Egypt's example should kill ''internet kill switch'' bill in US

[yurbud]

Sen. Joe Lieberman and Sen. Susan Collins have reintroduced a bill to set up an internet kill switch that can be activated by the president in the case of a cyber emergency, supposedly by terrorists or China or something.

Egypt has pulled just such a switch in the face of growing demonstrations to overthrow the Mubarak regime.

We should learn two things from Egypt's example:

1. The kill switch is more likely to be used to kill domestic dissent, which is exactly how it's being used in Egypt. If they were really worried about certain government or industry users, they could simply call them up and tell them to pull the ethernet cable or wifi card out of their computers--it ain't rocket science.
   
   More importantly though:
   
   
2. The kill switch doesn't work. The leader who pulls it admits that he is a coward afraid of his own people having access to information and access to each other. Those who propose such a switch in the United States or elsewhere have contempt for democracy and even if elected, serve the very wealthy who need protection from democracy not the rest of us.

Instead of looking for ways to silence dissent and keep up the embarrassing kibuki pretense of democracy, where we can vote all we want so long as the wealth of the very wealthy remains untouched and their crimes go unpunished, our government should be looking for ways to sync their words with reality instead of PR tested talking points and sync their policies with the common good instead of using public office to line up their next job as a lobbyist, CEO, or board member for the companies they served while in office (or if they are president, the more circuitous bribes of speaking fees and donations to their foundations and presidential libraries).

If Washington doesn't learn the lesson of Egypt and serve the massive middle and working class instead of the miniscule moneyed class, a lot of DC politicians will be joining Hosni Mubarak on whatever desolate rock where he lives out his sorry life.

[neverforget]

1. Gamers and the Porn industry would be pissed

[Forkboy]

2. Never piss off anyone wielding a BFG 9000!

:scared:

[Jamastiene]

8. Or a Venus 2000.

:wow:

[DJ13]

6. I would have to step outside and

..... shake my joystick in anger!

:freak:

[yurbud]

11. it's the quickest way to get the apathetic in the streets protesting.

[Forkboy]

3. K&R

[eleny]

4. You've got it

Oppressed people deprived of the net aren't going to just stay home sitting on their hands. They wouldn't even need a mimeograph machine. They'd just open their doors and pour out.

[yurbud]

12. it's a recipe for instant activism

[neverforget]

5. A "kill switch" is a stupid idea but I would'nt expect anything less from

Senator Droopy Dog.

[IDemo]

7. Perhaps this would convince them it's not a good idea:

Net-less Egypt may face economic doom Monday

By Wilson Rothman

Egypt's government must return Internet access to the country by Monday or perhaps suffer massive economic damage, as banks and other economic institutions return to work without the ability to conduct commerce.

It's currently the weekend in Egypt, which means the government's decision to block all Internet traffic in response to protests may seem to many of the nation's 84 million inhabitants as more of an inconvenience than cataclysm.

"If you go beyond the weekend, real damage is done to capital flow and banking," Neil Hicks, international policy analyst for Human Rights First told msnbc.com, citing a report from the Economist Intelligence Unit. Egypt is part of the world's financial infrastructure, he said. "That's probably why most governments don't do this — it hurts the state and hurts the economy."

Not only would it impact government holdings, but it's sure to hit those investors, businesses and middle-class citizens who may support the status quo of the Mubarak administration.

http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/01/28/5942650-net-less-egypt-may-face-economic-doom-monday

[Fumesucker]

9. I've had that conversation with a family member when he mentioned the "kill switch"..

Our economy is tightly wrapped up with the internet these days, we couldn't even get food to the grocery stores without it any more.

Any government that shuts down the internet for more than a few hours in the USA is bringing on a huge economic and humanitarian catastrophe and most likely its own doom.

[Jamastiene]

10. Hey, Congress: $$$

Now, that I have your attention: Read the post above.

You don't want to vote for any internet kill switch in the US. Trust us. $$$ is at stake.

Think they'll hear us now? :hopeful: