our President. Again get your facts straight.

Willy, check your meds. Do you know you've chosen to comment on a post with a link to a left wing military issues blog?

This should disappoint you terribly:

http://www.mudvillegazette.com/archives/002758.html

This is a military blog, Willy. The fact that you equate military with Republican is just another reflection of the sad state of the Democratic party today. The military is about 80% Republican, 19% Independant and 1% "other" because the Democrats stopped serving when the draft ended. You can't get a Democrat to defend his country without putting a gun to his head. Seriously, the entire party is a group of [DELETED].

You're right about Hackworth. I had always thought he got the MOH. I even checked it before posting it here but I read too fast. The article said the Army was "considering" awarding him the Medal of Honor, not that they actually did so.

As for the rest of it, I'm not backing off. Mudville is a partisan website that uses the war to advance a partisan agenda. It's blatantly obvious to any fair-minded observer.

OS, it not me who identifies the military as Republican, it is you people on this site who do that. Everything you people post here is right out of the Republican propaganda smear book, right down to the absolutely unjustified attacks on Sen. Durbin, complete with the knowing misrepresentation of his comments. I am absolutely convinced that you people approve of the U.S. torture policy, which is why you spend so much time attacking those who object to it. There isn't a single lie you won't tell, and not a single principle you value at all times in all places.

This is a military site Willy, not a Republican site.

I do indeed approve of the US torture policy - which is not to do it and punish those who do.

You know what the [Deleted] town in America is? Seattle Washington. That's got nothing to do with anything, just something I've noticed.

I think we have a mix up in communication. I did not say that everyone in the MILBLOG RING was under censorship rules. I guess I differentiate the ring and MILBLOGS in general.

A MILBLOG to me is one that is written by a soldier for soldiers. The MILBLOG ring is one that is with blogs about the military. I guess I never considered my blog a MILBLOG since I am not in the Military (any more) but I do understand the confusion.

So, for the record, I do understand that some milblogs are written by non military about the military and, of course, they are free to say what they want.

However, the MILBLOGS written by current military members are under censorship rules. I do believe that the ones even outside or Iraq are as they are under the UCMJ rules about saying negative things against the President etc.

Example: If I were still in the military and I posted a "blast" against President Bush and accused him of endorsing torture rules, I would have violated the UCMJ. That is censorship.

I make no JUDGEMENT on this. I merely say that IF you are under rules or laws that prevent you from saying certain things, you are being censored.. pure and simple.

"Mudville is a far right-wing site that is attempting to exploit the war for partisan purposes. Just look at it. Any links to non-wingnut sites dealing with military issues? I haven't seen any. It's all far-right-wing Republican junk, and anyone who doesn't see it that way is defined as a "[DELETED]" or "[DELETED]" or a [DELETED]. This site operates on the principle that if you're not a [DELETED] who ignores all the bad while rah-rah-rahing for more war, then you're not a patriot."

Willy, if the "[DELETED]" shoe fits, you should wear it.

"However, the MILBLOGS written by current military members are under censorship rules. I do believe that the ones even outside or Iraq are as they are under the UCMJ rules about saying negative things against the President etc.

Example: If I were still in the military and I posted a "blast" against President Bush and accused him of endorsing torture rules, I would have violated the UCMJ. That is censorship.

I make no JUDGEMENT on this. I merely say that IF you are under rules or laws that prevent you from saying certain things, you are being censored.. pure and simple."

Kevin, I guess when you were in your tank in Kuwait long ago, you never heard of OPSEC and considered yourself censored for not being able to complain to your Congreesman about how mistreated you were in the Army? Or maybe it was just that your life depended on surprising the enemy and you had more important things to think about than calling attention to yourself in the desert? Funny how being in harms way clearly focuses what's important to your survival. And it isn't claims of censorship.

It still surprises me how a combat veteran who has been there could so vehemently hate what his Army is doing today in Iraq. I don't understand you at all.

Subsunk

OS, this is a far-right-wing website that uses the Iraq War for partisan ends. There IS a U.S. torture policy, and until the whistle was blown the policy was to torture and rape POWs.

As for censorship, of course it's censorship to block operational security details. That sort of censorship is broadly supported by the public (including me) and by long-established American law. That sort of censorship is very different from political censorship. Only an [DELETED] could fail to tell the difference.

You know what the biggest [DELETED] town in America is? Seattle Washington. That's got nothing to do with anything, just something I've noticed.
So tell me, what's the biggest [DELETED] town in America? That's something you ought to know by heart.

Hey nice move Greyhawk. You censor it when I quote it, but not in his original posting. Fair 'n balanced just like [DELETED]News, eh? How typical.

Editor's note Not sure why you keep addressing Greyhawk, but thanks for pointing out I missed one.
Mrs Greyhawk

Wow, even sarcasm about the great and powerful FoxNews is now censored! Gee whiz, Mrs. Cleaver, does that mean I can't call your oracle Bill O'Reilly by his rightful name, Bill O'Leilly?