That's two 'blackout' stories now that Drudge has broken - Prince Harry and monica lewinski.

Drudge better watch himself. He's gonna fall down an elevator shaft and land on some bullets if he's not careful.

So now it's okay that Geraldo gave away troop movements?

Alacritous: So now it's okay that Geraldo gave away troop movements?

um...no. For starters, Drudge didn't say 'hey bad guys - go here, into THIS building and shoot the follow guys...'

FTFA: By these standards you would have been notifying Hitler of all our secrets.

Sweet. Article comes pre-Godwinned.

Doctor Funkenstein: FTFA: By these standards you would have been notifying Hitler of all our secrets.

Sweet. Article comes pre-Godwinned.

I think the 'net is going to be more strictly regulated. Think about it - governments can control newspapers, as this story illustrates. But some dude with a website is completely uncontrollable. They can't stop him from reporting on what the 'proper' news reporters are ordered to remain silent about....

So I think we're going to see governments here in the West trying to find ways to regulate blogs and bloggers. If I had to guess, I'd say that they'll start with the usual crap - 'stopping child pornography' would fool a lot of people. Then they'll wave the flag and say it's to 'stop the terrorists'. Maybe a few 'it's only going to affect the drug dealers' phrases as well. At any rate, they'll use a cover story to start organizing and regulating independant online news sites, reporters and bloggers.

And the voters will go along with it.

It's only a difference in scale.

Like I said in the other thread about this, Freedom of the press is not a command, it's a protection. It comes with some pretty serious responsibility. You don't think that once the Taliban heard about such a high profile target being there that they wouldn't scour the country looking for him?

Alacritous: You don't think that once the Taliban heard about such a high profile target being there that they wouldn't scour the country looking for him?

I honestly don't know what to think about the Taliban. I'm not so sure they're even coherent enough to put an operation like that together anymore.

Weaver95: I'm not so sure they're even coherent enough to put an operation like that together anymore

Whether or not they could may be up for debate. The fact is, that danger existed and it's not unreasonable to think that they would try.

Alacritous: Weaver95: I'm not so sure they're even coherent enough to put an operation like that together anymore

Whether or not they could may be up for debate. The fact is, that danger existed and it's not unreasonable to think that they would try.

So information is dangerous? Is that what you're saying?

how does it feel to live in fear?

Weaver95: I honestly don't know what to think about the Taliban. I'm not so sure they're even coherent enough to put an operation like that together anymore.

You do know they control at least 10% of Afghanistan, right?

Drudge is a farking douchebag who thinks he got the scoop because he was the only dumbass to report it.

SovietDictator: In the end, there was no real reason to report this. All it does it put the Prince's and his unit's lifes at risk. He can be a major target and the Taliban (and any other enemy organization) would love to kill or capture him.

it's a good story - a peer of the realm, out there on the front lines and fighting the good fight? how is that NOT news!?

No troop movements were detailed, no secrets were given away. Merely that the guy was out there on the front lines, risking his ass just like anyone else in the military.

cameroncrazy1984: You do know they control at least 10% of Afghanistan, right?

Yeah, and the rest is controlled by the opium dealers. I'd find it more interesting to find out if the DEA is working with the US military to end opium and cannabis production in afghanistan.

rawsta: Drudge is a farking douchebag who thinks he got the scoop because he was the only dumbass to report it.

Any time any government offical comes along and tells any reporter 'don't talk about [insert subject here] - the very first question out of that reporter should be 'why not?'. And unless said government offical has a DAMN good answer, then that story should be page one.

Weaver95: So information is dangerous? Is that what you're saying?

Knowledge is power.

Weaver95: Any time any government offical comes along and tells any reporter 'don't talk about [insert subject here] - the very first question out of that reporter should be 'why not?'. And unless said government offical has a DAMN good answer, then that story should be page one.

Turns out every major news organization in the UK plus a couple of other countries thought he had a damn good reason. I'd take their reasons over some blogger's. Drudge is just an attention-whoring asshole.

cameroncrazy1984: Turns out every major news organization in the UK plus a couple of other countries thought he had a damn good reason. I'd take their reasons over some blogger's. Drudge is just an attention-whoring asshole.

Yeah, there's that freedom of the press again. Irritating, isn't it?

come on Weaver95 the answer is obvious. He is a high value target that would make the Al Qaeda loons drool. Why report it until he is back?? How does that help anyone?

rawsta: come on Weaver95 the answer is obvious. He is a high value target that would make the Al Qaeda loons drool. Why report it until he is back?? How does that help anyone?

I would argue that the al queseda idiots drool all the time, so that isn't much of an argument.

You don't think that having a member of the royal family fighting on the front lines isn't newsworthy?

Weaver95: You don't think that having a member of the royal family fighting on the front lines isn't newsworthy

They planned to cover it quite extensively.. Once he was back.. That was the deal the journalists agreed to.. delay your reporting, and we'll give you tons of juicy details once he's back.

Alacritous: They planned to cover it quite extensively.. Once he was back.. That was the deal the journalists agreed to.. delay your reporting, and we'll give you tons of juicy details once he's back.

Except that in an online world with world wide instant communication - that sort of deal just isn't possible any more.

And that's also not even considering the issue of the government having the right to make that sort of deal in the first place.

Weaver95: And that's also not even considering the issue of the government having the right to make that sort of deal

Sure they can make that deal.. As long as it's not enforced at the point of a gun. There's nothing stopping them from doing the old "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" thing. It's not like they were trying to arrange the firing of some public prosecutors or anything.

Weaver95: That's two 'blackout' stories now that Drudge has broken - Prince Harry and monica lewinski.

Drudge better watch himself. He's gonna fall down an elevator shaft and land on some bullets if he's not careful.

If they are the type of people to do that, they should be outed at every opportunity.

Maybe Drudge can find out when Bush's next surprise visit to Iraq is, and plaster it all over the internets - including where and when Air Force One will be touching down.

That'd be a helluva scoop!

I'm sick of people and media spreading untruths. Know what you are talking about before going off.

An Australian woman's magazine called New Idea broke the story in January.
Then a German newspaper last week... Which is where Drudge dredged it up from. Source (new window)

Oh, but it's the American's fault cause we're the big bad in the world right now. Fark the idiots who parrot ignorance.

Drudge is a douche.

It's called exercising the right to free speech. All you speech police, suck it.

Or perhaps this was a courageous editorial decision to protect this fine young man?

Where Drudge is involved, I think we can rule out courage.

Weaver95: Alacritous: They planned to cover it quite extensively.. Once he was back.. That was the deal the journalists agreed to.. delay your reporting, and we'll give you tons of juicy details once he's back.

Except that in an online world with world wide instant communication - that sort of deal just isn't possible any more.


Um are you retarded? Or just pretending to be retarded for comedy-sakes? It was possible, for over 10 weeks.

ceruleanblu

"I'm sick of people and media spreading untruths. Know what you are talking about before going off.
An Australian woman's magazine called New Idea broke the story in January.
Then a German newspaper last week... Which is where Drudge dredged it up from."

What I came here to say.

">
He does drive a fast car

moralpanic: Um are you retarded? Or just pretending to be retarded for comedy-sakes? It was possible, for over 10 weeks.

ceruleanblu 2008-03-01 03:51:48 PM


So much for that '10 weeks' theory of yours.

Godwinned in TFA.

Drudge is just trying to recapture the five minutes of fame he got for Lewinsky.

Prince Harry should have been able to stay in Afghanistan. Drudge robbed the Prince of his chance to prove himself to his comrades and his country.

moralpanic: Um are you retarded? Or just pretending to be retarded for comedy-sakes? It was possible, for over 10 weeks.

see ceruleanblu's post.

I heard about this over a month ago... I don't understand how the story broke way back then but the "story" only broke when drudge reported it.

/though I have no problem with not reporting this 'till he gets back... makes sense, really.

Snow is a farking moron.

This was an asshat thing to do. Did people need to know that he was there fighting at the moment. No we didnt. He wanted to serve and people did the best they could to let him fight alongside his countrymen while not taking unreasonable risks with his or his comrades life. This is was just a douchbag thing to do.

I find it hard to believe this wasn't "leaked" to the media on purpose. This whole story reeks of a cheap ploy to restore Harry's reputation after all the recent scandals surrounding him and the other royals. "Oh, you see, he was on a secret mission in Afghanistan, valiantly risking his life to protect our freedom, but then the details were leaked and his life was in danger, so we had to bring him back home."

Yeah...

xkillyourfacex: It's called exercising the right to free speech. All you speech police, suck it.

A case of shouting "fire!" in a crowded theater (with no fire).

The right to say whatever you want doesn't mean you should use it to put people in harm's way just because you want the attention.

There are certain words I could say here that would get me a stern lecture from the Secret Service. You are free to use them, but I'm not that dumb.

Hetfield: I find it hard to believe this wasn't "leaked" to the media on purpose. This whole story reeks of a cheap ploy to restore Harry's reputation after all the recent scandals surrounding him and the other royals. "Oh, you see, he was on a secret mission in Afghanistan, valiantly risking his life to protect our freedom, but then the details were leaked and his life was in danger, so we had to bring him back home."

Possible? Sure... but if you find it hard to believe otherwise, take your damn foil hat off.

I find it funny the opinions of some Farkwads about Drudge, like Drew isn't less of an attention seeking whore that Drudge.

I must check Drudge 20 times a day, and at least half of the fun is seeing what this guy's quirks will lead him to focus on (for example his Hillary hatred); sometimes you are just left to wonder why he found something so important. But he's always interesting.

This is one of the few times I truly am disgusted at something he's done. There was no reason, other than attention-whoring, to throw this story out there. Harry is a brave young man who just wanted to go fight with his fellow soldiers, and this celebrity-whore website operator shiats on that. Luckily there was a plan in place to evacuate Harry quickly, so that this did not endanger other British soldiers.

In a debate on Thursday night's news programme, Snow asked: "Can you think of another country where this could ever happen other than in a totalitarian state?"

That is ridiculously naive and shortsighted. What a complete idiot. This man is delivering news and editorials on television? He needs to be fired.

SovietDictator: I don't remember the original Drudge article, but if no specifics (like what region he was in, what unit, etc) were given then I guess the story isn't that damaging. I doubt the Taliban and whoever else is in Afghanistan will be specifically looking for the Prince if they didn't know what specific area he was in.

Are you Snow or something? How lame of a person would you have to be, to not recognize where the Prince was in your home province/state/town? People can tell this sort of thing when it is about their own backyard. Well...people in countries where they go outside and don't sit on the internet all day. You suck, you Soviet shmoe! You're no Stalin...you're a Brezhnev.

Weaver95:



how does it feel to live in fear?

Only Americans will know what its like to live in fear.
Your Bush has you all convinced the boogey man is real

xkillyourfacex: It's called exercising the right to free speech. All you speech police, suck it.

With rights comes responsibility. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. There is a difference between having the right to do something, and doing the right thing.

Weaver95

nah. come on. Prince Harry wanted to fight. good for him. the only way he could fight is if there was media silence. in this case: news story = Prince Harry comes home. very simple. so what Drudge did was send home Prince Harry ... for what good reason? the truth? freedom of information?

no. for attention-whoring, as stated. its a dick move. the article is wrong. the british editors were being gentleman. good for them.

Weaver95: moralpanic: Um are you retarded? Or just pretending to be retarded for comedy-sakes? It was possible, for over 10 weeks.

ceruleanblu 2008-03-01 03:51:48 PM


So much for that '10 weeks' theory of yours.

Why don't you get back to your world of warcraft and let the big boys discuss the real world events. There was no moral reason to report this story, much like Novak's outing of Valerie Plame. These are attention-hungry and politically devious individuals with too much self-interest.

it was as if an Occult Hand had removed the veil that blinded the general public.

I hate to break it to you but nobody, particularly terrorists, care about that prince. good on him for taking action, however he is hardly significant in terms of military decision making. however being a ginger kid in a desert will tend to make you stand out. either way i dont think he will be worth allocating whatever funds or effort the taliban may have left. hes not exactly a ranking officer, or anything more than a ceremonial puppet at best. it would be tragic as the death of any soldier but he is no more special than any other private as he is merely human himself. there couldnt possibly be anything more significant going on in that region at the moment....

/remember- most people only even recognize him as the d-bag that wore a hitler costume.