here's an interesting message about a white house aide pressuring HotWired to change their link pointing to a rant page about Clinton. it reminds me of a recent court decision in which a school tried to shut down a student's web page that he had done on his own time and referred to his school and other teachers. it used to be, "freedom of the presses only belongs to those who own a press". actually this still is, except now it only costs $20/mo to own a worldwide "cyberspace press" via web pages. hence what we get are interesting new social situations reminiscent of the tension that surrounded Martin Luther's posting of the 99 theses in the middle ages. you have people who had controlled the situation suddenly put off balance by a new medium. the power of information dissemination is rather significant, and the web is the most sophisticated information dissemination technology ever invented by man. I expect it to have very far-reaching social ramifications. we have barely scratched the surface.. cpunks are very interested in things like anonymity to save oneself from the government. another approach is to simply crow-bar the government in any way you can, whenever possible, to make it better serve your interests. web pages have this intrinsic power-- they're like a subtle, invisible crow bar that can influence the world via public opinion. could there be a day when nobody sees a need to hide from a government, because it is so uninvasive? ------- Forwarded Message From: "Steve Wingate" <steve@linex2.linex.com> Date: Sat, 1 Jun 1996 20:27:28 -0700 Subject: (Fwd) WH Censorship of Web Sites (Attempted) - - -> SearchNet's snetnews Mailing List - - ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Sat, 1 Jun 1996 20:38:12 -0500 (CDT) To: cs@oak.oakland.edu From: ed@athenet.net (Edward Immler) Subject: WH Censorship of Web Sites (Attempted) The Skeleton Closet (at http://www.realchange.org) provides a site for those things presidential candidates would rather not discuss. They cover all candidates and include a link to our current Prez. I've included the link below. Looks like this was quietly reversed, the offender sent on (to a nice job), and nothing in the national media. Clipper, V-chip, and now plain-old intimidation. The WH is working hard to control your info. Ed ********************************************************************* [Mr. Tall Skeleton2] Bill Clinton's Skeleton Closet [Mr. Tall Skeleton] [Picture of Clinton] News Flash: White House Suppresses Skeleton Closet In a shocking blunder, the White House successfully put pressure on Hotwired Magazine to stop linking President Clinton's name to this very web page. This was all done behind the scenes -- we had no idea until we read Brock Meek's Netizen column of April 30th. The White House official involved, David Lytel, was in charge of creating the popular Clinton White House web site. He recently left the White House, and is working for a private web page consultant. At a conference, he attacked Netizen for being cynical and unfair, citing the Skeleton Closet link. Meeks, in response, noted that Hotwired had removed the link after receiving official pressure from the White House. In Hotwired's "Threads" discussion, another Hotwired employee admitted that they had been "intimidated" by receiving email from the "whitehouse.gov" domain early in Netizen's infancy, and said she regretted that they caved in. Lytel's argument -- that it was "dishonest" to link Clinton's name to a page criticizing him -- is silly of course. Apparently, he thinks the only "honest" link is one that goes to a person's own web page, no matter how self- serving it is. More to the point, this is a terrible precedent. As far as we know, it is the first attempt by any American government to squelch part of the Internet for nakedly political reasons. (The attack on adult material online, while obviously political, has legitimate issues -- or at least a reasonable excuse -- behind it.) And doing it privately, behind closed doors, makes it even worse. If we were simply seeking publicity, we'd run to Republican politicians (who desperately need an issue) and hope they try to use it. But that would be hypocritical. It's exactly that kind of partisan misuse of legitimate scandals that we are trying to make obsolete here - - -- because it muddles legitimate issues (like White House censorship of critics) in stupid, partisan manipulation. We're trying to contact the White House directly, to get them to disavow Lytel's actions. We'll let you know what happens. Update: White House Backs Down, Sort Of. We challenged the White House to confirm or deny that Lytel pressured Hotwired, to disavow his actions if true, and commit to a policy of avoiding this type of censorship. Within two days, they replied as follows: "Date: Fri, 03 May 1996 17:06:49 -0400 (EDT) From: WEBMASTER (WEBMASTER@a1.eop.gov) Subject: RE: White House WWW Comments To: webmaster (webmaster@realchange.org) Posting-Date: Fri, 03 May 1996 17:09:00 -0400 (EDT) It is our policy not to interfere with the content of other WEB sites." We'll take that as an admission that Lytel was out of line, and a solid commitment to doing the right thing in the future. Of course, they didn't live up to that policy before, and words are cheap. - - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - - ---- And now, on with the Clinton's Skeleton Closet page. What can we say about Bill and Hillary that hasn't been said before? Clinton's scandals are covered in such loving detail by his enemies that we are providing you with links to various Clinton scandal pages. Eventually, we will boil it all down and sort out the really good dirt from the crazy stuff, but there's JUST SO MUCH to wade through! The frustrating thing about Clinton's scandals is that the press focuses on two-bit scandals of little importance, such as Whitewater and this ridiculous travel office "scandal", while ignoring much more significant dirt, such as the Mena, Arkansas contra supply and drug operation (see link below), Hillary's $100,000 commodity profit from a $1,000 investment, and a new charge -- that a federally funded educational operation in New York paid her $100,000, for who knows what. And no one (save a few voices on the left) are protesting Clinton's hugely successful fundraising and favors for people who have provided it, including the Tyson Chicken empire. Running against Gramm, Dole and Alexander, this isn't likely to be an issue, but it is a major fault of the President. Political Favors for Campaign Contributors Though his administration floundered at first, Clinton has quickly learned one aspect of Washington -- how to raise money from business interests. He has set records in fund-raising, eclipsing even Dole's huge haul (though not by much.) Of course, if Dole was President he would no doubt regain the lead. And some contributors seem to think their money is well spent. For example, Clinton raised over a quarter million dollars from ADM, Bob Dole's major benefactor, and pushed through a regulation benefiting them mightily. On the other hand, 2 Arkansas firms that formerly bankrolled Clinton (and received help from his administration) have switched their support to Dole -- both Tyson Chicken and Stephens investment brokers apparently figure Dole gives a better return per contribution dollar, or is more likely to win. Money and Favors: Archer Daniels Midland For example, he has received at least $270,000 from Archer Daniels Midland corporation, the agricultural giant famous for spreading money among various influential people, from Bob Dole to National Public Radio. Just days after Clinton received a $100,000 check in June 1994, his administration ordered that 30% of gasoline sold in American's 9 most polluted cities contain ethanol based additives by 1996 (as opposed to cheaper methanol.) Archer Daniels makes 60% of US ethanol for gas, and none of the methanol. Bob Dole, who receives even more money from Archer Daniels and its president, actually supported the Clinton Administration's mandate, even while arguing against Clinton's health care proposal for nearly identical federal mandates. (Courts have block Clinton's 30% rule, saying he lacked power to favor ethanol over methanol.) $100,000 for Hillary from an Educational Foundation This allegation just came out January 10, so bear with us on it's sketchiness. New York state's new Attorney General Dennis Vacco (a Republican) is investigating a $100,000 in payments to Hillary or the Rose Law Firm from the National Center on Education and the Economy, a charity that was in Rochester New York and has since moved to Washington, DC Hillary was on their board, as were Mario Cuomo and Ira Magaziner, but no other board members were paid. The justification is that Hillary was paid to carry out some programs. When this story came out a month ago, Vacco announced he was asking for contracts with Hillary or the Rose Law Firm and a description of any work she actually did. Nothing more has come of it, which -- in an election year - indicates that nothing substantial has turned up. - - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - - ---- Try these links, but use a grain of salt; some of the sources are pretty marginal. Disgraced Clinton Administration Officials Yahoo's Whitewater Scandal Page Mena, Arkansas: Contra & Drug Smuggling Center? Nick Chase's Mena, Arkansas and Whitewater pages. Quotes "I'm someone who has a deep emotional attachment to 'Starsky and Hutch.' " -- Bill Clinton, 1996 "I don't think [Bill Clinton] is fooling around anymore. Nor do I think he will. I read that Hillary threw a lamp at him. ... You know something? I think she did." -- Ann Landers Sources "Primary Colors", by 'Anonymous', 1996 Wall Street Journal, in general, and in particular: ....January 12, 1996 pA14 ....January 8, 1996 pA1 ....December 18, 1995 pA16 ....December 29, 1995 pA1 ....March 23, 1995 p A1 ....February 22, 1995 p A1 ....January 13, 1995 p A12 "The Mena Coverup", Micah Morrison, Wall Street Journal, October 18, 1994 p A18 "The Real Cost of Ethanol" and "Dwayne's World", Dan Carney, Mother Jones, January, 1995 "Aides Saw Political Threat In Clinton Loans From '90", Jeff Gerth, New York Times, May 6, 1995 p7 "Ann Landers Repents For Slurring The Pope", Associated Press, December 1, 1995 "Blocking the Box", Rick Marin, Newsweek, March 11, 1996 "NY Official Probes Payment to Mrs. Clinton", Associated Press, January 12, 1996 BACK TO SKELETON CLOSET Paid for by Real People For Real Change PAC and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Real People For Real Change is registered with the Federal Election Commission as a non-affiliated, independent political action committee. Copyright 1996 Real People For Real Change PAC ******************************************************************* *Edward F. Immler Lawrence Chemists * *ed@athenet.net are Free Radicals * * * *Lawrence University '95 * *Interests: HAZMAT, EPA/OSHA Compliance, SARA III, Wastewater * *DISCLAIMER: Opinions are mine...unless someone else agrees * ******************************************************************* Anomalous Images and UFO Files http://www.linex.com/ufo/ - - -> Send "subscribe snetnews " to majordomo@alterzone.com - - -> Posted by: "Steve Wingate" <steve@linex2.linex.com> - ------- End of Forwarded Message ------- End of Forwarded Message