The FBI's "Obscenity Task Force" has begun its fascist war on freedom of speech, the right to privacy and adult consent on behalf of Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, and more profoundly on behalf of the Christian Right minority dictating the preznit's policy.
What den of eniquity have they decided to issue ultimatums to?
suicidegirls.com, the completely discretionary
pay site which, IMO, leans more heavily towards erotica than pr0n.
"Olivia", Suicide Girls Site Developer:
I just wanted to let you know that, thanks to the "War on Porn," SG will be taking down a bunch of photosets and individual photos today.? Even the FBI agents paid to surf for porn find this ridiculous, but apparently sending people to jail for pictures of two consenting adults enjoying a little rope bondage is more fucking important than.... I dunno, pick any one of the million of better causes out there that the government could be focusing on.? So, I apologise heartily for having to do this, both to the SuicideGirls whose art is being fucked over and the members who are being treated like babies, but we really don't want to get shut down and sent to jail. As soon as legally possible, the photosets and pictures about to be taken down will come back. Until then, bid a fond farewell to your favourite blood-bathing beauties, rope-bound babes, and handcuffed honeys. Apparently they've no place in today's society (emphasis mine.)
Any content containing blood (fake), animals (innoccuous) or bondage (Ashcroft!?) have been ordered removed from the site - regardless of context - under the threat of denial of service for the privately run site and, yes, JAIL. In this case the order apparently includes a "photo set" in which a squirrel wandered in to the staging area and ended up in a photograph, a "photo set" containing fake blood and one containing your average handcuff chicanery.
WAPO:
Public corruption, officially, is fourth on the FBI's priority list, after protecting the United States from terrorist attack, foreign espionage and cyber-based attacks. Just below those priorities are civil rights, organized crime, white-collar crime and "significant violent crime." The guidance from headquarters does not mention where pornography fits in (emphasis mine.) : Link to WAPO article
So, the fact that two sequential natural disasters have inarguably left the country more vulnerable to terrorist activity, policing of immigration, more natural disasters and a potentially devastating loss of focus on behalf of the preznit and his administration, Gonzalez is relegating ten invaluable FBI agents, who's skills could and should be used more effectively elsewhere, to the practice of preventing consenting adults from paying for their chosen entertainment in the privacy of their own homes.
I have no idea whether any of you are familiar with Suicide Girls, but believe it or not an informed, responsible, poltically aware community has been developed there, and there are in-depth discussions in their forums - for members, a group of which my girlfriend is a part - on a daily basis critically analyzing a wide variety of political issues. I'm not here to sing any praises on their behalf, but this is a disturbing sign of things to come.
Even in the face of issues far more important, the preznit and his administration are compelled to continue their pandering payback to the sick, twisted, dillusionally moral Christian right. This is a gross misallocation of resources, and I have officially had it with these abortion-clinic-bombing, snake-charming fuckwads.
Below is an example of what they are replacing the removed images with: