US Funding Stealth Internets to Circumvent Repressive Regimes 289
snydeq writes "The Obama administration is leading a global effort to deploy 'shadow' Internet and mobile phone systems that dissidents can use to undermine repressive governments that seek to silence them by censoring or shutting down telecommunications networks. According to a report from CBS News: '...by the end of the year the State Department will have spent $70 million on efforts to provide alternate pathways for dissidents to access the Internet and telecommunications services. One group received $2 million to develop an "Internet in a suitcase" that could be easily carried and set up in a foreign country.'"
Is it just me... (Score:5, Insightful)
...or doesn't this seem a little hypocritical in light of how the whole Wikileaks thing has been handled?
No it's not just you.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Pause..
how about we in the USA? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Is it just me... (Score:5, Insightful)
What's good for the goose (Score:5, Insightful)
I've read that parts of Anonymous also work on projects in this same vein. And that same facet of Anonymous is who carries out the DDoS attacks and other various distressing things. I wonder if the irony of sharing goals with Anonymous is completely lost on the US government. I expect probably so. Freedom abroad, a slow slide towards facism at home, that'll be the way of it.
Re:Is it just me... (Score:4, Insightful)
America the Land of Liberty! (Score:4, Insightful)
America the Land of Liberty*. Freeing the people from oppression**
*Note: Liberty is only available other countries.
**Does not count for people living in America
Re:No it's not just you.. (Score:2, Insightful)
They're not supplying freedom, they're supplying a means of communication that makes monitoring/shaping/manipulating events abroad easier and safer.
Re:Is it just me... (Score:5, Insightful)
Indeed. Government is a necessary evil. That government is best which governs least. The kind of thing you don't hear much anymore as it's gone out of style.
Re:No it's not just you.. (Score:5, Insightful)
we'd call those terrorists, and patriot-act them.
Re:Is it just me... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:how about we in the USA? (Score:5, Insightful)
The sad thing is recent behaviour of both democrats and republicans show that it doesn't make a difference which party rules. They just screw their population in slightly different ways, unless you have the cash to pay to screw.
The recent problem has been the heavy handed shutting down of sites without due process. Given the number of problem sites I can understand why they want to do this, but at the same time shouldn't there be some sort of transparency. Also, it would be nice if the US crack down of sites only affected sites in the USA and didn't impact what other countries see.
Re:Is it just me... (Score:2, Insightful)
I think the inherent issue here is approaching government as a "us vs them" issue, rather then considering that government, at least in a representative democracy (take the "it is a republic" somewhere else), is by the people for the people. As such, it is there to uphold the rules that the majority of the nation agrees upon (you anarchists and libertarians can keep quiet for now). The last couple of decades however it appears that corporations and other special interest groups have managed to co-opt this system. As such we are seeing laws being written that will make the majority of the people criminals. Did we not learn a thing from the failed attempt at prohibition?
Re:America the Land of Liberty! (Score:5, Insightful)
America the Land of Liberty*. Freeing the people from oppression**
*Note: Liberty is only available other countries.
**Does not count for people living in America
I'll bite.. Will I get thrown in jail for saying Obama is a dick? No? Oh, so I suppose I'll get sent to GITMO for saying that the government is crap? Won't happen?
I know, I'll get thrown in jail for traveling to another state without permission.. oh.. not happening either?
Prevented by the government from visiting or moving to another country? Damn, nope.. not that either..
Disallowed from owning guns, property, practicing my religion or protesting peacefully?
I'll find random politically objectionable websites filtered on a national scale? Well damn, not that either.
So what exactly is this oppression you're speaking of? I'm not saying it's perfect, but where is better and more free?
Re:propaganda (Score:3, Insightful)
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)