Comments on: Futurists: Feds to squash online freedom

By: Bogatama, Florence, OR

Bogatama, Florence, OR — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:10:04 +0000

I’d like a review of these futurists’ ability to adequately frame the future for us. What are their track records, not as a group but as individuals. It doesn’t take much insight to see that our lives in North America will continue to be more and more dependent on technology.

Just wondering how much credibility I should give this ‘prediction’ of disaster. But then, disaster predicters have always gotten the headlines, look at Chicken Little.

As far as an i911, look what Russian hacksters did to Estonia a couple years ago. Completely took the country’s internet offline. Granted, it was only a couple weeks. What would happen if the U.S.’s internet went offline for a couple weeks? By offline, I mean no IP traffic in or out of the country.

By: RDP, Seattle, WA

RDP, Seattle, WA — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 02:51:33 +0000

Warrantless wiretaps aren’t enough?

http://www.eff.org/nsa

By: NotComplaining TooLoud, Austin Texas

NotComplaining TooLoud, Austin Texas — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:26:46 +0000

But more importantly, will “government clampdown” really shut off the barrage of idiotic spam ?

Will the “government clampdown” really shut down the identity theft problem ?

Will the “government clampdown” really shut down the pornography industry ?

Ha !

By: NotComplaining TooLoud, Austin Texas

NotComplaining TooLoud, Austin Texas — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:23:23 +0000

If you want to preserve your freedoms then make your life so simple you need very little to be free.

Most of the whiners about the “government” are living high on the hog compared to most people in the world.

Will large-scale human-caused disasters happen in the future ? Sure will. No way to predict in advance who is responsible.

By: Carl Saint Louis Mo

Carl Saint Louis Mo — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:28:20 +0000

Marc
Working in IT in the fifth largest Electric Utility in the united states, i can tell you that we DO rely upon the ‘internet’ to maintain control of the power grid. A major loss in our VPN capability could in fact trigger a stability issue not unlike the east coast outage of a few years ago. It is a metter of how ‘perfect a storm’ could be created. The east coast blackout took all of 15 minutes to occur, and days to recover.

By: Marc, Hubbard, Ohio

Marc, Hubbard, Ohio — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 02:03:07 +0000

“Patrick, let’s not be naive. Cyberterrorism could affect the: electricity grid, financial markets (includes banking accounts-all linked by the Internet), personal documents (financial, educational, medical, you name it). Basic precautions? Unless you have your own power supply, bank, and no electronic links – then yes.”

This is the kind of paranoid fear-mongering that will be used to take control. Banks are EXTREMELY secure, encrypted and well protected. The power grid is also redundantly covered, and does NOT rely on the internet to maintain basic power (remember the Y2K scare that never happened?). Any large scale attack that was successful would HAVE to be done from the “inside”, by the government, for the express purpose of “clamping down” on those of us who are using the internet to expose the truth of the collectivist plans being executed every day by “big brother”.

By: Gary,Phoenix, Arizona

Gary,Phoenix, Arizona — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:54:34 +0000

If you really want to fear anything about technology related concerns, you might start thinking about artificial intellengence. How long before humans will only be an unneccessary nuisance.

By: Gregory Seattle, Wash.

Gregory Seattle, Wash. — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 05:07:56 +0000

I don’t understand how this should come as any surprise to anyone. And as for some future i-9/11 event…excuse me, but hasn’t one already occurred? What about the DDoS attack against Estonian businesses and government agencies in May of last year? It seems like the discussion from our so-called leaders about legislation centers around protecting us from terrorists…what about other countries? What’s to stop them from attacking us? A Patriot Act??? Oh for god’s sakes, let’s get real!

By: theantibush, honolulu, hawai'i

theantibush, honolulu, hawai'i — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:22:11 +0000

There is an entire generation of bumbling idiots in federal IT, in senior security positions, that don’t even know what a firewall is. You cannot speak for 2018 until you understand that the ones running the show then won’t be slaves to incompetent ‘no-can-do’ punch-card dinosaurs. They will have mercifully died out by then. Those fat, lazy dinosaurs no doubt will create their own cyber 9-11, and have many times over already. As for any enforcement before they retire, they will certainly screw that up in spades to boot. Expert…media fodder is all these ‘futurists’ are.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:39:07 +0000

you are all cowards you want stand up to the government. You are hiding in front of a computer your just big talk and no action.

By: Wolverine Taylor,Mi

Wolverine Taylor,Mi — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:07:23 +0000

Any i-9/11 event will be perpetrated by the MAD MEN running our government.

“If they hadn’t shot down the fourth plane it would’ve hit the dome,” Stone, a Navy officer, said in his opening remarks.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080723/ts_nm/guantanamo_hearings_hamdan_dc

There is always a way around anything that they can do.
I am sick of these fear mongering, lying bastards, who trample all over our Constitution.

By: AMERICA

AMERICA — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:34:28 +0000

I will fight for my freedom even if the foe is the US government.

People should not be afraid of their governments, governments should be afraid of their people.

I have no problems leading a new American revolution. Revolution is our right as Americans.

By: Paul South Florida

Paul South Florida — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:08:32 +0000

The future of the internet is already here.

http://www.searchtheentirecraigslist.com

Long name…Results you want.

By: chris Cantwell, Bradenton FL

chris Cantwell, Bradenton FL — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:44:02 +0000

Mobile economies sounds very interesting.

By: David, Louisville KY

David, Louisville KY — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:18:44 +0000

I concur some of the threats/risks are real from “cyberterrorism”. However, I fear far more the creeping powers provided by the Patriot Act (without a sunset provision) that are wheeled by those that believe the ends justify the means. To paraphrase Ben Franklin, a people willing to give up its freedom for temporary security normally gets what it deserves. People forget in the 50s and 60s the US Govt performed some pretty distasteful experiments on unknowing citizens in the name of national security, this is factual not fictional.

By: ANDROLOMA, Commerce City, Colorado

ANDROLOMA, Commerce City, Colorado — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:20:59 +0000

Beware of those who seek to protect us.

By: Ben, PA

Ben, PA — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:43:00 +0000

Patrick, let’s not be naive. Cyberterrorism could affect the: electricity grid, financial markets (includes banking accounts-all linked by the Internet), personal documents (financial, educational, medical, you name it). Basic precautions? Unless you have your own power supply, bank, and no electronic links – then yes.

By: Patriot, Colorado Springs, CO

Patriot, Colorado Springs, CO — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:23:58 +0000

i-911, that’s funny! FEAR FEAR FEAR… let’s give control to the terrorists… afterall I fear the liars in power here in the states more than religious extremests… actually the only religious extremists are the christians around here. lol

it would take one hell of a coordinated effort and if it happens, it couldn’t have happened without DARPA’s and homeland security’s help… kinda like the 911 false flag. get your head out America, turn off the TV, they’re trying to get you to buy into this NWO by making you think you NEED it!!! like we needed protection from Saddam’s WMD’s lol

By: Mitchell Stokely, Irving, TX

Mitchell Stokely, Irving, TX — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:17:19 +0000

I think all these predictions are correct. If you look at any emerging technology the last 150 years, they all went these directions based on changes, threats, consolidation, and growth (ie the railroad, electricity, automobiles, etc.) By far the mosting exciting future for the Web will be a Second Life-like world, where people begin to invest large amounts of their time and energy in new vitrual worlds online. I see this industry unfolding the next 10 years and becoming a huge presence around the world the next 50.

By: josh, IRVINE CA

josh, IRVINE CA — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:43:10 +0000

Well, the i-911 event will certainly be perpetrated by the government-or with thier knowledge- and a wink and a nod.Really no different than the 9-11 event which percipitated the draconian anti-constitution (UN)patriot act!