Editorial
The Internet Revolution is a Liberty Revolution
Until the late 1990s, individuals interested in Austrian economics, US constitutional history and libertarian philosophy had few sources of information. They had to spend hours scouring used book stores or the back pages of obscure libertarian periodicals to find the great works of Mises, Rothbard, Hayek and other giants of liberty. Local library and university collections ignored libertarian politics and economics.
Today, however, the greatest classics of libertarian thought, libertarian philosophy and libertarian economics are available instantly to anyone with Internet access. Thanks to the Internet, it is easier than ever before for liberty activists to spread news and other information regarding the evils of government power and the benefits of freedom. For the first time in human history, supporters of liberty around the world can share information across borders quickly and cheaply. Without the filter of government censors, this information emboldens millions to question governments and promote liberty.
This is why liberty-minded Americans must do everything possible to oppose − and stop − government attempts to censor or limit the free flow of information online.
One such attempt is known as "CISPA," or the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act. This bill will create a monstrous coalition of big business and big government to rob Americans of their protections under the 4th Amendment of the Constitution.
CISPA permits both the federal government and private companies to view your private online communications with no judicial oversight, provided they merely do so in the name of "cybersecurity." But America is a constitutional republic, not a surveillance state − and the wildly overhyped need for security does not trump the Constitution.
"Cybersecurity" is the responsibility of companies that operate and make money in cyberspace, not taxpayers. Those companies should develop market-based private solutions to secure their networks, servers, cloud data centers and user/customer information. The role of the US intelligence community is to protect the United States from military threats, not to provide corporate welfare to the private sector. Much like the TSA at the airport, CISPA would socialize security costs and remove market incentives for private firms to protect their own investments.
Imagine security-cleared agents embedded at private companies to serve as conduits for intelligence information about their customers back to the US intelligence community − while enjoying immunity from any existing civil or criminal laws. Imagine Google or Facebook reporting directly to the National Security Agency about the online activity of US citizens. Imagine US government resources being wasted on a grand scale to "assist" private companies in the global market. All of this would become reality under CISPA.
As of this writing, it appears that the House and Senate will not agree on a final version of CISPA this year. However, the Obama administration seems ready to impose provisions of this bill by executive order if Congress does not act soon.
The past five years have seen an explosion in the liberty movement, fueled in large part by the Internet. Preserving that freedom is crucial if the liberty movement is to continue its progress. Therefore, all activists in the liberty movement have a stake in the battle for Internet freedom. We must be ready to come together to fight any attempt to increase government's power over the Internet, regardless of the supposed justifications. We must resist voices from both the political right and left which alternatively seek to legislate morality or enforce political correctness with force. Copyright protection, pornography, cyberterrorism, gambling and "hate speech" are merely excuses for doing what all governments have done throughout human history: increase their size, scope and power.
Once we understand this, we understand the critical link between Internet freedom and human freedom.
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Posted by rossbcan on 10/24/12 09:25 AM
RP: "the critical link between Internet freedom and human freedom"
... is the ability to THINK, which is to ponder information. If information is suppressed, truth replaced with fiction, thinking will remain "garbage in, garbage out", as it was with centralized MSM and (captive to power) acedemia control of information. Rah rah great, public relations marketed "leaders" and "blessed by arbitrary power", "experts".
Lose information freedom, or freedom of expression, and, you will remain a lobotomized slave, a Pavlov's citizen, blindly reacting to environmental factors you will mistake for, and swear to be "truth". You will drool every time the bell rings:
Click to view link
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Posted by Cognizant on 10/23/12 09:01 PM
from above "America is a constitutional republic,... "
There are a lot of people on the internet saying that this country is a republic, not a democracy. Most people have a problem understanding that. Let me explain.
The union of the 50 states under the founding documents is a republic. The government of the District of Columbia (DC) is a democracy. Washington, D.C. is not a state. DC is a sort of office for the administration of the business of the federal government. Congress is the boss in DC, according to the Constitution. Congress can do whatever it wants to do within DC. Congress is not bound by the Constitution in DC. Everything Congress legislates is law applicable to DC citizens. But not all of the laws Congress makes are applicable to states citizens. Unfortunatly you and I have been tricked into immigrating into being DC citizens. It's a long story. Read the details at;
Click to view link
This is a difficult concept, and it will take a while to sink in. The big point to understand is that, we drank the kool-aid that made us DC citizens. We took the benefits and got sucked into the trap. If we correct the situation, we would get rid of big government. And get rid of a lot of interference in our lives. The DC government has no authority within the bounds of any state, except on federal enclaves, and over DC citizens.
Here's a government report about what authority the US government has within a state. Another long read. People better learn to study.
If you don't know your rights, you don't have any.
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Posted by Rasoir on 10/23/12 08:44 PM
Although Dr Ron Paul is in his last term, history will record that he was a vital proponent for freedom, upon whose work those who follow can build further. It was unlikely that enough Americans would be dragged off their sofas and sit-coms long enough to actually begin to think about their vanishing freedom. But people like Ron Paul tirelessly keep putting the message out there. Have we enough time? The dumbed-down generation only wants iPods, iPhones and i-gadgets. They have not awoken yet to the boiling frog technique, that is tightening the noose around their rights and their freedom, if I can mix a couple of metaphors. Who can carry the baton after Dr Paul moves on? This is a vital need, and an urgent consideration if someone in politics is to keep the freedom flame alive. The two majors parties are really one, and only the Libertarians can awaken the people to the imminent peril that is there. Let's not despair, but hold the line and fight the fight. We just need to get our friends, family and neighbours educated about what is happening, and encourage them to stand up for freedoms while they still can.
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Posted by speedygonzales on 10/23/12 07:09 PM
Liberal democracy - as you know, in the old days, we were saying we want socialism with a human face. Today's left effectively offers global capitalism with a human face, more tolerance, more rights and so on. So the question is, is this enough or not? Here I remain a Marxist: I think not.
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Posted by DwightMann on 10/23/12 03:29 PM
I am really worried about "Lame Duck" executive orders and laws pushed through by this crooked administration. Thank you Dr Paul, you are still at it, and that is a good thing. . .
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Posted by alexsemen on 10/23/12 03:08 PM
With all due respect, I can not believe.
People are so ignorant and malevolent that de Univers hydrigen is just one particle copairing with the imensity of the people stuoidity.
Nobody is interested in liberty. The rest is Coca Cola, Bill Gates GMO , Banks and Banksters and the guardians of our perfect prison .
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Posted by Col on 10/23/12 12:18 PM
If you agree with this article visit Access Now.
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