This is unbelievable. A group is targeting blogs it doesn't like by buying them up -- I guess in the hope that buying a site stops the site's author from continuing to blog anywhere else.

While some of the commenters to the above post think it's an April Fools joke, I'll treat it as serious enough to at least warrant comment, because the whole thing smacks of censorship.

Yes, I did say censorship. The people who bought it state their goal clearly and unequivocally:

Little Green Footballs in particular seems to be dedicated to promoting hatred of the Palestinian people. We view their comments about martyred activist Rachael Corrie to be shocking, and we are investigating our legal options against them. Furthermore, the foul language and racism expressed at the "Rottweiler" site clearly falls into the category of "religious intolerance." We are in the process of working with the hosting companies of both websites to have them taken down permanently.....

(C) 2004, Progressives United and MoveOn.Org

(Through Winds of Change, via InstaPundit.)

"working with the hosting companies of both websites to have them taken down permanently"????

I'd like to see 'em doing it!

There's a little problem called the First Amendment.

The whole thing would be laughable, but I read through their site several times, and I don't think they're joking.

That doesn't mean they don't deserve laughter, though. As long as we still have the First Amendment, what they are doing constitutes comedy.

And maybe I've been around a bit too long and have grown cynical, but the official platform of Progressives United's World Policy Forum strikes me as comedy -- almost of the high camp variety:

1) President Bush must apologize to the United Nations for the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq.

2) President Bush must accept whatever punishment the world deems appropriate. The punishment will be determined by the United Nations, The World Court, and The World Policy Forum.

3) America's war on Iraq was illegal. It is therefore our belief that Saddam Hussein is still the legitimate ruler of Iraq. He must be returned to power (and all coalition troops must be withdrawn) effective immediately.

4) The war in Afghanistan was also illegal. We demand that the United States locates Mullah Omar and returns him to his rightful place as the leader of Afghanistan's governing body (the Taliban). If Osama bin Laden is located, he will be tried by the World Court for whatever crimes he is alleged to have committed.

5) Hamid Karzai, the current "President" of Afghanistan will be removed from power, but will not suffer any punishment, as he was forced into the presidency by the United States.

Our five-point plan is currently being proposed to the United Nations, and it will be voted on next week. If America does not comply, we will petition the United Nations to freeze all American assets around the world until such time as President Bush decides to follow international law. Please write your Senator or Congressman and urge them to support our proposal.

(C) 2004, Progressives United and MoveOn.Org

Or am I a fool for even being so gullible as to take any of this seriously?

I think so!

QUESTION: Does MoveOn.Org think the prank was funny? So far, their web site remains mum.

UPDATE: Perhaps I spoke too fast there. Misha is taking this very seriously, and denies that it is an April Fools prank.

Yes, I know that it's been mentioned that it's just an April Fool's joke, and I'd have thought the same thing if it hadn't been for the fact that I know Cooper quite well and we'd been writing back and forth for quite some time. So I remember only too well the offer he got in February, because he forwarded a copy to me, wanting my opinion on whether or not it looked like a hoax.

It seemed to check out just fine, though, and they seemed sincere, which we found hilarious at the time. Heck, I even joked about sending them an offer myself, just to see how far I could push them before telling them what utter morons they were to even THINK that I'd sell out.

So anyways, the offer was real, and caused much merriment. Looking back, I wouldn't have been laughing quite as loudly if I'd known that the greedy bastard would actually take them up on it and sell, but the thought never crossed my mind. I mistakenly thought that Cooper had principles.

Well, color me edumacated, because it turned out that Cooper's "principles" were, indeed, for sale to the highest bidder. No, I don't give a shit about the money, there are some things that you simply do not do, and this is one of them.

Decide to stop blogging because you're sick of it, hand over the site to somebody else willing to carry the torch on or shut it down entirely, all of that is acceptable, if sad, but you do NOT sell off traffic that I've helped generate to a bunch of commie clusterfucks and you do NOT set a precedent encouraging more such sellouts.

We can't ever hope to win against the sick bastards who hate our country and the principles it was founded upon if we fold up our tents every time some of them start waving their sugar daddy's money around. If that's all it takes to take one of our sites down, then I have little hope for the future of us all.

Is that Cooper guy really a double agent hoping he can hide behind April Fools?

(Wow! A HUGE thunderclap struck right after I wrote those last words. Thor must be sore!)