Bush cybersecurity strategy and the “libertarian” call for more Government intrusion

World Tech Tribune.com ^ | Copyright 2002 - September 23, 2002 | Scott McCollum

[Scott McCollum]

“IT workers are currently hurting for money in the free market because of the years of loose funding for Stanford-educated illusionists geeks making ridiculous promises that failed to deliver during the dot-com bust of the late 1990s. With those private funds dried up, those same illusionists have changed tactics, saying 'the government should do more for our nation’s cybersecurity' and looking to drink from the teat of big government; filled with what they consider an unending supply of taxpayer money from America’s citizens like you and I. During the 1940s, those taking advantage of government spending would be called nasty names like 'war profiteer' by the left, but when it’s the left doing the profiteering it’s actually encouraged.”

[Scott McCollum]

An exposé showing that the Internet's "great cyber-libertarians" are neither great nor particularly libertarian.

[BlessingInDisguise]

WEAK

[Scott McCollum]

So-called "libertarians" on the Internet like Declan McCullagh from Wired Magazine are complaining that the Bush Administration isn't doing enough for for cybersecurity by crowing for more government intrusion and that's okay with you?

I would have thought that real libertarians would be outraged that views like this are considered "libertarian" on the Internet...

[BlessingInDisguise]

They aren't considered libertarian.

[Scott McCollum]

You are very correct, sir. Unfortunately, many on "geek news" websites like "Slashdot" would disagree with both of us.

[BlessingInDisguise]

No, they're obviously confusing libertarian with 'liberal'.

[BlessingInDisguise]

But, what else is new..

[steve-b]

Scotty, nobody is impressed by your blog's failure to recognize that defense against attack is classified as a government responsibility by everyone who thinks that there should be any government at all.

[steve-b]

Oh, and your link is still broken.

[Scott McCollum]

Very true, sir. Spread the word that these self-proclaimed "libertarians" are nothing more than big government nanny-state Internet leftists.

[Roscoe]

Isn't Declan McCullagh the former Libertarian Party chairman of Columbus, Ohio?

[Scott McCollum]

Might be another guy. This particular McCullagh worked on Jerry Brown's 1992 presidential campaign, for the extreme environmentalist Friends of the Earth organization, has sued to have unfettered public Internet access available to anyone (READ: porn in libraries) with the help of the ACLU (who coincidentally gave him a "free speech award") and will be teaching your college-age kids all about law and the Internet this semester at a Washington, DC-area college.

Not exactly a "libertarian" by any stretch of the imagination. It will sound harsh (to those that are easily offended by the truth), but his views are more left-leaning anarchist -- common amongst fringe journalists in New England during the turn of the 20th Century.

[Roscoe]

http://www.vader.com/jimbell8.htm

[Scott McCollum]

Yes, as you can see from the message on this "vader.com" website it was Matthew Gaylor that was the Libertarian Party member rather than McCullagh.

Thanks for the clarification!

[Roscoe]

You're right, my bad.

[Scott McCollum]

I'm really sorry, Roscoe. I honestly thought you were sending that link to "vader.com" to show that McCullagh wasn't the Libertarian Party official.

Please forgive me if I came across as smarmy in the "thanks for the clarification" post, because that was definitely not my intention, sir.

[Roscoe]

No problem. I was careless and I got caught.