Monday, June 4, 2012

Watch what you say

Thanks to the wonders of the Freedom of Information Act, the Daily Mail of London has put together a list of all the words that the Grand Inquisitors at the Department of Homeland Security (which sounds like something straight out of the Third Reich) are on the lookout for day in and day out.

Every day some bureaucrat sits behind a computer terminal sifting through everything that's posted online - just looking for some of these very special words. That's right. Whatever you post on Facebook, Twitter or any other social networking site is being watched.

According to the Daily Mail...

The words are included in the department's 2011 ' Analysts Desktop Binder' used by workers at their National Operations Center which instructs workers to identify 'media reports that reflect adversely on DHS and response activities'.

But, fret not, los federales aren't looking to add your name to their list just because you happen to write disparaging things about the government - or so they say. It is nothing short of ironic that, by most accounts, the most left-leaning president in American history has launched the greatest assault on the people's right to be left alone. No constitutional protection is safe these days.

It's long been said that it took someone like Nixon to make nice with the Chinese (hey, authoritarians just love to hang out with other authoritarians). It follows that it took someone like President Obama to lay waste to privacy rights and due process. It would've been too obvious with Bush.

So, in this day where the government is squeezing our right to free speech - unless you're a corporation or a billionaire who has a few millions to throw at political candidates - it's time to have a little fun. This is the list of words related to domestic security that will raise some eyebrows (and this is only one category - there are plenty more where these came from):
Assassination
Attack
Domestic security
Drill
Exercise
Cops
Law enforcement
Authorities
Disaster assistance
Disaster management
Domestic nuclear detection office
National preparedness
Mitigation
Prevention
Response
Recovery
Dirty bomb
Domestic nuclear detection
Emergency management
Emergency response
First responder
Homeland security
Maritime domestic awareness
National preparedness
Initiative
Militia
Shooting
Shots fired
Evacuation
Deaths
Hostage
Explosion
Police
Disaster medical assistance team
Organized crime
Gangs
National security
State of emergency
Security
Breach
Threat
Standoff
SWAT
Screening
Lockdown
Bomb
Crash
Looting
Riot
Emergency landing
Pipe bomb
Incident
Facility
Here's your challenge. By my count there were 51 words and phrases that the spooks are looking for on social networking sites. Write a short story (no more than 500 words) using as many of these words and phrases as you can. The winning entry will be posted on the blog later this month. I will be the sole judge of who wins and there is no set criteria. The deadline to enter is two weeks from today.

Send those entries to thedefenserestsblog@gmail.com .

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