A Presidential Takeover Of The Internet-UPDATED

Did you ever see a headline and think to yourself, "when did we become Cuba?" Bill would give President emergency control of Internet is that kind of head shaking stunner that leads to a dumb founded "what?"

Internet companies and civil liberties groups were alarmed this spring when a U.S. Senate bill proposed handing the White House the power to disconnect private-sector computers from the Internet.

They're not much happier about a revised version that aides to Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, have spent months drafting behind closed doors. CNET News has obtained a copy of the 55-page draft of S.773 (excerpt), which still appears to permit the president to seize temporary control of private-sector networks during a so-called cybersecurity emergency.

The new version would allow the president to "declare a cybersecurity emergency" relating to "non-governmental" computer networks and do what's necessary to respond to the threat. Other sections of the proposal include a federal certification program for "cybersecurity professionals," and a requirement that certain computer systems and networks in the private sector be managed by people who have been awarded that license.

Reaction from Doug Ross:

Hey, it's only centralized government control of the Internet.

What could possibly go wrong with that?

In all seriousness: if you were elected President and wanted to transform the U.S. into a third-world banana republic like Venezuela, how would your policies differ from those of Obama?

Do we have any freedoms that off limits to the Obama administration? It is mind boggling that our congressmen would concentrate so much power in the presidency. This bill refers to private sector networks. Can you imagine that panic that would be caused if the administration seized control of our financial institutions' networks? What could go wrong? Plenty.

More at:

Memeorandum
The Other McCain
Right Wing News
The Jawa Report

UPDATE:

TrogloPundit gets the last word. Never let it be said that I don't know which side my bread is buttered on.