Kill Switch

This appears at Neal Boortz today

There has been a lot of talk lately about this Internet kill switch that is being proposed in Congress. The legislation proposed by Joe Lieberman and Susan Collins would give the President of the United States the power to shut down the Internet. This would supposedly only be used in the event of a great cyber emergency. Now I use the word "supposedly" because I think we all know of the concept of unintended consequences from bad legislation. I'm not questioning the motives of Susan Collins or Joe Lieberman, but I am questioning the possible bad intentions of people who would have their hands on the switch in the future. Let's take Barack Obama, for instance. There is not a doubt in my mind that Obama would come up with some reason to use the Internet kill switch. If it suited a political purpose of hits. Despots, and I do consider Barack Obama to be a despot, will always look for an excuse to interrupt the free flow of information and communication. I'm sorry if my opinion, my low opinion, of Barack Obama offends you; but that's just the way it's. And actually, I'm not sorry. You should wake up as well.

Here's more about this at CNet.

There's nothing like a whole-country Internet disconnect to focus attention on how a so-called "kill switch" would work.

While proposals to give President Obama emergency authority to disconnect privately owned computers from the Internet have circulating on Capitol Hill for a few years, last week's news about Egypt pulling the plug on its Net-connection focused new attention on the topic. (On January 24, CNET was the first to report that the legislation will return this year.)

Legendary technology columnist John C. Dvorak warned that such a proposal "gives the president the power to literally kill the Internet." Investor's Business Daily noted the emergency procedures would be overseen by the Department of Homeland Security, "the same people who think enhanced pat-downs and groping our junk are necessary evils." Canada's National Post concluded, with mild understatement, the timing was "awkward."