So what.
As an IT pro for 20+ years I call BS on this hysterical overreaction.
It’s a crappy and ridiculous proposed bill that is badly framed, incoherent as policy, and nearly impossible in practice.
But some minor pieces of it are already de facto standards (e.g., that contractors have certain IT certifications).
The notion that any single person could shut-down or “control” the Internet is absolutely ridiculous. I don’t know why people like Beck and Rush are propagating this nonsense.
Even if it was technically possible to “shut down the Internet” - and it most assuredly IS NOT POSSIBLE - the global social, economic, and political ramifications are so profound that any “person” who chose to do so would themselves impeached, ejected, and in the literal gutter within not days but hours.
Doesn’t China have this control today?
This is important because, even if it didn't work, explains the total communists control that King Obama is placing in America. It is the theory of kicking your a@@ into slavery.
This is why I don't want ANY government involvement in health care. We have seen their end-game (H.R. 3200) and it is scary. Any watered down version is just a stepping stone to incrementally implement the "end game" of total government control of our lives.
As a computer science graduate, I’m not as quick to say it’s not technically possible. Most anything in the world of software is possible, but I suspect it wouldn’t so much be a magic piece of software, but more of the federal government exerting influence over the major backbone providers. The government has a long history of enslaving business to do its bidding. Sure they may not be able to throw a switch and instantly block all Americans from all TCP/IP communication, but they could tamper with major data paths which could dramatically bog down the Internet or prevent access to certain/many websites all together.
Having said that, It’s not politically likely they could get away with it. Still disturbing that there would even be such talk.
Wouldn’t this bill give the power to shut down targeted internet websites and networks?
For example, they succeed through the FCC in shutting down conservative over the airways talkshows but Rush and other use webcasts instead. Sounds to me that it could be stopped along with Free Republic, etc.
Also you are a businessman like Michael Dell who does a lot of their business through the internet. Obama asks the businessman to support him or his policies or else his access to the internet can be cut off in the name of cybersecurity.