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29 January 2011

*Totally* not a dictator

The internet in Egypt is out. No, not some sites. Not a ISP issue, like the one that ruins your day by keeping you from Netflix-ing the last season of The Office. The whole. Damn. Thing.

(But remember, “they" hate us for our freedom, not our billions in aid to repressive regimes with a foot firmly planted on “their” necks).

Ever wonder what an entire country's internet traffic getting shut off looks like? Well, wonder no longer:


If you'll consult your programs, this is our "very responsible" ally whom Vice President Biden "would not refer to as a dictator." Call me crazy, but responding to political protests against you by blacking out the internet, SMS messaging, and cellular service strikes me as a decidedly dictator-y thing to do.

At least it couldn't happen, here, though. I mean, that would take a law vesting the White House with the power to declare some sort of "cyber emergency" and exert control without any judicial review or oversight.

Uh oh.
Portions of the Lieberman-Collins bill, which was not uniformly well-received when it became public in June 2010, became even more restrictive when a Senate committee approved a modified version on December 15. The full Senate did not act on the measure.

The revised version includes new language saying that the federal government's designation of vital Internet or other computer systems "shall not be subject to judicial review." Another addition expanded the definition of critical infrastructure to include "provider of information technology," and a third authorized the submission of "classified" reports on security vulnerabilities.
How long until this Connecticut asshat retires, again?

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