This scares me!

If it doesn't scare you, then just ask anyone from China how having the government control the Internet has worked for them and their ability to get accurate reports of the news...
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Bill could allow government to turn off the Internet in an emergency
Jun. 17, 2010 (4:37 pm) By: Brian Osborne

You’ve heard about the the infamous “red button” that symbolizes the authorization to launch nuclear missiles. Now Joe Lieberman wants to give the President another weapon to use in the event of a national security crisis. He wants to give the President a “kill switch” for the Internet in case of a cyber attack or other Internet-based national emergency.

ZDNet is reporting that the new Presidential authority is contained within a proposed Senate bill which Lieberman is the primary sponsor of. Unfortunately, it’s not going to be as easy as flipping a switch as the term implies. It simply refers to the legal ability for the President to issue emergency measures or actions that broadband providers, search engines and software firms would have to comply with.

Lieberman, an independent senator, currently chairs the Senate’s Homeland Security committee which is one of the reasons he is a primary sponsor of the legislation. In addition to granting the President broad emergency powers, the legislation would also create a new bureaucracy called the National Center for Cybersecurity and Communications (NCCC) which would reside within Homeland Security. The NCCC would have at least two deputy directors and liason officers to the Defense Department, Justice Department, Commerce Department as well as the Director of National Intelligence. The bill would also create a new White House Office of Cyberspace Policy to lead federal cybersecurity initiatives.

Lieberman has some support in the House of Representative thanks to Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif, who promised to introduce the Senate bill to the House this week. Harman serves as the Intelligence Subcommittee Chairwoman and was joined in her sponsorship of the bill by Peter Kine, R-N.Y., the committee’s Ranking Member and Cyber Subcommittee Chairwoman Yvette Clarke.

Read more at ZDNet and the press release.

Brian’s Opinion

I understand the need for coordinated efforts to be initiated by the government during a cyber-attack on the nation’s infrastructure. Yet, the power that we are looking to grant to the government and the President in the event of an emergency is breathtaking. Also, the further expansion of government through the creation of new bureaucracies should give every American some pause.

Another concern is what the cost of such an initiative would be. Last time I checked, the government’s net worth is in the negative with no plan to pay down debt anytime soon. Is this yet one more initiative that we should simply add to the government’s debt pile because it is important?

Though I’m not completely on board with the powers granted in this bill, I would feel better with its passage if something was cut to account for any additional spending which would be created. If that doesn’t happen it simply adds to the current emergency which is a Congress that is out of control when it comes to spending tax dollars.

Read more: http://www.geek.com/articles/news/bill-could-allow-government-to-turn-off-the-internet-in-an-emergency-20100617/#ixzz0r99fplRH