Imagine, if you will, an Internet surveillance grid of the future that includes an Internet ID system, Internet licenses, Internet blacklists, an Internet taxation system, giant firewalls used as a blockade to information, etc. Imagine biometric gate-keeping sensors that control and watch everything you do on the Internet. Imagine being accountable and responsible to the Big Brother Internet. This might sound far out, but that's what DARPA had in mind when they created the Internet. Now, they just need the legislation in place to make it happen. What's more is that the same tech corporations that claim they believe in an open Internet and online freedom--Facebook (who overtly supports CISPA) Google, Yahoo, etc.-- will aid and abet the government when it comes time to install these restrictions. However, the powers that be, know that in order to accomplish this goal, they must gradually increase the heat on the proverbial pot of water, rather than switch it to boil right away.
Which brings us to the latest State of the Union address, where President Obama said he signed an executive order to strengthen the nation's cyber defenses by increasing information sharing and by developing standards to protect our national security, our jobs and our privacy. Sure, on the surface, that sounds good, because, of course, our national security infrastructure should be protected. But, guess what? It already is. I mean, do you really think our national security infrastructure is available online...on the same Internet, we the people, surf? Hell no! So what is this CISPA (Cyber Intelligence Sharing Protection Act) legislation the Obama administration claims must be passed to secure our networks and prevent attacks? Well, it basically provides a framework of legal authority to, for example, give the "trustworthy" corporations, immunity from their actions. In fact, the text of this legislation states that private information may be shared "notwithstanding any other provision of law."
You know, provisions of law like the the Fourth amendment.
Anyway, the very next day, after the State of the Union address, Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, along with other members of Congress resubmitted CISPA--a rehashed version that has not been released yet. Yes, the one that failed to reach the Senate during the last Capitol Hill session. The problem is that the language of this bill is so vague and so broad that once this framework is put in place, the potential to destroy our civil liberties--yes, even more than they've already been destroyed--is boundless, possibly resulting--at some time in the future-- in the aforementioned scenario.
As President Obama told us, he has already signed the executive order to lay the groundwork for the cooperation between the private and the public sectors, which like I said before, gives full immunity to the private sector, so if the private sector uses your information for whatever reason, you cannot sue them. And it's not just the government that has an interest in eliminating what's left of "freedom" on the Internet. The large corporations want to control what information is allowed to flow on the internet as well. They too don't want disgruntled consumers, dissenting opinions, whistle blowers, and fact checkers alerting the public of their nefarious activities. The bottom line is this bill is not about security, this is all about the wealthy and powerful struggling to maintain the status quo, to maintain their place of privilege and authority in a world that, given enough freedom, could severely threaten and/or undermine their sense of entitlement and position of great advantage.
"Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee which frameth mischief by a law." -- Psalm 94:20
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