September 2009

Internet censorship going global: "On June 4, 1989, the Chinese government implemented lethal force against students peacefully protesting for political reform. It is thought that thousands of unarmed students were killed [by government order] in the melee, which remains a taboo topic within China.... '...the Chinese authorities want to quash any chance of its citizens discussing the historic event..." See Brainwashing and "Education Reform"

W.H. collects Web users' data without notice: "The White House is collecting and storing comments and videos placed on its social-networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube without notifying or asking the consent of the site users, a failure that appears to run counter to President Obama's promise of a transparent government and his pledge to protect privacy on the Internet." See the next three links -- and notice the tax-exempt foundations that help fund the global agenda:

The Plan for Government-Funded Socialist Media: "... the.Ford Foundation is a major underwriter of the Center for Social Media of American University, a project headed by left-wing activist Patricia Aufderheide, who says that 'Taxpayer funds are crucial...' to creating new 'public media.' This group got money under a $50 million Ford Foundation program to create and strengthen 'public media.'...

     "The Benton Foundation, another major liberal foundation, is spearheading efforts to get the federal 'stimulus' money into the hands of 'progressive' groups and state and local governments....

     "A Columbia Law School Professor and member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Wu claims the U.S. Constitution is flawed because the founders did not anticipate the problem of 'the abuse of private power.' He coined the term 'net neutrality,' an attempt to justify federal control of the Internet in the name of guaranteeing equal access to it. Crawford was on Obama's FCC transition team and is the founder of something called 'OneWebDay,' whose slogan is, 'One web. One world. One wish.'

      "It's a reminder of the proposal which came out of the World Economic Forum, outlining 'a new global network' with 'the capacity to connect the world, bridging cultures and peoples, and telling us who we are and what we mean to each other.'....

       "In terms of federal initiatives, conservatives don't have the votes in Congress to stop any of what is coming. Plus, Obama will soon have his FCC majority Our focus has to be... to try to prevent further government interference in the new media..." See The Global Media Censors

The Internet. Benton Foundation: Reaching for the American Dream by Connecting our Nation : "As president, I will set a simple goal: every American should have the highest speed broadband access - no matter where you live, or how much money you have." [Presidential candidate Obama, 2008].

     "...the new Administration must launch a well-planned, concerted national effort to deploy robust and affordable broadband to every corner of the nation... His Administration should then immediately begin the process of designing and successfully executing a coordinated and effective National Broadband Strategy (NBS), a 'coherent roadmap of policies and goals that complement and accelerate efforts in the marketplace to achieve universal adoption of affordable high-speed Internet connections.'...

     "By promoting both the supply of and the demand for broadband, the NBS will establish a 'virtuous circle' in which an increased supply of robust and affordable broadband stimulates creation of applications that produce wide-ranging, valuable social benefits.... He will deliver to all our citizens the opportunity they seek for their children and themselves: to reach for the American Dream in the Digital Age." See George Orwell's 1984

Regulatory Czar may target internet for "fairness": "Cass Sunstein, is in support of a form of internet fairness doctrine. Read: Censorship.... He has proposed, among other things, a 'notice and take down' law. - Essentially a provision that would require websites to take down 'falsehoods' upon notice from the federal government. And what is considered a 'falsehood,' and who determines what falls into this category? ... Would information representing a Public official (Say, maybe a Czar) in bad lighting be considered a falsehood? Sunstein has claimed the notion that Barack Obama ‘paled around with terrorists’ is a lie, despite the documented connection between Bill Ayers and the President. The term 'falsehood' could easily be used as a tool to silence politically inconvenient reports.
       "So, would his evaluation of what determines a 'falsehood' be directed at limiting the choices or opinions on the internet? Most assuredly. It does not take a conspiratorial mind to think the man appointed with creating regulations and implementing new regulations would be a supporter of more regulations. The Czars so far appointed, seem aimed at limiting the freedom of many individuals for the common 'good.'  Executive pay czars, a Czar for science, a regulation Czar, and auto Industry Czar, etc. ... They are an intimidation tactic (as they always have been) used to manipulate the public into compliance with the world view of the President's administration.

       What about sharing God's Word? Could that be considered an intolerable 'falsehood' that calls for censorship? It reminds me of the apostle Peter's response to leaders who despised Jesus: "... we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19

May 2009

EU wants 'Internet G12' to govern cyberspace: "The European Commission wants the US to dissolve all government links with the body that 'governs' the internet, replacing it with an international forum for discussing internet governance and online security."

March 2009

U.S. regulatory czar nominee wants Net 'Fairness Doctrine': "Barack Obama's nominee... has advocated a 'Fairness Doctrine' for the Internet that would require opposing opinions be linked and also has suggested angry e-mails should be prevented from being sent.... Sunstein also has argued in his prolific literary works that the Internet is anti-democratic because of the way users can filter out information of their own choosing. 'A system of limitless individual choices, with respect to communications, is not necessarily in the interest of citizenship and self-government'... Later, Sunstein rethought his proposal, explaining that it would be 'too difficult to regulate [the Internet] in a way that would respond to those concerns.'

        "'As one of America's leading constitutional scholars, Cass Sunstein has distinguished himself in a range of fields, including administrative law... and behavioral economics,' said Obama at his nomination of his regulatory czar. 'He is uniquely qualified to lead my administration's regulatory reform agenda..." See The Rockefellers, Morgans and the Global Media Censors

Notice the broad implications of Jay Rockefeller's Cybersecurity bill (introduced in the Senate). It recommends that Obama's team of advisers include representatives from liberal institutions [academia, advocacy groups, etc.). Would these advisers defend the right of conservatives (often demeaned as "r-wing extremists" or "fundamentalists") to express their views on the Internet? See next two links:

A bill to shift cybersecurity to White House: "Forthcoming legislation would wrest cybersecurity responsibilities from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and transfer them to the White House, a proposed move that likely will draw objections.... CNET News has obtained a summary of a proposal from Senators Jay Rockefeller ... that would create an Office of the National Cybersecurity Advisor, part of the Executive Office of the President. That office would receive the power to disconnect, if it believes they're at risk of a cyberattack, 'critical' computer networks from the Internet."

       Could websites that disagree with the Obama administration be shut down to "stifle political" dissent? Or will this new White House authority only be used to fight genuine threats? See next link:

Rockefeller Cyber Security Bill: ["...which in its vagueness gives the power to shut down the networks of the U.S. to the President."]

     "S.773 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. The Congress finds the following: (1) America's failure to protect cyberspace is one of the most urgent national security problems facing the country....

(5) John Brennan, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism wrote on March 2, 2009, that `our nation's security and economic prosperity depend on the security, stability, and integrity of communications and information infrastructure that are largely privately-owned and globally-operated.'...

(13) President Obama said... on July 16, 2008, that `every American depends--directly or indirectly--on our system of information networks.... We know that cyber-espionage and common crime is already on the rise. And yet while countries like China have been quick to recognize this change, for the last eight years we have been dragging our feet.'...

SEC. 3. CYBERSECURITY ADVISORY PANEL. (a) ...The President shall establish or designate a Cybersecurity Advisory Panel.

(b) QUALIFICATIONS- The President-- (1) shall appoint as members of the panel representatives of industry, academic, non-profit organizations, interest groups and advocacy organizations, and State and local governments who are qualified to provide advice and information on cybersecurity research, development, demonstrations, education, technology transfer, commercial application, or societal and civil liberty concerns...."

November 2008

An Orwellian future in store for the internet: "If the world-wide trend continues, 'Web 3.0' will be tightly monitored, and will become an unprecedented tool for surveillance. ... The future of the internet... will be monitored by 'gatekeepers' to verify the accuracy [or the political correctness?] of information posted on the web." See Surveillance

September 2008

How the EU plans to regulate blogs: "Eurocrats instinctively dislike spontaneous activity. To them, 'unregulated' is almost synonymous with 'illegal'. The bureaucratic mindset demands uniformity, licensing, order. Eurocrats are especially upset because many bloggers, being of an anarchic disposition, are anti-Brussels....

     "Back in June, MEPs began to complain that unlicensed blogs were 'polluting' cyberspace with 'misinformation and malicious intent'. ... At the time, I dismissed it... Not even the European Parliament, I thought, would actually try to censor the internet. I was wrong. We now have the full report and, sure enough, it wants to .clarify the status, legal or otherwise, of weblogs., and to ensure their 'voluntary labelling according to the professional and financial responsibilities...'"

China's Internet Culture Goes Unchecked, for Now: "While the Chinese government keeps a tight grip on Internet news and political discussion here, it has done little to prevent online defamation and invasions of personal privacy.... The use of the Internet to achieve social shaming, monitoring and ostracism, or for private revenge by private citizens, has become prevalent in Chinese society."Human Nature

August 2008

DHS stays mum on new 'Cyber Security' center: "The Bush administration's newly created National Cyber Security Center remains shrouded in secrecy, with officials refusing to release information about ... how its mission relates to Internet surveillance." No Place to Hide?

January 2008

Home Sec in anti-terror plan to control entire web: "UK Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has decided to mount a push against cyber terror, in which the internet itself will somehow be ... [She] reiterated the Brown government's promise of technical measures against web terror:

      "'The internet is a key tool for the propagandists for violent extremism... Let me be clear. The internet is not a no-go area for Government. We are already working closely with the communications industry to take action against paedophiles... we should also take action against those who groom vulnerable people for the purposes of violent extremism... I will be talking to industry... about how best to do this. Where there is illegal material on the net, I want it removed."

August 2007

 Banning Jihad Watch: "Jihad Watch was also blocked, readers informed me, on the computers of the State of Connecticut; the City of Chicago; Bank of America; Fidelity Investments... JPMorgan Chase... This is an attempt to silence us.... Jihad Watch is dedicated to the defense of human rights for all against those who would impose Islamic law, with its institutionalized discrimination.... There is no 'hatred' in this, except when we report the words of hatred and supremacism of the Islamic jihadists." See Chronology of Conquests in the Name of Allah

June 2007

An Independent Newspaper: "'Don't believe the man who tells you there are two sides to every question. There is only one side to the truth.' So wrote William Peter Hamilton, one of the first men to hold the job of editorial page editor of The Wall Street Journal.... That's a point worth stressing amid the news that the Bancroft family may soon sell the Journal's parent company to Rupert Murdoch's News Corp....

     "The Bancrofts have been exceptional stewards of this newspaper for more than a century. But capitalism is dynamic, and those of us who extol the virtues of Joseph Schumpeter's 'creative destruction' for others can't complain when it sweeps through our own industry. That's what is happening as the Internet breaks up long-time media business models....

      [In contrast] "...the influence of [NY] Times Publisher... extends to selecting not merely the editorial page editor but columnists, political endorsements and, as far as we can tell, even news coverage priorities. We don't see how this differs from most of what Mr. Murdoch is accused of doing with his newspapers. The same lack of independence also applies to most non-family media companies such as Gannett...."

December 2006

Do You Speak Globish?: "...I observed a group of Korean men talking boisterously in a language I did not understand — Korean I presume. Next to them sat a Chinese couple also speaking a language I did not understand — Mandarin perhaps. But when the Koreans and the Chinese struck up a conversation, it was in... a broken-down and very basic English.... And why English? We were in France.....

     "Globish is a term coined to describe global English. It’s English, but not as we know it.... In the Gulf it is commonplace, you hear it daily.... It gives us the minimum we need in order to cut the deal and leave, without the opportunity to experience genuine cultural exchange....

     "...the more English becomes an international language, the more the ownership of the language will move away from the Anglo-Saxons.... In the next decade, we are likely to see English become increasingly influenced by the way it is spoken by the millions who today may only speak Globish..." See The Power of Words

November 2006

Is Comcast blocking conservative e-mails? "If your e-mail service provider is blocking your conservative newsletters, you may not be alone. Under the guise of protecting customers from 'spam,' Internet services may be blocking important and wanted e-mails from customers without their knowledge....'I don't understand these people. I get spam about drugs, sexual enhancements, real estate, lottery scams, and e-mails purporting to be from EBay, PayPal and various national banks asking for private financial information but Comcast blocks my NewsWithViews.com alerts and e-mails from like-minded associates? It doesn't make sense,' said Spingola."

October 2006