“This bill requires the Office of Personnel Management to revise Standard Form 86 (Questionnaire for National Security Positions) to specifically include questions regarding an individual’s (1) affiliation with organizations or movements that spread conspiracy theories and false information about the U.S. government, and (2) participation in the activities that occurred at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, or in similar activities.”
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/353?s=7&r=1
Comment: “affiliation with organizations or movements that spread conspiracy theories and false information about the U.S. government” Wokism on the march. pl
Well, this is certainly another ominous development. Do conspiracy theories include the notion that the USA is an evil country founded on, and built by, racism? How about the idea that socialism is a great idea if capitalist just stopped interfering and let it work? Or how about more government is better and government is always wise, judicious and here to help the citizens?
It’s probably too much to hope for that belief in the TRUMP IS PUTIN’S PUPPET Conspiracy Theory will disqualify an applicant…
So sad this nonsense is actually being proposed.
I guess the guilt and consequences of stealing an election is truly scaring the D’s.
Who determines the criteria, the D’s or their Deep State allies or the State Media?
P.L., they are recommending that you “snitch” on others in the military if you think they are extremists.
The CCCP is getting a good return on their investments.
The related questions on the SF 86 now are:
Have you EVER been a member of an organization dedicated to the use of violence or force to overthrow the United States Government, and which engaged in activities to that end with an awareness of the organization’s dedication to that end or with the specific intent to further such activities?
Have you EVER knowingly engaged in activities designed to overthrow the U.S. Government by force?
Have you EVER associated with anyone involved in activities to further terrorism?
Unless those conspiracy theories directly involve the above, I see no place for asking someone about what conspiracy theories they may believe. If you believe all government officials are lizard people or that any particular group of Americans are truly horrible people, that’s your business. If you act on those beliefs and try to overthrow the government outside of all constitutional allowed methods, that’s a different story. You should not be granted a clearance and given a position of trust in the government. The real question though is who determines what is a conspiracy theory.
You missed my point, I’m a Republican so I am to blame for the Capital Hill incident?
I went to a Trump Rally, so all Trump rallies are dedicated to overthrowing the government?
The premise to vague to be enforce but, easy to manipulate against your enemies.
Cut the Deep State Budgets in half!!!
Do you truly believe you’re to blame for the failed Capitol insurrection simply because you are a Republican or went to Trump rallies? I don’t. Most of those who attended the Trump rally in DC on 6 January had nothing to do with the Capitol insurrection. Sure they wanted Trump to somehow remain in office, but they didn’t act on those wishes. They’ll stick to continued protest, calls for impeachment and removal and future elections, all well within existing laws and the Constitution.
TTG,
Most everyone at the Trump DC rally believed the election was stolen. I was not at the rally, but I believe was stolen.
So that belief would seem to meet the requirement.“affiliation with organizations or movements that spread conspiracy theories and false information about the U.S. government”
I also believe that the US led an illegal invasion of Iraq based on a conspiracy that peddled false information to the press and congress (WMD). Does that not meet the criteria?
I believe the US government spied on the Trump campaign and regularly spies on US citizens. Criteria met?
You deny all of the above? The US government never conspires?
And, like I said how about people that believe is systemic racism? How about those who think the US has conspired to practice crushing imperialism in Latin America. Both being popular lefty ideas, would such people be excluded from obtaining a clearance?
How about Bernie Sanders and his connections with the Soviets, Castro regime and other communists? I know congress critters don’t have clearances, but what about someone like him in the service or IC? If the problem is that serious perhaps there should be a law that applies to congress as well. Good thing Tulsi got out when she did after talking to Assad. What about Brennan? Should he have his clearance renewed? He did vote communist after all.
Just who do you imagine this Bill is aimed at? Which conspiracy theories? I think it would be me, wouldn’t you agree? Colonel Lang as well, no? What about people who know me who currently have a clearance? Should they deny the relationship? Renounce me?
What about would be whistle blowers in the military/IC?
Have you really thought this through?
If you have, how on earth are you OK with this?
Eric, what’s the organization or movement you belong to or are affiliated with that espouses all these beliefs? I believe a President tried to overturn an election that was certified by 50 state legislatures. I guess that could be considered a conspiracy theory. It certainly hasn’t been declared truth by the present USG. Of course I don’t belong to any organization that espouses this, so I can answer no to the proposed question.
Tulsi is still in the military. She transferred from the Hawaiian NG to an Army Reserve civil affairs unit in California. I don’t see how her actions and statements about Syria would run afoul of this question, either.
Still, those proposed questions are far too ambiguous for the SF-86. “Did you participate in the activities occurring at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021” is the only thing specific. What would “or any other similar activity” mean? Someone could interpret that to include any BLM protest or any protest against any USG action, law or policy. I doubt this bill would pass as written, even the specific part about 6 January at the Capitol which is the clear aim of the bill.
No, Mr. Newhill, all of those things are Established Science. Trust the Science!
Any other accounts are, however, Conspiracy Theories, and those espousing those doctrines will be held to account.
As Our Leader has unambiguously stated, “We believe in truth, not in facts”.
To quote the bill:
“(1) “Have you ever been a member of, associated with, or knowingly engaged in activities conducted by an organization or movement that spreads conspiracy theories and false information about the United States Government?”.”
I thank the Congresswoman for finally getting OPM to take on Fake News as well as Antifa, BLM and the FBI under Comey and Wray. I wonder if anyone is going to hold the latter accountable for all those lies under oath to Congress? Perhaps someone at OAN should ask her, or maybe Tucker, as the rest are as guilty as BlueAnon about the conduct of the US Govt.
Fred,
As others here have noted, 98% of the media and democrats should be excluded from obtaining a clearance based on the Russia collusion, Orange Man = Hitler and systemic racism conspiracy theories. But somehow I doubt those issues will be considered “conspiracies”. As JerseyJeffersonian points out, they are “established science”.
OTOH, thinking the 2020 election was stolen is, no doubt, a disqualifying conspiracy theory. For that matter doubting the “established science” on any topic is probably grounds for denial.
Mindless drones allowed only. The people will speak as one – and as they are told to. All else are enemies. We are dealing with some very stupid, dangerous, sick people in DC. They truly don’t seem to understand or care what America is supposed to be. I’m sure there are some good jokes in this. I just can’t think of them at the moment. This is just too awful.
And how would they even enforce this? So many military jobs outside of obvious intel roles, require a clearance that I’m sure the congress dummies haven’t thought of; communications, cartology, scout snipers, Artillery FOs.
Inmates are running the asylum.
This sounds more like 1984.
who defines what are “conspiracy theories”?
Remember the old saying attributed to Stalin, “It doesn’t matter who votes, but who counts the votes“? (And boy howdy, has that ever been hammered home.)
This is a sort of corollary to that; what really and truly matters is who decides what qualifies as a “conspiracy theory”. There’s a big club, and we ain’t in it, as George Carlin so succinctly put it.
The left just makes shit up. They are following Foucault in the notion that there is no “truth”, merely dueling power plays for dominance and control, the idea of objective reality be damned. If they think that they can get a leg over by blathering some BS, that is what they will do.
The real sick joke is why we waste all this money on background investigations when the government leaks secrets like a broken open dam.
Every day, there is a new leak and every once in a while a real serious security breach – all done by people with high security clearances, the swamp’s “best.”
“(1) affiliation with organizations or movements that spread … false information about the U.S. government”. That would seem to include all Congressional staffers, employees of the 17 intelligence agencies, and the US news media.
Eric Newhill
I was “debriefed” from about 50 compartments and SAPs above TS collateral when I resigned from the government. After 9/11 the government asked me to come back to do specific things for them. All the stuff I had been de-briefed from was restored in 24 hours. More kept being added until in 2015 i asked to be de-briefed from everything. I have not had a government security clearance since then and want none.
Sir,
Understood, but a man of your caliber, intelligence and integrity – always a rare breed anywhere; and assuming there still are any of that rare breed in the swamp – would be impacted. Would you serve under those conditions? Could you?
On a side note, one would imagine that the Democrats would be vulnerable themselves to this law, should the bill pass. However, they’re not because conservatives and libertarians won’t play that game. It is against their most fundamental principles. So it’s all upside for the lefties. I think they know it too.
That said, they want a military, federal law enforcement and IC full of party zombies and an organizational culture that eliminates all dissenting viewpoints. That’s how it’s going to bite them in the ass big time. I know that a strong push towards conformity/group think has always existed, but this seems like it’s more than that. Being an independent thinker may have been potentially career limiting in the past, but now it seems it may become career prohibiting and career terminating. Heck, it’s not even just being an independent thinker. It’s worse than that. It’s having integrity and speaking out when one needs to in order to keep the country secure and righteous. They’re going to drive the country off a cliff. Unfortunately we all go over the edge with them. These people are profound fools of the worst kind.
I also know I’m preaching to the Pope here.
Eric Newhill
I would not be able to serve in the forces of a police state. I mentioned all the clearances and access I had as illustrative of the past ability of the system to tolerate independent thinking.