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Kill The Internet 'Kill Switch'
IBD Editorials ^ | January 31, 2011 | Staff

Posted on 01/31/2011 5:30:46 PM PST by Kaslin

Censorship: Virtually the first thing an authoritative Egyptian government did to quell dissent was to shut down its Internet. So why are we debating a bill to give our government the same power?

In George Orwell's classic "1984," the control of information and its flow was critical to Big Brother's maintaining his grip on the people and manipulating their passions. Authoritarian governments and dictators worldwide know that lesson well.

The ability to see how others live and to exchange ideas is a catalyst to dissent and unrest. The ability to choke off that flow is a necessity for authoritarian governments. The Internet and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have helped fuel democratic movements from our own Tea Party to the Iranian dissidents.

It was no surprise that when unrest poured onto the streets of Egyptian cities, the Internet was a major way for protesters to communicate and organize. It was also no surprise that the Egyptian government moved quickly to shut things down.

Organizations that track Internet traffic worldwide reported the virtual collapse of the Egyptian Internet at 5:20 a.m. last Thursday, as more than 88% of Egyptian Internet access was shut down.

Christopher Williams, technology correspondent for England's Telegraph newspaper, reports the withdrawal of more than 3,500 of what are called Border Gateway Protocol routes by Egyptian Internet service providers.

(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government
KEYWORDS: agenda; bho44; bhofascism; egypt; facebook; internet; killswitch; lping; netneutrality; obama; teaparty; twitter
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1 posted on 01/31/2011 5:30:48 PM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

There is still a way for people to communicate on line - I had the link once and was following communications - but I stupidly didn’t save the link -

does anyone know it??

We very well may be needing it in the not to distance future


2 posted on 01/31/2011 5:34:50 PM PST by maine-iac7
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To: Kaslin

Has anyone noticed that while Obastard is denigrating the Egyptian government for blocking Internet access and callong for them restore it in Egypt, he is simultaneously seeking a way to turn it off here in the US?

And the left completely ignores the fact that they have elected a totalitarian who would crush them like bugs if they got in his way.


3 posted on 01/31/2011 5:38:27 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (Islam is the religion of Satan and Mohammed was his minion.)
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To: maine-iac7

Got history for links you went to?


4 posted on 01/31/2011 5:39:13 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (Islam is the religion of Satan and Mohammed was his minion.)
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To: Kaslin
Those coming into power in the Americam government are afraid of certain segments of the American populace, hence the desire to be able to turn off the internet. When the revolution comes they don't want one part of the country communicating with other parts.

As far as managed news such news "management" has been the rule since 1914 and probably earlier. By way of example from those times: the German invasion of Belgium in WWI was managed; i.e. stories of German soldiers carrying Belgian babies on the soldiers bayonets were circulated.

FDR "managed" the news in the 1930's etc. etc.

Even the selection of what facts to report is a form of "management." Honesty in media died along time ago, if it EVER did exist!

5 posted on 01/31/2011 5:42:54 PM PST by AEMILIUS PAULUS (It is a shame that when these people give a riot)
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To: Kaslin
According to this article, the Obama administration thinks it already has the authority to use a "kill switch" on the internet. The bill is intended to limit this authority.

Lawmakers frustrated by Internet "kill switch" reports
6 posted on 01/31/2011 5:47:29 PM PST by chickadee
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To: Blood of Tyrants

Unfortunately not - or I could probably find it


7 posted on 01/31/2011 6:01:47 PM PST by maine-iac7
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To: AEMILIUS PAULUS

You are so right....the news media was infiltrated by communists in the 20’s and 30’s like every aspect of US society that affected opinion and thought control. Hiss was obvious, but there were many committees in govt. and news reporters, professors who were communists who were allowed to form opinion and write curricula, which was insane and destructive to this society.

The case against McCarthy was a set up by Communists to demean and demoralize and ruin anyone who dared insinuate that Communists were “evil”. McCarthy was a WWII hero...Gunner Joe ....and for our country to allow him to fall was a signal that it was safe to be a Communist in any area in this country (even though it was subversive and trying to destroy the Constitutional Republic).

There was no way McCarthy could stand up to the intense Alinsky-like attack against him....the agitprop and media and the ignorant, brainwashed people believed all the lies that they wrote about McCarthy....and of course, it has been repeated (the lies) to this day.


8 posted on 01/31/2011 6:02:22 PM PST by savagesusie
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To: Kaslin

Should the internet ever be turned off all patriots should plan to stand shoulder to shoulder around the beltway and blockade DC. Pass it on.


9 posted on 01/31/2011 6:05:52 PM PST by outofsalt ("If History teaches us anything it's that history rarely teaches us anything")
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To: outofsalt

Come on folks. We are in power in the House. That thing wont even get to a committee — much less the floor. I would love to have a protest screw thing up but let’s do something like debt ceiling and throw that crying Boehner out with his hanky and get Paul Ryan or Ron Paul to head up our party and stop this crap.


10 posted on 01/31/2011 6:18:41 PM PST by Benchim
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To: maine-iac7
There is still a way for people to communicate on line.

A dial-up account with AOL in Canada or Mexico or a dial-up account with a foreign ISP. It can be done, you just have to think outside the box. Oh, and those digital phones will be useless so you're going to need a basic phone line. Back to the days of 56K modem tones...

11 posted on 01/31/2011 6:32:26 PM PST by Traveler59 (Truth is a journey, not a destination.)
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To: Benchim

“Come on folks. We are in power in the House. That thing wont even get to a committee — much less the floor.”

In a nation of laws you would have a point. However, the United States of America is no longer a nation of laws. It is instead a nation of bureaucrats, bureaucracies and fiat power exercised by extra-Constitutional “czars”, who should more properly be identified as commissars or in some cases inquisitors.

The whim of Janet Napolitano will have more weight than the will of the people as expressed through their elected representatives.


12 posted on 01/31/2011 6:41:11 PM PST by Psalm 144 (Voodoo Republicans - Don't read their lips. Watch their hands.)
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To: Traveler59
A dial-up account with AOL in Canada or Mexico.

Just checked, there are 91 AOL dial-up numbers in Canada and 61 in Mexico. Although these incur an additional charge for connection besides the long distance phone rate. I would imagine these are several dozen local ISP's in Canada that would very willing to take on new dial-up accounts.

13 posted on 01/31/2011 6:43:34 PM PST by Traveler59 (Truth is a journey, not a destination.)
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To: Traveler59

“There is still a way for people to communicate on line.”

There was also a work-around developed by google this weekend where people could send twitter message by using a normal voice dial in number.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/01/oukin-uk-egypt-protest-google-idUKTRE7100CM20110201


14 posted on 01/31/2011 6:57:12 PM PST by crescen7 (game on)
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To: bamahead; Nachum; markomalley; Carlucci; grey_whiskers; meyer; WL-law; Para-Ord.45; ...

Ping


15 posted on 01/31/2011 6:59:22 PM PST by raptor22 (The truth will set us free)
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To: Benchim

As O’reilly pointed out, Obama can shut it down any time he wants under emergency powers. Nothing congress can do except impeach. I hate it when O’reilly is right, but he is in this case.


16 posted on 01/31/2011 7:03:13 PM PST by Phillipian (Post Tenebras Lux)
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To: raptor22; All

Yeah. Right.

If things get to the point the government thinks they need to kill the internet it is high and damn well past time to hit the kill switch on the government.


17 posted on 01/31/2011 7:04:57 PM PST by bigheadfred (THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE HAS BEGUN)
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To: Benchim

“Come on folks. We are in power in the House.”

Errr, we are not talking about a bill in congress.
I imagine that Obambie can shut off the internet by executive order, declaring it an emergency.

Someone let me know if I am wrong.


18 posted on 01/31/2011 7:12:08 PM PST by AlexW
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To: AlexW

Not only wrong, but sick, too.

SICK AND WRONG!

Juuuust kidding ;-)


19 posted on 01/31/2011 7:34:28 PM PST by bigheadfred (THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE HAS BEGUN)
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To: maine-iac7
There is still a way for people to communicate on line -

Yeah...if you have a phone line and an old 19,200 baud modem hanging around, you can easily set up an "old fashioned" BBS or Bulletin Board System. That used to be the latest in "forums" way before CompuServe came along.

Problem is, everyone who wanted to log on to your BBS would need to have their own modem too. And your phone number. But, desperate times will call for desperate measures.

20 posted on 01/31/2011 7:34:37 PM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (Tyrants flourish only when they achieve a standing army, an enslaved press, and a disarmed populace.)
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