Telegraph or The Internet by Craig Covello

A story was published November 21, 2009 on Fox news regarding memoranda hacked from a British climate research center.  At least one of these stolen emails suggested plans to hide data which could contradict current political policy for controlling carbon emissions.  It unfortunately showed a decline in temperatures which is at odds with the new global warming drumbeat.  Whether or not the e-mail was taken out of context, this incident definitely gave me pause to think about something that I find intuitively obvious.  Although some may not agree, I believe the following -

This is probably the worst possible time in all of recorded history to try to hide the truth because of....THE INTERNET

Our "information age" has gone into hyper-drive over the past few years.  We now have Twitter, Face Book, Google Sites, SMS text messaging, instant messaging, Skype, iChat and You Tube.  I personally have two cell phones, a pager and four computers (including a Mac).  Our great grandparents had:  the telegraph and carrier pigeons.  Given this remarkable advancement in technology, wouldn't it seem reasonable that it is much more difficult to tell a lie or suppress the truth these days?  This premise is based upon several assumptions -

1. We are paying attention to credible, investigative news sources (I think there are one or two left).

2. We have some common sense which the politically correct crowd probably finds neanderthal and offensive.

3. We know how to use a computer to surf the Internet.

4. We are not lazy.

5. We are not afraid to express our opinions in a public forum and respectfully disagree with others.

6. The Internet will not be shut down by the federal government.

Items one through five don't have me worried.  Item six, however, is another story.  All of us have been empowered to create, store and transport tremendous amounts of data, including pictures and even video.  We can send it to virtually anyone in the world for free.  Amazing stuff.  But this newly found communications empowerment is now at odds with the liberal agenda.  Americans are talking to each other like never before both locally and across great distances.  And the more we know about the current state of American politics, the more we are alarmed.  Free and open communication is clearly a threat to the small group of radicals currently working in the White House who want to control virtually every aspect of our lives.  Perhaps this is why Senate bill #773 was introduced by Senator John Rockefeller.  It would give the federal government legal right to shut down the Internet at its discretion under the guise of "national security".  Sounds a little like China, doesn't it?  Maybe that's why Anita Dunn finds comfort in the teachings of Chairman Mao.

There is, however, one factor that I don't think Anita or the rest of this administration understands.  Our country was founded on the concept of individual freedom.  Freedom of association, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom to own property and the freedom to make our own decisions and live with the consequences.

It was not founded to redistribute wealth, to bail out large corporations, to protect others from being offended, to enslave us in debt or to keep us in the dark.  We will not be kept in the dark.  We will not be blissfully ignorant.  We will not be afraid to ask relevant questions regarding the truth about our government's actions and motives.

Yes, I concede that:

Technical advancement in communications has made it easier to facilitate propaganda.  That's true, but the sword cuts both ways.  It is has also become much easier to root out bogus information.  We can now cross check questionable content using multiple sources in a matter of minutes.  It used to take days, weeks or months.

Private key encryption can be used to suppress information, even if "inquiring minds want to know."  Again, that's true, but all security systems have one vulnerability:  PEOPLE.  If there are one or more dissenters in the secure communication chain, they can always forward information in the clear.  It's called "copy/paste" and requires two keystrokes.  As with other forms of social networks, trust is built over time and credibility will be lost for those who disseminate misinformation.  That said, "copy/paste" is the new Gutenberg press.

I'm sure that Gutenberg never envisioned the power of video.  You may be old enough to remember some Haitian history in which occurred in 1984.  At that time, Jean-Claude "Baby-Doc" Duvalier and his wife Michele thought it was a good idea to televise a lavish May gala ball to the Haitian economically impoverished by setting up government-owned color television in the villages.  It was a big mistake.  Itentionally sharing the display of opulent wealth to starving people caused an uprising which eventually led to an overthrow of the dictatorship.  The Haitian people revolted because they knew too much.  The flames were further fanned by the arrogance of the government.

Sound familiar?  The Obama crowd has been rather arrogant themselves, but unlike the Duvalier's "in-your-face" public display, this administration has chosen to downplay government transparency.  After all, who needs a meddlesome constituency asking questions and raising objections that might get in the way of a liberal, if not communist agenda.

The trend may be shifting soon.  Thanks to the conservative Internet forums, blogs and news sources, we know too much.  Acorn, Van Jones, Mark Lloyd, Kevin Jennings and Anita Dunn are good examples.  Have you seen the US debt clock? http://www.usdebtclock.org/  The federal deficit is now more than $100,000 per taxpayer.  I did not know that a year ago.  And then there's the clips on You Tube, one of which shows manufacturing czar Ron Bloom proclaiming that the free market is "nonsense."  The list goes on and on, most recently with the administration's decision to try the 9/11 Muslim radical terrorists in New York while granting them the same legal rights afforded to U.S.citizens.

So here's the point.  This isn't Chicago in the 1920s.  The telegraph is out.  The Internet is in.  If the Obama administration believes it can stealthily operate behind the scenes ignoring the Constitution in order to bring about radical change that the majority of Americans find unacceptable, they are mistaken.  Just try shutting down the Internet and see what happens.   e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8

Copyright 2009 by Craig Covello.  Used with Permission.  All rights reserved
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