So I don't usually comment too much on national issues but it seems lately like there are more and more that require some comment.
I was reading today that a U.S. Senate committee has approved a bill which would allow the President to shut down sections of the internet for up to 120 days without congressional approval or oversight. It is headed to the floor of the Senate for a vote but the timeline for the vote has not yet been scheduled. Sen. Joe Lieberman, who sits on the committee said this:
“Right now China, the government, can disconnect parts of its Internet in case of war and we need to have that here too.”
WHAT?!?
REALLY?!?
China is now the model for how we should act and how the government should treat it's citizens?
How is it we keep electing people who clearly do not understand our form of government and who have obviously forgotten that they only have power because the people allow them this power?
How have we gone so wrong?
I know so many questions, but we need to wake up and look at what is really going on. This truly is a scary scary bill that must be defeated.
I'm torn...
ReplyDeleteI can understand the need to control the flow of information in times of war. For that reason I think I would be in favor of this kind of a mechanism being made available.
On the other hand, I wonder where the line would be drawn - for example, would an event like a public riot be enough justification to disrupt internet access, or does it require a formal declaration of war by Congress?
In either case, I do not believe that emulating China is a wise move. The United States has been a world leader in many respects. Deciding now to take a back seat and let other countries drive does not seem wise, and it's unfortunate that we have a president who has no respect for America.
The United States IS a world leader - agreed.
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. should NOT follow in China's footsteps - agreed.
In addition, I don't believe any administration should hold the key to lock-down something like the internet.
Has any government official bothered to consult Al Gore? Afterall according to him, he "invented the internet." ...and global warming and the list goes on...
I'm dismayed by Leiberman's comment. I think these people need to spend more time in their home states - talking with the people they represent. Are they losing their grip on reality?
Bart???
ReplyDeleteWhy should the government ever have the right to control the flow of information? I don't care what kind of war we're in. I depend on the freedom of the press, ESPECIALLY in war. And if the government can't control the press, they definitely shouldn't be in control of the internet!
There is more to controlling the flow of information than freedom of the press. For example, if a soldier knows when and where his enemy will appear, that soldier has an advantage and the opportunity to set a trap, or avoid them entirely.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, in a hostage situation, the police turn off the telephone access to the building in an effort to control who the hostage taker can talk to. I would not be surprised to find that cell phone jammers are now part of the SWAT team toolkit as well.
In cases like these, it is very important for the legal and lawful government agencies (police, FBI, military) to control the flow of information in order to lead to the best possible outcome. It is situations like these where I would support the ability to shut down internet access / cell phone service / land-lines and so on.
In no case do I believe that any government agency should have the right to censorship of the news media, or the power to dictate the news stories that can be printed. The ability to disrupt local communications should also be limited to a short period of time so that one incident cannot cause a shutdown indefinitely.