Cybersecurity Bills Drafted By Same Group Responsible for 9/11 Truth Hit Piece; Russia Today Covers Internet Control Coup

Attempts to seize control over the internet and track the indentity of internet users are being escalated in new cybersecurity legislation being considered in Washington.

In an AFP article, representative David Wu from Oregon fantatsizes about the Wild West of the internet.

"We cannot stand by and let the most powerful tool for connecting Americans with each other and the world remain the Wild West of technology."

Wild West? What is he talking about?

"Cybercrime is a major problem for the government, for businesses, and indeed for every American," Lipinski, a Democrat, said in a statement.

Is it really? I don't think I have ever personally experienced 'cyber crime.' Perhaps it is a threat for key infrastructure computer networks and much of the bills going through congress seem to address that, however there is fear that these bills usher in a new age of government control of the internet.

There is a House Bill which has just passed in the House, Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2009(HR 4061), which would raise nearly $400 million for cybersecurity research and development programs, scholarships, and training programs in colleges and universities as well as setting up some kind of internationally accepted cybersecurity standards and public awareness campaigns.

However in another bill in the Senate (S. 773), in Section 18, it states the President "may declare a cybersecurity emergency and order the limitation or shutdown of Internet traffic to and from any compromised Federal Government or United States critical infrastructure information system or network." Under Section 14, Public-Private Clearinghouse, the Secretary of Commerce "shall have access to all relevant data concerning such networks without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access." The networks they are referring to are "State, local, and nongovernmental information systems and networks in the United States designated by the President as critical infrastructure information systems and networks."
However the concern rests on the fear that this might be defined loosely to include almost any network or internet site.

From an article from the Electronic Frontier Foundation we find that our private information may be once again spied on in new ways as well as tracked in the future through 'identity management.':

"the bill contains a particularly dangerous provision that could cripple privacy and security in one fell swoop...The broad scope of this provision could eviscerate statutory protections for private information, such as the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Privacy Protection Act, or financial privacy regulations...A privacy threat still in the cocoon is the provision mandating a study of the feasibility of an identity management and authentication program with just a nod to “appropriate civil liberties and privacy protections.” There’s reason to fear that this type of study is just a precursor to proposals to limit online anonymity."

Interestingly in one article I came upon the information that "Snowe (R-Maine) noted that the bill "loosely parallels" a set of cybersecurity recommendations contained in a report released late last year by a commission set up by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies."

The Center for Strategic and International Studies? That rang a bell. And I remember from where. Recently Arnaud de Borchgrave wrote an article attempting to equate the Fort Hood shooter with 9/11 truthers, or the movement of people who want a new investigation into 9/11. This very same Arnaud de Borchgrave is the Director for Transnational Threats at the Center For Strategic and International Studies. So someone who easily connects the 9/11 truth movement with real terrorism is a director at the center responsible for helping to create the new cybersecurity legislation. Wow that can't be good.

It must also be noted that Arnaud de Borchgrave also wrote a book on Cybersecurity, namely 'Cyber Threats and Information Security.' Here on Amazon.

It must be however also noted that the actual commission which I believe Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R- Maine) was referring to does not include the name of Arnaud de Borchgrave on its list of members. Still it's interesting to see the general crowd from which the legislation is coming and it's probably a good idea to keep a close eye on how some of these think tanks have their influence on actual legislation.

Ironically you must watch Russia Today to find out about anti-corporate/pro liberty opinions on the new moves of the corporate state monster. Is that an outlet which might need to be 'shut down' in an emergency? Ah, welcome to the United States of Guatemala.