Why do democrats want to give Obama the power to disconnect people and businesses from the Internet?

Question

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.

Is this giving the president way too much power? Should the president be able to implement a news blackout over the internet so people and companies cannot communicate?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10320096-38.html

Answer 1

They just love his censorship , they actually believe he won't turn on them too, that he just wants to clean up the right wing, if he pulls the gateways and the Net goes, they will curl up in fetal positions and cry

Answer 2

OK, the scenario is a foreign entity hacks into a banks network, the US finds out about it and we want to authorize our executive branch to react to the perceived threat. OK, I can understand that (with some misgivings - US not very good at cybersecurity compared to banks).



The question is what safe guards do we have against gov tyranny?

I propose:

- Any use of this authority must be announced no later than one week after implementation followed by a full judicial/congressional review.

- All information taken from the bank must be sequestered and destroyed following the inquiry.

- Misuse of this power is grounds for impeachment (this should be written in the bill)

- Industries may opt out of this voluntary protection (I mean really, where is the Constitutional power for this?)

- Any damages incurred by the industry must be covered by the gov. This amount should be calculated and printed onr everyones tax return.

Answer 3

No...you're right...it's MUCH better to have no plan or preparedness at ALL and only figure out after the fact what to do if Cyber-terrorists take over the Power grid, the Air Traffic Control system, the Banking computers or the Federal Government systems or the Nuclear control facilities systems and crash them. It would be a good experiment not to prepare and just SEE how many planes they can crash, or how many cities they can kill the power to...don't you think?



You are being short-sighted and naive if you don't think that a cyber-attack on our infrastructure can do just as much damages as bombs can.

Answer 4

I would have just a much a problem with that if PASSED INTO LAW, as I did with Bush's executive order criminalizing the anti-war movement, which we didn't even get to vote on. http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=6377

Answer 5

Now get ready for the "we have to do this now before our enemies tap into our banking system." "The rest of the world is doing it, and if we don't let our president they will all laugh at us." and the one all Dems/Libs love to follow, "It's for your own good, Remember it's called change."

Whats next? You must quarter and house a platoon of the obama citizen army in each of your cities. For your own protection!

Answer 6

Aren't you one of those who were screaming at the top of your lungs for eight years that whatever the government needed to do for "national security" was hunkey-dorey with you?

Answer 7

They believe in a totalitarian ideology where the government controls everything. Think of the society in "V for Vendetta"

Answer 8

It's all about control. Just his health care plan is not about making sure the poor have health care. It's about controlling you from cradle to grave.

Answer 9

WHY do you think that the same power hasn't always been there?

I won't even attempt to explain to you what would happen to the entire country if foreign countries hack into the banking or utility infrastructure.

Nah. More fun for you to see this as targeting you.

Answer 10

Because they want to control the people and to stifle the opposition - just like Chavez, and Castro.

Answer 11

Bush-lite.