Bill would give president emergency control of Internet

by Edmund Jenks | August 28, 2009 at 08:29 am

944 views | 48 Recommendations | 75 comments

Hold on to your mouses ... the CONTROL freaks are at it again! It is not enough to CONTROL 1/6th of the economy ... why not control communications of thought as well?

Internet companies and civil liberties groups were alarmed this spring when a U.S. Senate bill proposed handing the White House the power to disconnect private-sector computers from the Internet.

They're not much happier about a revised version that aides to Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, have spent months drafting behind closed doors. CNET News has obtained a copy of the 55-page draft of S.773 (excerpt), which still appears to permit the president to seize temporary control of private-sector networks during a so-called cybersecurity emergency.

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albertacowpoke

at 08:44 on August 28th, 2009

I think this one needs to be monitored closely.

AlvarezGalloso

at 09:14 on August 28th, 2009

Thank You for this article.

Roy C

at 09:54 on August 28th, 2009

The authoritarian left, which often posts here at NowPublic, by the way, is in full grip of their power complex.

Yes, let's sacrifice the great advantage of the Internet, its decentralized structure to insure control for the pseudo-Messiah Obama.

Grace H

at 12:24 on August 28th, 2009

Even if ths bll makes it to the senate and is passed, Obama must sign it into law. That will be a true test of character. Also, this would get struck down by the Supreem Court.

Mudassar Nassar (not verified)

at 10:14 on August 28th, 2009

The red storm raising again....! Remember the 'Ne boltaj' (translated 'loose lips sinks ships' )campaign in Soviet Union during the 40's that urged the citizen not to talk too much over telephone because the 'enemy' may intercept vital information.

Jordan Yerman

at 10:36 on August 28th, 2009

Between this and the Patriot Act, it'll only be safe to communicate via (registered Independent) carrier pigeons.

israeli.agent

at 10:49 on August 28th, 2009

And not to mention telepathy.

rng

at 10:57 on August 28th, 2009

Paranoid much? The biggest roll-back in liberty, & extension of executive power occurred under Bush in the interest of 'national security'. There are allegations Bush Administration also manipulated security levels for political gain. On 9/11 they closed the bridges, grounded the planes and on. They then introduced wire tapping, email sniffing, retina scans and on an on.

And now the right wing is playing the 'be very scared' that the Government has added the power to take control of the Internet in case of a cyber attack EMERGENCY

You really are scared of the African American man in the woodpile, aren't you?

It should be funny, sadly, it isn't. Good grief!

QueensHart

at 11:35 on August 28th, 2009

There are so many allegations against Bush. It is going to be interesting if the Posse's for Bush keep this up until the next election

I am not in the right wing and most of the people who are concerned are independents and democrats. Big Government has never worked.

Bush, Right Wing, Bush Right Wing...come up with something else.

rng

at 11:57 on August 28th, 2009

The Democrats at least have policies, whether you disagree with them or not. The Republicans are leaderless, absent an intelligentsia to create a new set of policies for them, and are offering no alternatives just obstruction. When they articulate a policy set then we can discuss them.

Roy C

at 13:15 on August 28th, 2009

The democrats have policies? Yes, true.

They have a war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the second going badly. They have a stimulus bill that doesn't stimulate, and they have a commitment to "free speech" as long as it means censoring talk radio and shutting down the Internet when needed by the Hope-And-Change Commander-in-Chief who also wants a "civilian security force" on the level of our own military.

Yes, this guy wants change and it's called "My Way or the Highway".

You Kool-Aid drinkers keep forgetting that we centrists and independents elected your guy and the centrists and independents have already parted from him as "not what we intended".

His party is over. The American people will never accept all this crap and Washington has no money to pay for all this stuff to boot.

rng

at 13:43 on August 28th, 2009

The party was over a long time ago, The bill just came due. This President is the great inheritor, he got the past and his own problems. The war in Afghanistan I opposed then I oppose now. The stimulus bill? Jury's out. The free speech censoring sentence and Internet - that is just emotion, there is no fact to talk to there.

You can be as personally insulting as you want, but the republicans (and if you are center then Atilla the Hun sites next to you LOL) are on the edge of the debate which is a shame'

Give is a policy option and because all you are doing at present is bleating, not, I will repeat it, not articulating alternatives.

eastvanray

at 13:51 on August 28th, 2009

rng,

If citizens had the solution we wouldn't need government. Heyyyyyyy maybe we are on to something here!

rng

at 13:54 on August 28th, 2009

Hasn't really worked anywhere of late in a complex society though, so probably not

politisite

at 15:53 on August 28th, 2009

If all that is true, one should give The first Bush all the credit for the economic expansion of the Clinton administration. Most of the reason their were surpluses was because of the fall of the soviet union, the lower gas prices. Lets not have a double standard

rng

at 16:16 on August 28th, 2009

History makes for fascinating study. I do not believe I have ever posted in relation to Clinton.

Nor does Obama get a get out of jail from me because he did inherit a mess. He applied for the job, and got it. There was a bill already due, he has to figure out how we pay it..goes with his territory.

I do not think that is a double standard. I said he inherited it. His choice. His job is now to fix it, and I for one have my shoulder to the wheel willing to do what it takes to get it fixed. I have personal responsibility and I feel some obligation to help others perhaps not as able to help themselves as easily.

If that makes me, let me recall the terms just from today... a kool-aid, lefty loony, irrational thinker so be it. I am in business, I have educational operations in over 30 countries, employ people, support my family and indirectly with jobs others, work, pay taxes etc etc I make money and export money too for this country. I do sort of hate Bush Jnr, I think it was a foul period of US history. Sorry, his idiocy and fundamentalism does make me cringe

So if that is what qualifies me for a loony left, then so be it. But still from the Republicans we get mantras and obstruction, but still no policy options. No policy options make them of no value as a loyal opposition. Give me policies not dogma.

QueensHart

at 17:39 on August 28th, 2009

The party is dissolving and transforming. It has been so busy trying to shed light on the idiocy of the past errors it has had not much time but to

BLEAT! !!!!!!!!BLEAT !!!!!!!!!!!!BLEAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

iF WE HAD PEOPLE WHO FOLLOWED THE RULES AND LEGISLATIONS RIGHT

NOW WE WOULD NOT BE BICKERING. We have a party run by a bunch of narcissists

, alcoholics and power addicts...both sides....It is time for the people to shake them all up.

Grace H

at 16:21 on August 28th, 2009

"Kool-Aid drinkers?" What the hell does that have to do with anything? Where I'm from that can be construed as a racist insult.

rng

at 17:27 on August 28th, 2009

It is one of the many phrases used when they get cornered absent a policy alternative. It is school yard level taunting equivalency.

eastvanray

at 11:41 on August 29th, 2009

What race would that be referring to? As far as I know all kids drink Kool-Aid.

Grace H

at 13:58 on August 29th, 2009

Its something I've heard other white people say in reference to black people. Maybe its just an insult locally.

eastvanray

at 14:22 on August 29th, 2009

It must be. I have certainly never heard of it. It is sad when people can't speak plain english without someone thinking racism is burried in their remarks somewhere. I am glad to live where I do as that is not really a problem here.

Anonymously Given (not verified)

at 12:02 on August 28th, 2009

Dittos .... if the last prez were still in office, the same legislation would now be coming down the pipe. These two parties engage in a "directed conversation", which means that they don't really talk to each other, but instead they direct the script out to us ... all the while watching us closely to be sure our facial expression belies the fact that we are adequately mollified by their chicanery ... (and as a nation, we always are)

Edmund Jenks

at 12:17 on August 28th, 2009

The Patriot Act was chump change against the affronts and assaults we have seen against our freedoms from this Administration and Democrat Party Leadership!

Grace H

at 12:19 on August 28th, 2009

But as the Democratic Party is typically more power to gov why are you so suprised? And this is an isolated bill in the process of being written by one senator. What does that have to do with "Obama's Aministrarion?"

Roy C

at 13:21 on August 28th, 2009

It would not be written if Obama opposed it. Or Obama is so incompetent that he has no command over the legislature run by the party, the democrats, that he is the leader of.

So, which one will it be? Underhanded overreaching or incompetence?

Grace H

at 15:38 on August 28th, 2009

Touche. But each senator still has their own agenda to look out for. If this goes into law I will be thoroughly appalled and outraged. However, I do not think one man can control what every senator i his party does. Otherwise, Bush would have passed more legislation and health care would have gone through by now.

politisite

at 15:55 on August 28th, 2009

How about 1 only 1 person in the NP community tell me how the patriot act caused them problems.. don't give me the inability to carry soap on a plane.