[For context, see the Campaign for Liberty email below.]
Why does ANYONE on capital hill think it would be okay to remove our ability to freely access information and communicate with one another at any time. I can understand their thinking. They have to consider the what-if's and in this new age of cyber warfare between international governments and rogue groups those if's are abundant and dangerous. However, don't even attempt to put in the hand of a growing and powerful government wrought with corruption and self-interest the ability to remove the most empowering ability among citizens, the ability to communicate instantly and openly with correspondence and information.
Big governments don't always
protect their people. They often migrate to
protecting their people from themselves. In fact, through their attempts to protect their people from themselves,
big governments often begin to protect the governmental power itself. A government should be recycled regularly for the health of its balance of law, respect for its citizens and avoidance of corruptness. This cleansing should include re-evaluation of the laws and turnover of the personnel. Liberty and Freedom are the enemies of a big government that has detached, to identify itself as separate from its people. The friends of Liberty and Freedom are individuals in communities empowered by arms and communications, allowing resistance to oppression and the ability to organize. Our government shouldn't have the power to remove either of those.
If we are worried about a scenario that would cause a threat to the private, government and military sectors of cyber networks, then we need to explore those and establish an ability to defend against it. Even if in a worst case scenario it created a need to shut down traffic this should be done at the request or call of the government but enacted by private, free thinking individuals. Even during this shut down scenario, private shorter range, or pocket network traffic would be enabled on emergency encrypted side channels, allowing citizens to communicate with one another as needed.
To many governments throughout history have abused their people for me to think that ours is incapable of doing this eventually. This means to me, that if we pass laws that make it so the federal government could abuse the law and oppress citizens, we must assume that it will eventually commit this abuse. Assume the worst ability of the law to abuse you and if you are not okay with that coming to pass, do not pass the law. Laws should protect your freedom first, you from others second, and all of us from other governments and internationals third. In that order and without compromising the first or second to accomplish the third. No other laws are necessary. A mass of free, armed, well-informed people is not to be trifled with. If we regain and retain that status as a nation, little international threat would come our way. That would put us in a position to spread kindness to other countries instead of hostility and underhanded dealings, eventually leading to a reestablished positive international reputation.
Below is the message I received from "Campaign for Liberty" today...
From:
Campaign for Liberty <john.f.tate@campaignforliberty.com> Date: Thu, Apr 15, 2010 at 11:02 AM
Subject: The last C4L email you'll ever get?
To: Scott Bratcher <
scott@swbratcher.com>
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Dear Patriot: Please take your time and read this email carefully.Because if a bill quietly sneaking its way through Congress passes, an email like this could be the last non-government message to ever hit your inbox.In fact, someday you may even find yourself unable to log in to your email in the first place!I know what you're thinking: Maybe this is just another Internet hoax.I wish it was.But Barack Obama and Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) want to make this nightmare a reality. That's why Rockefeller recently introduced S. 773, "The Cybersecurity Act of 2009."Initial cosponsors include Senators Evan Bayh (D-IN), Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME).You see, Barack Obama is seeking sweeping new powers to "shut down" all private internet in the event of a "cybersecurity emergency" — a vague term that the President can define at his discretion.And Rockefeller's bill gives Barack Obama just what he wants.That's why this expansive new power grab should really be called "The Internet Takeover Bill."As you know, the Internet has developed into an independent sphere where 1st Amendment Rights can still be (fairly) freely exercised.It's also become an important outlet for liberty-minded speech, cutting around the Obama-worship and corporate censorship of the mainstream media.And we've already seen the Obama Administration's reaction to any online speech they deem "fishy."In July, the Administration called upon Americans to report their friends' and neighbors' emails to help Barack Obama silence the "disinformation" about the Obamacare bills in Congress.Well now Barack Obama wants to cut out the middle man.If the Internet Takeover Bill passes, Barack Obama can silence his dissenters directly — by ordering a shutdown of the U.S. Internet. That's right, under this bill Barack Obama can order all non-government U.S. networks to shutdown from the Internet.But that's not all.Even outside of periods of White House-declared "emergency," this bill mandates that private-sector networks only be managed by government-licensed "cybersecurity professionals."If you think dealing with your office IT department is bad now, just wait until they're federally-licensed bureaucrats.Well I know I like writing to you, and I hope you like hearing from me.Or if not me, at least you probably like staying in touch with your family and friends, and having access to uncensored news and current events.And that's why I hope you'll help Campaign for Liberty stop the Internet Takeover Bill by signing our Internet User's Mandate to Congress.Today, legislation like this — built on the same statist principles as the infamous Patriot Act — must sneak through Congress quietly.They know Americans are no longer willing to swallow this swill "for our own good."And it's especially critical that Campaign for Liberty and other fellow R3volutionaries fight this power grab.Can you imagine how easily those in power could fabricate an "emergency" on a big money bomb day for a strong liberty candidate threatening the establishment?Or how about message boards vital to planning and freedom rallies and protests of socialized medicine?With "right-wing extremists" freely and visibly exercising their 2nd Amendment rights at such events, no doubt the White House could declare "emergency" and shut down all online planning.I don't want to see good politicians lose potential millions or demonstrations of liberty extinguished. I hope you don't either.That's why I hope you'll sign your Internet User's Mandate and make a donation right now to Campaign for Liberty to make sure that never happens.We're going to fight this bill hard, because it's clear that the Internet is the next frontier for liberty politics, and Campaign for Liberty is right on the forefront.So please click here to sign your Internet User's Mandate to Congress in opposition to Barack Obama's Internet Takeover and Shutdown Bill.And in addition to signing your mandate, please make a generous contribution of $100, $50 or $25 so we can fight this Internet takeover.We need to fight to make sure Barack Obama doesn't disconnect your computer, shut down your favorite websites, or block all your emails. And frankly with Audit the Fed, Cap and Tax and socialized healthcare debates, Campaign for Liberty is stretched pretty thin.And unlike the government we don't print, borrow or take money by force (taxes). Our only revenue comes from voluntary contributions from liberty activists like you.We need you to stay educated and active.We've put too much time into building our pro-liberty online networks, websites and email lists. We simply cannot afford to give Barack Obama the power to dismantle all that at the drop of a hat.So please, click here to sign your Internet User's Mandate and if you can make a contribution of $100, $50 or $25 or whatever you want to Campaign for Liberty to stop this power grab......to defend our rights......and most importantly, to protect this movement.I trust you'll join this fight to protect all the progress we've made.In Liberty,  John Tate PresidentP.S. The Internet Takeover Bill (S. 773) is threatening to "unplug" private networks from the Internet on the order of the President and dismantle the online army we've worked so hard to build.Click here to sign your Internet User's Mandate to Congress, and please make a generous contribution of $100, $50 or $25 to Campaign for Liberty so we can lead the fight against this Obama power grab.
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