Bachmann Compares Census To WWII Internment Camps

You know, with each passing day, I grow worried that future generations will walk this earth completely unaware of the delicate and brilliant grasp of politics and American history that Michele Bachmann has wielded in her lifetime. Luckily, people like TPM's Eric Kleefield are here to chronicle her exploits, so that the alien marauders, picking through our civilizations' remains, will not have to struggle to figure out what became of us. They shall look upon her great works, on the internet, and think: "Jesus, no wonder this planet is such a craphole."

So, as you may know, Michele Bachmann is a heroic dissident vowing to not fill out her Census form, because of the involvement of ACORN, mankind's most horrific cryptofascists. By not filling out her form completely, she risks losing everything, provided "everything" means $5,000. Truly, Bachmann is our version of the Iranian protesters, so why haven't you changed your Twitter avatar to the color of crazy? It's because you are a monster, that's why.

But Bachmann's about to drop some SCIENCE on you ignorant mofeaux, right about now! Watch, and tremble!

[WATCH]

"Take this into consideration. If we look at American history, between 1942 and 1947, the data that was collected by the Census Bureau was handed over to the FBI and other organizations at the request of President Roosevelt, and that's how the Japanese were rounded up and put into the internment camps ... I'm not saying that that's what the Administration is planning to do, but I am saying that private personal information that was given to the Census Bureau in the 1940s was used against Americans to round them up, in a violation of their constitutional rights, and put the Japanese in internment camps."

Well, I think that all of you who've been planning to imprison Michele Bachmann in a Japanese internment camp on the order of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had better think again!

RELATED:
Bachmann Warns Of "Re-Education Camps" For Young People [TPM]

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Comments

[J-Rome]

Michelle Brickhead is the personification of insanity.

[ThosC747]

She's lying. Plain and simple.

The census (presumably the census conducted in 1940) was not used to round anyone up and she should be challenged to show her proof that it was. Where are the journalists these days? Do they have no time to investigate these stupid claims?

Census records are sealed for 72 years to protect privacy. The most recent data publicly available is 1930. The 1940 census has still not been released. Genealogists (like me) are eagerly awaiting the release sometime after 2012.

There was no order issued that allowed the military to use census records to round up Japanese.

She needs a fact jackal that can counter her every time she appears on television.

[wsthirtyboy]

i don't know about all that WW2 stuff. I do like the basic idea of providing the basic number, but why so much other info? Invasion of Privacy? Big Brother? am I parnoid?

[huffyfan2]

She's an extra crispy bunch of freakyness.

[Willow207]

Michelle Bachman and Sarah Palin

Opposite ends of the same coin........A Bad Penny!

[J-Rome]

That's great! LOL!

[QuietAmerican]

CRAZY AS A LOON IS MICHELE BACHMANN.

In centuries past, she would be the well-kept secret of the family. 'Nuff said.

[AmandaSabater]

call me crazy, but this time I agree with her on one thing, why do they need to know more than the number of people living in a house????
The Founding Fathers mandated an enumerative census (meaning it's sole purpose is to count heads) in order to ensure proper taxes and representation among the several states. Over the years, and especially since the New Deal, Congress has expanded the federal government at a rate the Founders could never have imagined. To sustain that expansion, not only does Congress need numbers for taxes and representation, it also needs detailed personal information in order to fund favored groups. Handing over this information does not benefit most Americans and, it can seriously harm them. It also likely violates Americans' constitutional right to privacy. Nevertheless, the government position currently is that, if Americans don't hand over this information, they can be fined significant sums of money. Some of the information could be used to discriminate and hurt minorities.

[vim876]

Actually, the increase in Federal power was probably biggest during and immediately following the Civil War. You know,'cause the Feds won. To try to put the genie back in the bottle now is a fruitless endeavor. Besides, how would they know which policies best serve people without demographic info? As a social scientist, I would argue that census data (disconnected from individual identity, of course) is one of the most important tools we have in finding out whether policies have worked or not. For instance, if I want to figure out whether employment in the homes of southern African Americans has gone up in response to a plan that has been implemented, I could use the census numbers. Or if I want to know how many voters there are in a district, rather than how many people (for example: I need to order ballots for an election), I can extrapolate recent census data. While there are other sources of data, like the General Social Survey, none has the history, depth, and neutrality of the census.

[QuietAmerican]

Okay -- you crazy.

[Gover]

Just because the Constitution mandates a head count, doesn't mean it bans a more detailed Census. Show me the part of the Constitution where it says that collecting the information currently collected in the census is not allowed.

The information collected is invaluable to policy makers.

Besides, it's not like in the age of the massive information available on the net that you have any real privacy. I mean, you appear to be using your real name as your handle.

How long do you think it would take me to pay some database miners 20 bucks to find out everything about you?

[madisonhack]

"How long do you think it would take me to pay some database miners 20 bucks to find out everything about you?"

That is exactly what is wrong with this method of data collection...it isn't secure. States routinely sell private information to all kinds of commercial interests, information that originates at places like the WI State Department of Transportation.

I'm not a conspiracy freak, but I'm wary of this much intrusion as well.

[JScott]

And yet you can bet Michelle will freely fill out a credit card applications (hey I'm a Congress Member give me a high limit dammit'), mortgage application (yup approve my mortgage and I'll be sure to vote for your bailout) etc. disclosing even MORE information that the census bureau would ever use. I'd say it's pretty hypocritical.

[Professor73]

I really have to agree with the Congresswoman. However, I would take it one step up the ladder. The only people that should be counted are documented American citizens. I don't care if you have just crossed the Canadian border or have been in the US on a visa for several years.

The primary purpose of the census is to balance our congressional districts throughout the nation. To count those that can not legally vote is wrong.

[vim876]

Why? The founders did it. Slaves couldn't vote, and they were politically worth 3/5 of a person. Women couldn't vote, and they counted as whole persons.

[offred]

Don't blame all Minnesotans for Bachmann. She's a representative for just one district and a major embarrassment to most Minnesotans. Minnesota's a great state; we've just been hijacked by some Grover Norquist worshipper­s/lovers/z­ombie bots.

And don't blame Minnesotans for the Senatorial electoral lawsuit. The majority of Minnesotans want Coleman to acknowledge that he's lost the election. We want our second senator in Washington, D.C. Senator Franken is being deprived of working for Minnesotans because Coleman is mean-spirited, small-minded, and in desperate financial and legal trouble. (Coleman has refinanced his house 14 times, just the kind of great economic mind we want in the Senate--NOT! Also, a friend of his is being investigated by the FBI for routing a big check to Coleman's wife for services rendered, which looks like an indirect payment to Norm. Right now, Coleman is receiving a paycheck from a Republican party-affiliated lobbying group called the Republican Jewish Consortium. Anything to keep that 60th DemocratIC vote out of the Senate.)

As for Governor Pawlenty (Mr. Doesn't Play Well with Others), he saw that the only way to continue providing basic services was to raise taxes. He announced he wasn't running for governor again, and then days later flounced out saying that HE'D balance the state budget, by unallotting--or gutting--services for the state. He's left the state in a black hole to be salvaged by the next governor. Meanwhile, he's one of the Republican Party's rising stars.

[KLordsha]

And in other news about crazy talk from someone nobody cares about...

[zanzig]

I do wonder why America needs names on the Census. The Australian Census asks all these questions and more, but they are anonymous, save for the address (which under legislation cannot be published ANYWHERE)

[expatstudent]

You fill out much more personal information when you file your taxes. This is absurd. This fear of government.

The census is used to distribute, among other things, congressional seats. This will not favor republicans right now. This contributes to the paranoia that is fueling the actions of right wing terrorists.

How could Minnesota elect this woman? I've hear good things about that state. Then again, I'm Western Pennsylvania and we elected Rick Santorum. :(

[Mustang Sally]

It's one bizzare reichwing district that elected her. The rest of the state thinks she is batsh*t insane.

[PresidentRobertBooth]

Bachmann should talk to regular FOX News contributor Michelle Maglalang Malkin who happy defends Japanese internment.

[OlongapoEd]

As I noted below, those on the r!ght will not hesitate to have it both ways if they think they can get away with it.

[Mustang Sally]

Yes, a visa baby... She should talk.

[Mustang Sally]

I'll bet she makes "Psych0 Ta|k" tonight on The Ed Show! She belongs in the Hall of Fame (or would that be "sh@me"?) of psych0-talkers.