websites are being blocked by the Pentagon to make sure U.S. troops in Iraq don’t get any big ideas?

[DUyellow]

One hint: Free Republic is coming through loud and clear! A Marine writes

"It seems that every non-conservative politics website has been blocked by our firewall guys…including your site. The reason it is blocked is because it is a “personal page.” Which means they don’t have a reason to block it … but they want to block it, so they do. This was done recently, just in time for mid-term elections. As I said, it was not only your website, I have gone through lists of liberal sites and most of them are blocked. I’ve also taken the time to go to some conservative sites….none of which are blocked."


http://wonkette.com/politics/war/freedom-on-the-march-209861.php

[aquart]

1. Gosh, what a shock.

I'd worry about an army where the soldiers believe they are being ripped off by a partisan faction giving them orders.

George doesn't surround himself with soldiers anymore, does he?

[acmejack]

11. Now that you mention it....

They probably wouldn't be applauding either!

[China_cat]

13. He gave them all to Rummy to play with.

[magellan]

2. I don't know what the answer is

But if it's true, this is yet another sad example of how the GOP feels it has to control Americans...including our own troops.

[Vexatious Ape]

3. Freedoms on the march

[Cobalt-60]

4. They already know about Iraq

[DeSwiss]

6. The Pentagon isn't worried....

....about soldiers learning anything about Iraq coming from liberal websites. Its those unfiltered and unvetted comments the soldiers themselves might make that would be going to those liberal websites that worries them.

But they're getting those comments out anyways.....

http://gocomics.typepad.com/the_sandbox/

[civildisoBDence]

34. I hadn't thought of that angle--makes perfect sense

I used to have a news satire site that was hyper-critical of DUUUHbya, and always got a good bit of traffic from dot-mil addresses.

Hope I didn't get any of our soldiers in trouble.

Newsprism

[Fridays Child]

5. Our troops are not entitled to enjoy the freedoms they're fighting for...

...or the freedoms that they BELIEVE they're fighting, and dying, for.

This story needs lots of attention. Keith?

[chill_wind]

21. You've just stated the complete irony simply and quite perfectly. nt

[razors edge]

7. When I was stationed in

Iwakuni Japan in the early 80's, the Armed Forces Network would never censor one single segment of the evening news, instead they would play no news that night, so you could not say it was for a certain piece. We knew what was going at the time, it was painfully obvious.

[onethatcares]

8. I visited my active duty son in Italy last year,

he was up for promotion and asked me not to log onto DU because it could effect his clearance. That was from his off base housing.

[razors edge]

9. I believe it. n/t

[JNelson6563]

10. Maybe the tubes are clogged?

:shrug:

[w4rma]

12. I wonder if they could use a proxy server like the Chinese do to get past

the firewall.

Chinese web surfers have to use proxy servers to look at non-government filtered websites.

[Canuckistanian]

32. Yes, why not proxy servers?

Or is it blocked a different way?

[Octafish]

14. Truth is the first casualty in war.

What are Smirk, Sneer and Sicko afraid of?

Our personnel discovering the war is a lie.

[sakabatou]

15. Freedom is Slavery

Ignorance is Strength

[leftchick]

16. CNN "debunked" this yesterday

on wolfie's show. They had their internet gal check it out and she said it isn't true. She had some people in the Green Zone checking the soldiers' access and they were able to get to both conservative and liberal sites. The only thing blocked was myspace.com. I am not saying I believe her, just that she reported it. She didn't mention the access at all of the bases around Iraq. That would be my concern.

[Richard Steele]

18. Because CNN-friends who live in the Green Zone would never lie, right?

(That comment isn't directed at you, of course, leftchick!)

And as you note, when the issue was BASE net-access, they
run to check access from ...the GREEN ZONE!

Not even CLOSE to an equivalent situation that any
REAL conclusions could be drawn from,
but just the kind of crap we've come to expect from
Lesley Blitzer & Co.

[Stand and Fight]

27. Bullshit. Sites are also blocked state-side!

I know this for a fact. See my posts below.

[CRK7376]

33. THey should check here in the States

As I poted in a similiar post in the General Folder, Ft. Jackson, SC limits access to DU and other liberal sites. Freeper sites no problem accessing. Off post no problem, on post from any government owned computer you were blocked access or firewalled etc...Very frustrating, so I would go off post with a laptop and wifi card and read and post.....

[Vidar]

17. No surprize there. Sad for the troops though.

[AwakeAtLast]

19. Some troops are getting around this

My husband and about 30 of his buddies paid $300 each for their own personal internet hub. That was for a full year, which I thought was very reasonable considering where they were. He was able to anything he wanted to because it belonged to them. Bandwidth was so much better and there weren't any blackouts. I know that this is not an answer for everyone, but there are some who are getting the truth any way they can. :D

[katinmn]

20. The truth is important to all of them!

This is really something!

[Recursion]

22. Internet access is done through MWR, not the military

Oh, and lest you forget, the company that has the MWR contract is Halliburton.

[Stand and Fight]

25. Not so... It is through the military. n/t

[Recursion]

26. Since when?

All the Internet booths and kiosks I saw in Iraq were in the MWR tents and huts.

[Stand and Fight]

28. You did not specify in Iraq. My bad, your fault. n/t

[Stand and Fight]

23. It was blocked at my job today.

I haven't the foggiest idea why, but I am sure that this has something to do with it... Scary. And yes, you can get to FR and Rush Limbaugh, but not Air America or DU.... In fact, dailykos.com mentions it specifically here: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/4/25/03133/7597

Yes, I may or may not be an Air Force employee...

[Stand and Fight]

24. There are also contractors and civilians who have access blocked as well, folks... n/t

[Mr_Spock]

29. Son of a effing bitch

This is illegal politicing and the guys who are doing this MUST be thrown in jail.

The ACLU should be working on this ASAP.

[MGD]

30. Yeah this is Bullshit. I was against impeachment but I'm rethinking it now.

These motherfuckers are wiping their asses with our constitution.

[Stand and Fight]

31. The block has lifted for me.... n/t

[young_at_heart]

35. THIS is freedom? Democratic society? What country are we in?

[Amonester]

36. Kick!

Good question.
<- (I never thought I would need to light one because of torturers inside the U.S.A.) :cry:

:grr:

[misternormal]

37. youtube is blocked as well... n/t