Author Topic: Government considering shutting down the internet?? (Read 13561 times)

HughStoneIan · « **on:** May 01, 2009, 12:23 »

This isn't just for US citizens, unfortunately:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCkCWxv3kUE&feature=related" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCkCWxv3kUE&feature=related</a>

It appears these Senate bills are being introduced as a means of ensuring "national security" by regulating or drastically curtailing private use of the internet. Perhaps just a false alarm, blowing smoke. I hope so.

Dreamframer · « **Reply #1 on:** May 01, 2009, 12:33 »

A??? WHAT!!??

goldenangel · « **Reply #2 on:** May 01, 2009, 12:44 »

I hope ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) knows about this.

sharpshot · « **Reply #3 on:** May 01, 2009, 12:49 »

I can't take this seriously. There might be a problem but the solution wont be to close down the internet. Too many businesses rely on the internet now and who is going to make them bankrupt in an economic downturn?

epantha · « **Reply #4 on:** May 01, 2009, 12:50 »

And then they woke up

goldenangel · « **Reply #5 on:** May 01, 2009, 12:59 »

The bills are indeed introduced:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:S.778:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:S.773:

lisafx · « **Reply #6 on:** May 01, 2009, 13:18 »

Does anyone really believe that in a global recession the US gov't is going to shut down the main engine of commerce for the country? Ridiculous.

I just watched the youtube link and it was discussing options about cyber security, NOT shutting off the internet. If you want to get your fill of wack-job paranoia for the day try reading the comments posted under the video.

Thanks for a good laugh Hugh!

goldenangel · « **Reply #7 on:** May 01, 2009, 13:33 »

The bill only has 3 co-sponsors so i don't think it's that serious. However, one of the sentences from the bill says:

"The President--
...
(2) may declare a cybersecurity emergency and order the limitation or shutdown of Internet traffic to and from any compromised Federal Government or United States critical infrastructure information system or network;"

Although I believe, he doesn't need this bill to do that anyway.

Any further regulation of internet can only lead to greater government control.

lisafx · « **Reply #8 on:** May 01, 2009, 13:39 »

Quote from: goldenangel on May 01, 2009, 13:33

However, one of the sentences from the bill says:

"The President--
...
(2) may declare a cybersecurity emergency and order the limitation or shutdown of Internet traffic to and from any compromised Federal Government or United States critical infrastructure information system or network;"

Translation: In the case of an emergency if the Pentagon or some other government agency is targeted by cyber terrorism the president can temporarily shut off internet traffic to that agency.

melastmohican · « **Reply #9 on:** May 01, 2009, 13:44 »

When I read this subject I though I killed internet but uploading too many crappy pictures to too many agencies. Thank God we can blame government for that :-)

goldenangel · « **Reply #10 on:** May 01, 2009, 13:56 »

Lisa,

I'm not much fun of conspiracy theories and I don't think the bill has any serious chance of being considered.
Just for the sake of argument, I believe "United States critical infrastructure information system or network" could be interpreted as any internet backbone.

m@m · « **Reply #11 on:** May 01, 2009, 13:58 »

BEWARE!!!...Big brother will be watching closely for bad microstock photos on the internet!!!

...lol

Dreamframer · « **Reply #12 on:** May 01, 2009, 13:59 »

I WILL KILL THEM IF THEY DO THAT!

karensuki · « **Reply #13 on:** May 01, 2009, 14:22 »

Just imagine the mass exodus of internet junkies leaving the US... It would take care of any over population problem... I think I would go to Canada though it might be too cold for my hubby in the winter...

batman · « **Reply #14 on:** May 01, 2009, 16:04 »

If you consider that internet originally invented and used by the US military, way before any of us knew about it, then I suppose the government do have the clout to take it back. Geesh, what are we all going to do? I guess we will have to spend more time at the local watching football again

stockastic · « **Reply #15 on:** May 01, 2009, 16:19 »

Rockefeller makes some valid though rather obvious points. Increased regulation of "the internet" - however you define that term today - is inevitable. But most of these politicians have such a limited understanding of the issue that they're not likely to accomplish much. Any bills they pass will be impossible to implement, or completely ineffective. No one is going to stop commerce on the internet. Given the lobbying money that would be deployed against you, you might as well lay down in front of a freight train.

goldenangel · « **Reply #16 on:** May 01, 2009, 16:55 »

Quote from: stockastic on May 01, 2009, 16:19

Rockefeller makes some valid though rather obvious points. Increased regulation of "the internet" - however you define that term today - is inevitable. But most of these politicians have such a limited understanding of the issue that they're not likely to accomplish much. Any bills they pass will be impossible to implement, or completely ineffective. No one is going to stop commerce on the internet. Given the lobbying money that would be deployed against you, you might as well lay down in front of a freight train.

I agree. Amazon is presently lobbying big to stop the state of New York from collecting sales taxes on internet purchases from out of state.

madelaide · « **Reply #17 on:** May 01, 2009, 17:49 »

April's Fool?

Dreamframer · « **Reply #18 on:** May 01, 2009, 18:18 »

Quote from: madelaide on May 01, 2009, 17:49

April's Fool?

Aha

just a little too late

OM · « **Reply #19 on:** May 01, 2009, 19:16 »

Quote from: HughStoneIan on May 01, 2009, 12:23

This isn't just for US citizens, unfortunately:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCkCWxv3kUE&feature=related

It appears these Senate bills are being introduced as a means of ensuring "national security" by regulating or drastically curtailing private use of the internet. Perhaps just a false alarm, blowing smoke. I hope so.

Typical US Senator bumbling moron..........the guy is just incoherent from start to finish. Probably doesn't even know how to use a puter.
Sure, shut down the internet.........saves inventing a time machine to take a peek at life in the Middle Ages.

null · « **Reply #20 on:** May 01, 2009, 19:17 »

It all started with steam engines and evolution generating creationists. People should never have been evolved from trilobites : it was all so peaceful there when we relaxed as limestone on the bottom of Pangea.

batman · « **Reply #21 on:** May 01, 2009, 19:25 »

Quote from: FlemishDreams on May 01, 2009, 19:17

It all started with steam engines and evolution generating creationists. People should never have been evolved from trilobites : it was all so peaceful there when we relaxed as limestone on the bottom of Pangea.

Yup, and caves are cool too, lots of high ceilings to hang upside down , so much better than yoga or anything you pay to learn today . Life was certainly so much better before heating bills, tax returns,
and bloody electricity

But seriously, I think all this is hot air. Remember those of you who are from Canada, your govt introduced Income Tax to finance WW2, and said it was going to be repealed when peace came. Seems like your Revenue Canada still believes WW2 is never going to cease

null · « **Reply #22 on:** May 01, 2009, 19:31 »

Quote from: batman on May 01, 2009, 19:25

Life was certainly so much better before heating bills, tax returns, and bloody electricity

Don't forget poverty and hunger. Everywhere they eradicated that, people have to spend fortunes on dieting aids, props, pills and waiste (pun intended) time on that tiring boring exercise and working-out thing.

batman · « **Reply #23 on:** May 01, 2009, 19:41 »

Quote from: FlemishDreams on May 01, 2009, 19:31

Quote from: batman on May 01, 2009, 19:25
Life was certainly so much better before heating bills, tax returns, and bloody electricity

Don't forget poverty and hunger. Everywhere they eradicated that, people have to spend fortunes on dieting aids, props, pills and waiste (pun intended) time on that tiring boring exercise and working-out thing.

Oh don't get me started with hunger and poverty FlemishDreams. Here's the grand irony...
in 3rd world they can't even find a bowl of rice to eat, here we have models and anorexics starving themselves to look as skinny as them over there BY CHOICE. Poverty? How about the rich folks paying for dieting programs to starve themselves, getting slimmer is driving them to poverty as well. lol.
Hey FD, good to know you're still alive and kicking and still liking it here at Tyler's CHeers

I thought you decided to quit on us to do male porn

null · « **Reply #24 on:** May 01, 2009, 19:47 »

Quote from: batman on May 01, 2009, 19:41

Hey FD, good to know you're still alive and kicking and still liking it here at Tyler's CHeers I thought you decided to quit on us to do male porn

Female porn is a bigger market. But for the adult market, you need a different brand, I have been told. batmandelights dot com is still free

batman · « **Reply #25 on:** May 01, 2009, 20:08 »

Quote from: FlemishDreams on May 01, 2009, 19:47

Female porn is a bigger market. But for the adult market, you need a different brand, I have been told. batmandelights dot com is still free

ROFL,thx but no thx, I'm already registered with spandX_BATfetish.com

chasmcn · « **Reply #26 on:** May 03, 2009, 01:48 »

is this the bill in question i see its dated april 1st lol april fools day http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s111-773

Gregor909 · « **Reply #27 on:** May 03, 2009, 13:08 »

Must be a joke. This is total nonsense!
The world economy will collapse without internet!

Like they will shut down traffic.
There's too much accidents, transportation, distribution of illegal drugs and other criminal activities on the roads.

We'll have to shut down traffic, so everybody needs to sell their cars ( who buys them?) and travel by train or plane.

Yeahhh right!

eppic · « **Reply #28 on:** May 03, 2009, 15:19 »

Ah yet another reason (as though I needed one) not to live in the U.S.!

Quote

I think I would go to Canada though it might be too cold for my hubby in the winter...

All depends on where in Canada you are talking about. The west coast where I live has a similar climate to that of Seattle.

Magnum · « **Reply #29 on:** May 03, 2009, 15:24 »

That would save me a lot of time I could spend on real things. Come over to my place for barbecue and a few or more beers

Gregor909 · « **Reply #30 on:** May 03, 2009, 15:32 »

Quote from: Magnum on May 03, 2009, 15:24

That would save me a lot of time I could spend on real things. Come over to my place for barbecue and a few or more beers

That sounds great. But how will I find your place without google maps?

Magnum · « **Reply #31 on:** May 03, 2009, 16:00 »

Google " starmaps" maybe

mattb · « **Reply #32 on:** May 04, 2009, 08:40 »

If you read the entire bill, it's actually not bad. Sure it could be abused, but so can existing laws. The US internet infrastructure is woefully protected and it wouldn't take much to reek havoc on our entire infrastructure. Think about it, everything is wired these days, power grids, traffic control systems, phone systems and just about everything else that makes the country run.

I'd bet that many of our Representatives probably couldn't even turn on a computer(John McCain comes to mind) let alone understand a cyber security bill but I'm glad someone is at least trying to address the issue.

That's just my 2c.

karensuki · « **Reply #33 on:** May 04, 2009, 10:53 »

Quote from: eppic on May 03, 2009, 15:19

Ah yet another reason (as though I needed one) not to live in the U.S.!

Quote
I think I would go to Canada though it might be too cold for my hubby in the winter...
All depends on where in Canada you are talking about. The west coast where I live has a similar climate to that of Seattle.

Aaah well that is just up the coast from me... The bright side would be more snowball fights with the kids...

Let us not forget that we have the first president that knows how to broadcast on the internet... He knows the ins and outs and as far as I know, congress still hasn't taken the veto power away from the prez.

RacePhoto · « **Reply #34 on:** May 05, 2009, 12:07 »

Quote from: madelaide on May 01, 2009, 17:49

April's Fool?

Close, the draft says March 31st on it.

Nope, just the usual "sky is falling" twisting of the facts by the politically obsessed.

You can guess who is stumping for this side of the fear mongering. "In a few short months, President Obama and a Democrat Congress have changed the Face of America and quickly contributing to the Demise of America." Hmm, can't blame Bush for this one!

Read the bills below:

To ensure the continued free flow of commerce within the United States
and with its global trading partners through secure cyber communications,
to provide for the continued development and exploitation of the
Internet and intranet communications for such purposes, to provide for
the development of a cadre of information technology specialists to improve
and maintain effective cyber security defenses against disruption,
and for other purposes.

http://cdt.org/security/CYBERSEC4.pdf

How's this for catch phrases and cheapness.

Quote

“If we fail to take swift action, we, regrettably, risk a cyber-Katrina.”

Oh, a cyber Katrina, I'm afraid.

Why don't they call it cyber-gate since the whole meaning to calling everything "gate" has been lost and it was dumb to start with. Where's Barney Fife when we need him to help us

Nip It In The Bud!

Yes, they work if self hosted, don't work if uploaded. That was easy.

Alas Alas it's Elmer T Bass.