Website Criticizing Government

[Raizinman]

A friend wants my help in starting a website criticizing our government (local and national). Basically showing the waste, problems, and wrong decisions. Yes, naming names and pointing fingers.

The question is: How critical can you be, before Homeland Security or some other agency comes knocking at your door? We understand the rules and laws of slander and do not intend to make things up, but do intend to point the finger to anyone politician that screws up.

What repercussions can we expect? In this day and age of wild court decisions and blatant denial of rights, we fear that exposing some of the issues could get us in trouble?

Would being part of the press and having a press card help as there are specific laws pertaining specifically to the press.

 

[Lithium381]

A friend wants my help in starting a website criticizing our government (local and national). Basically showing the waste, problems, and wrong decisions. Yes, naming names and pointing fingers.

The question is: How critical can you be, before Homeland Security or some other agency comes knocking at your door? We understand the rules and laws of slander and do not intend to make things up, but do intend to point the finger to anyone politician that screws up.

What repercussions can we expect? In this day and age of wild court decisions and blatant denial of rights, we fear that exposing some of the issues could get us in trouble?

Would being part of the press and having a press card help as there are specific laws pertaining specifically to the press.

really depends on who he plans on criticizing. If he's laying it on thick to republicans, there will be no repercussions. However, if you so much as THINK bad thoughts about the liberal democrats you'll be promptly arrested!!!

 

[sMiLeYz]

You can be as critical as you want provided you don't do anything illegal, like for example: releasing classified documents.

Or make threats to the president...

There are sites out there that do the same thing you're suggesting with no repercussions.

 

[werepossum]

You can be as critical as you want provided you don't do anything illegal, like for example: releasing classified documents.

Or make threats to the president...

There are sites out there that do the same thing you're suggesting with no repercussions.

Enough of them to make one question the utility of another.

 

[sandorski]

If you start calling for Violence, you have gone too far. Stick to the facts, you won't have anything to worry about. All kinds of Conspiracy Theories could be put forth, but that would just get you categorized as Nutters.

Protip: If you can't stick to the facts, your argument is probably too weak to matter anyway.

 

[blankslate]

You can be as critical as you want provided you don't do anything illegal, like for example: releasing classified documents.

Or make threats to the president...

There are sites out there that do the same thing you're suggesting with no repercussions.

It'd be nice if he provided evidence for the complaints from a variety of sources. Nothing would be worse than a site that twists the facts.

 

[brandonb]

What repercussions can we expect? In this day and age of wild court decisions and blatant denial of rights, we fear that exposing some of the issues could get us in trouble?

I know we have Freedom of Speech and all that in the USA, but you will find out real quick like that is a lie.

All courts, police, and jury members are biased to the Governments side. The Government can do no wrong. They are always right. They'd never hurt us. They are our best friend, and our provider. To get anybody to judge in your favor is going to take a miracle.

Good luck.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I hope your friend doesn't mind being on the "no fly" list.

 

[bononos]

really depends on who he plans on criticizing. If he's laying it on thick to republicans, there will be no repercussions. However, if you so much as THINK bad thoughts about the liberal democrats you'll be promptly arrested!!!

That can't be right. The mainstream media isn't afraid to bash liberals. The growing trend is to be more like Fox news. Remember when the media and academia were hammered for not supporting the war 'enough'?

 

[waggy]

You can be as critical as you want provided you don't do anything illegal, like for example: releasing classified documents.

Or make threats to the president...

There are sites out there that do the same thing you're suggesting with no repercussions.

/this

you stick with the facts and don't make threats you will be fine. well..you should be fine but there are nutcases out there

 

[gevorg]

if your "friend" doesn't want to be on the list, just feed it to wikileaks, anonymously

 

[sunzt]

Will your friend also point out areas of excellence on his website? Areas where agencies or people are running more efficient, adding more value/services/utility, performing cutting edge research, or leading initiatives to improve certain aspects of the local area?

 

[thraashman]

That can't be right. The mainstream media isn't afraid to bash liberals. The growing trend is to be more like Fox news. Remember when the media and academia were hammered for not supporting the war 'enough'?

The problem is the other growing trend is for the far right to play the victim card whenever their bias and lies are pointed out.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

You're playing with fire.

 

[Anarchist420]

A friend wants my help in starting a website criticizing our government (local and national). Basically showing the waste, problems, and wrong decisions. Yes, naming names and pointing fingers. The question is: How critical can you be, before Homeland Security or some other agency comes knocking at your door? We understand the rules and laws of slander and do not intend to make things up, but do intend to point the finger to anyone politician that screws up. What repercussions can we expect? In this day and age of wild court decisions and blatant denial of rights, we fear that exposing some of the issues could get us in trouble? Would being part of the press and having a press card help as there are specific laws pertaining specifically to the press.

The Department of Homeland Security and FBI will be monitoring him, as they've published a huge list of words that causes them to monitor people more than they already do. I'd tell him not to worry about it because the police statists are monitoring everyone. How could anyone enjoy life if they gave into the wishes of the state all the time?

As for getting a government-granted/sponsored press card... he shouldn't do it if he wants to remain objective and to tell the whole truth explicitly.

Anyway, I wish him the best

 

[werepossum]

Will your friend also point out areas of excellence on his website? Areas where agencies or people are running more efficient, adding more value/services/utility, performing cutting edge research, or leading initiatives to improve certain aspects of the local area?

That's a very good point. I'm all for criticising the government loudly and often, but it's kind of being done to death. Stories about government actually performing well would not only give balance to the website, but are also a LOT less well represented, at least far as I can see. That would make the website more unique, perhaps make government insiders more likely to feed you dirt when it needs to be aired, and generally make the website stand out as "not just another one of those!. Besides, just criticising government without showing that government can also function well will make at least pro-government people dismiss you out of hand.

 

[woolfe9999]

The responses in this thread are mainly wrong. Take a look at how many websites criticize the government, and do so harshly, and even in a defamatory manner. There are hundreds and they've been operating for years. If there's one thing you CAN do in this country, it's criticize the government. Look, people do it on this forum 100x per day and somehow they aren't worried like they claim you should be. These people are acting like we're in a police state but they haven't the first clue what a real police state is.

Don't be discouraged from your project.

 

[woolfe9999]

I hope your friend doesn't mind being on the "no fly" list.

Why aren't you worried about criticizing the government on this discussion forum? If what you and the rest of you are saying is true, you ought not to be taking this kind of risk.

That, or you're exaggerating for rhetorical effect, and you know it.

 

[werepossum]

The responses in this thread are mainly wrong. Take a look at how many websites criticize the government, and do so harshly, and even in a defamatory manner. There are hundreds and they've been operating for years. If there's one thing you CAN do in this country, it's criticize the government. Look, people do it on this forum 100x per day and somehow they aren't worried like they claim you should be. These people are acting like we're in a police state but they haven't the first clue what a real police state is.

Don't be discouraged from your project.

I wouldn't be worried about being arrested for criticism, but I'd be very worried about wasting my time and money unless I had something to differentiate myself from all those other websites.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Why aren't you worried about criticizing the government on this discussion forum? If what you and the rest of you are saying is true, you ought not to be taking this kind of risk.

That, or you're exaggerating for rhetorical effect, and you know it.

More the latter, but I don't have a website dedicated to it either. My guess is that it will be noted and unless it trips a trigger, nothing will come of it.

 

[woolfe9999]

I wouldn't be worried about being arrested for criticism, but I'd be very worried about wasting my time and money unless I had something to differentiate myself from all those other websites.

Which is a legitimate but completely separate concern from what the OP asked about. I would think in order to distinguish yourself you'd need the ability to acquire information that isn't already out there. Simply repeating information found elsewhere will get you nowhere.

 

[woolfe9999]

More the latter, but I don't have a website dedicated to it either. My guess is that it will be noted and unless it trips a trigger, nothing will come of it.

The odds of any legal repercussions are slim to none. That is the correct advice for the OP, because it's true. Instead, he got a stream of paranoid hyperbole that makes us sound a lot like Stalinist Russia. I think people on this forum need to go back and read their history.

 

[werepossum]

Which is a legitimate but completely separate concern from what the OP asked about. I would think in order to distinguish yourself you'd need the ability to acquire information that isn't already out there. Simply repeating information found elsewhere will get you nowhere.

Well, yeah, but what he asked didn't interest me.

 

[Smoblikat]

A friend wants my help in starting a website criticizing our government (local and national). Basically showing the waste, problems, and wrong decisions. Yes, naming names and pointing fingers.

The question is: How critical can you be, before Homeland Security or some other agency comes knocking at your door? We understand the rules and laws of slander and do not intend to make things up, but do intend to point the finger to anyone politician that screws up.

What repercussions can we expect? In this day and age of wild court decisions and blatant denial of rights, we fear that exposing some of the issues could get us in trouble?

Would being part of the press and having a press card help as there are specific laws pertaining specifically to the press.

I am ashamed to call you a fellow American, you can do what you damn well please thanks to the first amendment. The only rules are no libel, threats, and..........thats really it. As far as classified documents go, look at wikileaks. Public info should be public.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

The odds of any legal repercussions are slim to none. That is the correct advice for the OP, because it's true. Instead, he got a stream of paranoid hyperbole that makes us sound a lot like Stalinist Russia. I think people on this forum need to go back and read their history.

It's like cameras on the streets. An unimaginable amount of information is sifted, categorized and prioritized. Thats how bad guys are caught these days, or at least it's an important means. Unless a protocol is tripped most likely nothing happens. If he has nothing to hide he has nothing to fear.