Why can't they leave us alone?

"That kind of monitoring is wrong on so many levels," writes Teresa of Technicalities in comments to our previous post re creeping technology-assisted Big Brotherism in the nursery. Teresa expands on the ill effects overprotective parenting can have on kids as they develop into teenagers and then young adults. Excerpts:

First off, kids won't make those small mistakes that result in cuts and bruises . . . Mom or Dad is always there to stop it. What happens when they get to be teens and are old enough to do real damage?

The kids better learn young that life ain't fair and never will be. And instead of coming to you with their fights, they need to work them out.

Start 'em young. That way, if the government wants to start watching as they get older . . . hey what's the difference?

That last point provides a perfect segue to the hottest topic in the 'sphere today. Just as Microsoft's Big Teddy will one day soon be spying on the kids, the Federal Government will one day soon be spying on the bloggers if the FEC has its way. According to a CNET News interview with FEC Commissioner Bradley Smith, "the freewheeling days of political blogging and online punditry are over":

In just a few months, he warns, bloggers and news organizations could risk the wrath of the federal government if they improperly link to a campaign's Web site. Even forwarding a political candidate's press release to a mailing list, depending on the details, could be punished by fines.

Some are predicting a moment of truth when left and right will join links in a fight to the death for the First Amendment. We share Professor Bainbridge's disgust [via InstaPundit] with the dirty duo who started this ball rolling:

Thank You Senators McCain and Feingold . . . you [plural expletive deleted].

"The possibilities that Smith lays out are chilling and, if enacted, could spell the end of blogging as we know it," writes Winfield Myers of Democracy Project [via Michelle Malkin]:

Indeed, it could turn much of what is published on the Net into a samizdat-style activity.

Sound alarmist? Read on. It all stems, of course, from McCain-Feingold [Campaign Finance "Reform" Law], the absurd and (pace the Supreme Court) unconstitutional curtailment of political speech in violation of the First Amendment. Both Senators, and the Democratic members of the Commission, favor regulating political speech on the Internet, lest bloggers and electronic publications enjoy an advantage over print publications. This is a huge power grab by elements of the federal bureaucracy who are threatened by New Media, and a first step by those forces to shut down political speech they don't like.

"Please contact Senator McCain and tell him how much you love his idea," pleads PoliPundit.  We second the motion and are off to give the Senator a piece of our mind.  Ditto Senator Feingold.

Comments

[Teresa]

Thanks for the link m'dear. :-)

[Sissy Willis]

My pleasure. :)