In an attempt to scare the public with a looming cyber attack on US infrastructure, US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is once again pushing Congress to pass legislation allowing the government to have greater control over the Internet.
The use of fear-mongering as a tactic to convince people to allow the government to have more power is so common that it doesn’t even raise an eyebrow these days. Despite the government’s history of cover-ups and intentionally deceptive propaganda, people still listen to them as if they actually still possess a shred of credibility. But…
Privacy advocates had expressed concern that the US government would be able to read Americans’ personal e-mails, online chat conversations, and other personal information that only private companies and servers might have access to. The head of the National Security Agency promised it wouldn’t abuse its power, but critics have remained skeptical.
Yeah, me too. In fact, skeptical is too kind a word. The internet is the biggest threat to government ever conceived because it actually provides a means for an entire population to rise up in rebellion in a matter of hours. This is more than a little terrifying to everyone with a vested interest in the status quo (which includes everyone with power and almost everyone with a lot of money). Initially their attempts to gain control over the internet were dressed up in the cause of fighting child pornography, but after that failed to bear fruit, they decided to use anti-piracy and anti-terror crusades to justify the power grab.
And what about this little clip from reuters:
She urged Congress to pass legislation governing cyber security so the government could share information with the private sector to prevent an attack on infrastructure, much of which is privately owned.
Since when does government need Congressional approval to share information with the private sector? Because they sure as hell don’t need it when they intentionally leak classified information that makes the government look good…