NationStates Jolt Archive

It's interesting how the US military is looking more like the Red Army as the years pass in Iraq.

From a marine stationed in Iraq...

"Just to let you know, the US Marines have blocked access to “Wonkette” along with numerous other sites such as personal email (i.e. Yahoo, AT&T, Hotmail, etc), blogs that don't agree with the government point of view, personal websites, and some news organizatons. This has taken effect as of the beginning of February. I have no problem with them blocking porn sites (after all it is a government network), but cutting off access to our email and possibly-not-toeing-the-government-line websites is a bit much.

Initially all web blocking was done locally at the hub sites in Iraq. If you wanted a site “unblocked” you just had to email the local administrator with a reason (like, “I'd like to read my email, please.”), and if it wasn't porn or offensive, they'd allow it. Now, all blocking is done by desk-weenies at the USMC Network Operations Center in Quantico, VA, who really don't care if we get our email (or gossip) out here, as they get to go to happy hour after working 9 to 5 and go home to a nice clean, warm home with a real bed! (Sorry, I'm a little peeved.)"

Later he added a list of websites...

"Unfortunately anonomizers don't work out here (never have). Anyway, I had a few minutes today and thought I'd look and see what else was banned on the Marine web here. I think the results speak for themselves:

* Wonkette – “Forbidden, this page is categorized as: Forum/Bulletin Boards, Politics/Opinion.”
* Bill O’Reilly – OK
* Air America Radio – “Forbidden, this page is categorized as: Internet Radio/TV, Politics/Opinion.”
* Rush Limbaugh – OK
* ABC News “The Note” – OK
* Website of the Al Franken Show – “Forbidden, this page is categorized as: Internet Radio/TV, Politics/Opinion.”
* G. Gordon Liddy Show – OK
* Don & Mike Show – “Forbidden, this page is categorized as: Profanity, Entertainment/Recreation/Hobbies.”..."

Gee, so a sexual deviant, a drug addict, and a felon are ok, as long as they prefer the color red. Sad.:(

It's interesting how the US military is looking more like the Red Army as the years pass in Iraq.

Gee, so a sexual deviant, a drug addict, and a felon are ok, as long as they prefer the color red. Sad.:(

Huh? Red is the colour of the left, you know. This comment makes no sense in the context.

Is it just me, or is it ironic how conservatives are adopting a color formerly associated with authoritarian socialist foes?

Huh? Red is the colour of the left, you know.

How I wish that were true anymore, hehe. They even refer to themselves as "red" now.

<snip>

Well, you can't expect people to serve the army without having some control over their minds, you know.

Huh? Red is the colour of the left, you know. This comment makes no sense in the context.
Red is the republican party's colour.

LOL, that's pathetic. Though to be honest, every military regulates to a certain extent the exposure of soldiers to political thought. Some have to juggle it with keeping up the pretence of freedom, which causes a bit of a conflict, as we can see here.

It's interesting how the US military is looking more like the Red Army as the years pass in Iraq.

From a marine stationed in Iraq...

"Just to let you know, the US Marines have blocked access to “Wonkette” along with numerous other sites such as personal email (i.e. Yahoo, AT&T, Hotmail, etc), blogs that don't agree with the government point of view, personal websites, and some news organizatons. This has taken effect as of the beginning of February. I have no problem with them blocking porn sites (after all it is a government network), but cutting off access to our email and possibly-not-toeing-the-government-line websites is a bit much.

Initially all web blocking was done locally at the hub sites in Iraq. If you wanted a site “unblocked” you just had to email the local administrator with a reason (like, “I'd like to read my email, please.”), and if it wasn't porn or offensive, they'd allow it. Now, all blocking is done by desk-weenies at the USMC Network Operations Center in Quantico, VA, who really don't care if we get our email (or gossip) out here, as they get to go to happy hour after working 9 to 5 and go home to a nice clean, warm home with a real bed! (Sorry, I'm a little peeved.)"

Later he added a list of websites...

"Unfortunately anonomizers don't work out here (never have). Anyway, I had a few minutes today and thought I'd look and see what else was banned on the Marine web here. I think the results speak for themselves:

* Wonkette – “Forbidden, this page is categorized as: Forum/Bulletin Boards, Politics/Opinion.”
* Bill O’Reilly – OK
* Air America Radio – “Forbidden, this page is categorized as: Internet Radio/TV, Politics/Opinion.”
* Rush Limbaugh – OK
* ABC News “The Note” – OK
* Website of the Al Franken Show – “Forbidden, this page is categorized as: Internet Radio/TV, Politics/Opinion.”
* G. Gordon Liddy Show – OK
* Don & Mike Show – “Forbidden, this page is categorized as: Profanity, Entertainment/Recreation/Hobbies.”..."

Gee, so a sexual deviant, a drug addict, and a felon are ok, as long as they prefer the color red. Sad.:(


I question that. Most of my unit has been to the sandbox and a number used anonymizers to get around the blocks. Admittedly this is Army but .....

Red is the republican party's colour.

http://www.comboutique.com/shop/products/inprint_small/USR1089/20050705205500_che-guevara-soviet-union-flag-posterflag-4001883.jpg

http://www.comifornia.com/Images/china%20flag.JPG

http://www.chapellerie-traclet.com/hat/images/Cheicon_beret-che-guevara.jpg

That's just counterproductive. The Right is Blue. The Left is red. Silly yanks...

Yeah, Fass,they're stealing our color.:sniper:

Yeah, Fass,they're stealing our color.

It's the Republican way.

http://www.comboutique.com/shop/products/inprint_small/USR1089/20050705205500_che-guevara-soviet-union-flag-posterflag-4001883.jpg

http://www.comifornia.com/Images/china%20flag.JPG

http://www.chapellerie-traclet.com/hat/images/Cheicon_beret-che-guevara.jpg

That's just counterproductive. The Right is Blue. The Left is red. Silly yanks...

Hey, normally I'd agree, but with the continuing paradox that is American politics one can't be too surprised at the choice of the republican party to adopt the color they most feared less than a century before. Silly, yes, but also predictable.

That's just counterproductive. The Right is Blue. The Left is red. Silly yanks...

Yeah I thought it was a bit weird too. Of course, the left-right scale is pretty silly in the first place. Even the two-axes compass is too vague.

Hey, normally I'd agree, but with the continuing paradox that is American politics one can't be too surprised at the choice of the republican party to adopt the color they most feared less than a century before. Silly, yes, but also predictable.

Yeah, like for instance calling leftists liberals. It just makes no sense and is completely backwards, but I guess that is, as you say, to be expected of the US.

It is the same in Canada. The Liberal Party is traditionally the party of the Left (the New Democratic party are even further left), and the Conservative party is the party of the Right.

I don't think it is backward at all. The terms have different associations in North America because North America developed differently than Europe did.

http://www.comboutique.com/shop/products/inprint_small/USR1089/20050705205500_che-guevara-soviet-union-flag-posterflag-4001883.jpg

http://www.comifornia.com/Images/china%20flag.JPG

http://www.chapellerie-traclet.com/hat/images/Cheicon_beret-che-guevara.jpg

That's just counterproductive. The Right is Blue. The Left is red. Silly yanks...

Of course, right = red/left = blue comes from the U.S. media's coverage of the 2000 presidential election in which states voting for Bush were colored red and states voting for Gore were colored blue, a completely different source than communist = red. Meh.