Posted on 8/1/2009, 6:34:07 AM by marron
CARACAS [AFP]. The attorney general of Venezuela, Luisa Ortega Díaz, presented yesterday to the National Assembly (parliament) a proposed law on “media crimes” which would provide jail terms for information professionals and businessmen.
In her speech before the deputies, Díaz asked that the State regulate freedom of expression and the behavior of the communications media. According to the proposed law, violators could receive up to four years in jail.
The draft of the law explains that a person who divulges information considered false, manipulated or twisted, which causes harm to the interests of the State or public moral or menatl health has committed a media crime and could be punished with up to four years in prison.
According to the attorney general, “the abusive exercise of freedom of expression and information confronts the State with new forms of criminality”. “The media can not be used to commit criminal acts [...] They can not generate a climate of insecurity, nor generate by means of the news, sensationalism with impunity. On the contrary, they must fulfill an educational function”, she said.
Among the crimes specified are included the refusal to reveal information… which impacts the right to protect journalistic sources, which could bring a sentence of between 6 months and 4 years in jail.
The National College of Journalists attacked the proposed law considering that “it would place citizens one step from being punished for having opinions and making them public” and said that it was intended to intimídate and silence the populace.
Official attacks
In 2007, the government did not renew the TV concession to RCTV. Globovisión has been threatened with closure.
Just in case there was anybody left in the sentient universe that didn’t know Chavez was Dictator of Venezuela.
New crime of “anti-Soviet thought” (”anti-Chavez thought”?) coming soon.
Next for USA, felony crime: “Anti-Obama/Pelosi thought”
The 3rd Reich lives again!
Afterwards they will expand it to the internet
Chavez has massive support among the left
Coming soon to a tv or paper near you. If we are as big of Pussies as the Venezuelans...We deserve it.
The following is chillingly similar to proposals made by some of our intellectually challenged members of Congress, as well as countless bureaucracies and "public service" organizations.
“the abusive exercise of freedom of expression and information confronts the State with new forms of criminality”. “The media can not be used to commit criminal acts [...] They can not generate a climate of insecurity, nor generate by means of the news, sensationalism with impunity. On the contrary, they must fulfill an educational function”, she said.
I much regret not having saved a public service announcement, on satellite TV, by another "public interest" group; I was so stunned by the slick presentation of the subject that I was troubled for hours.
Imagine an indoctrination film made for the specific purpose of moulding and shaping young minds: the Hitlerjugend, brought into the 21st century, with all the latest computer tools: A group of preadolescents are delivering a "school play" with a proper audience on a proper stage, with props and everything. A girl is delivering her lines, and suddenly confuses both the audience and her fellow actors by deviating from the proper script, and waxes poetic about global warming, clean energy and a "simpler" life."
I am paraphrasing, but the intensity and uncompromising zealotry of the new totalitarianism is frightening in its unashamed arrogance and moral posturing.
I sincerely wish I could remember the "public interest"" group which sponsored and prepared the commercial.
Sentient beings would naturally ponder the tiny step from there to the concept of another crime which has been perverted by the perverts themselves: Hate Crimes!
Did Dan Rather help write the bill?
I quit buying gas at Citgo when these shenanigans with Obama and Chavez started.
oh may we only suffer love crimes
I wonder why Chavez’s pals in Hollywood are so damn quiet now.
Mass protests anywhere?
I’m certain that Sean Penn and Kevin Spacey would volunteer to help discipline any deviant reporters...
Just watch his buddy Obama follow his lead by classifying all of O’s special government programs bent on subverting American freedom so that nothing can be revealed about them without facing a jail term.
Pat Robertson was RIGHT! 25 cents of a common industrial metal positioned properly years ago, would have saved everyone a lot of grief!
Obama would like to make a few changes, I'm sure, to our
Constitution.
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