<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Well, it was a long time coming, but Bill Clinton has
finally made his move on the Internet.
Late last week, when reporters and members of
Congress were going home for the weekend, he issued
one of his now-famous executive orders -- this one on
"Internet conduct."
Like almost all such orders, it will sound quite
innocuous on a quick first read. But these guys in the
Clinton administration are clever. This action sets up a
working group of top U.S. officials to study the whole
concept of policing the Internet. No, Clinton doesn't use
that word, but that's clearly the intent of this order -- the
establishment of a national Internet police force.
But if you catch that much -- and few will -- then the
wording of this order is designed to make you relax
because the working group is simply going to write a
report! We all know government reports don't kill
people, right? Nobody gets hurt by a government
report unless they drop it on you.
However, let's take a look at what's being studied here:
No. 1 -- How the federal government can insinuate
itself into this revolutionary new medium. And, No. 2 --
How new technology tools, capabilities or legal
authorities may be required for effective investigation
and prosecution.
Let me repeat that last purpose behind this working
group and this executive order in the actual language
used by Clinton: "The extent to which new technology
tools, capabilities, or legal authorities may be required
for effective investigation and prosecution of unlawful
conduct that involves the use of the Internet."
Get it? "New technology" equals spying tools.
"Capabilities" means surveillance capabilities. And "legal
authorities" means Internet police.
You've got to understand the bureaucratic jargon here.
Think of me as your Clintonese translator. Remember,
this is a man who questions what the word "is" means.
You've got to leave this to the professionals -- and that
means me.
Now here's the other scary part of this executive order.
Normally with these task forces, the president allows a
year or more for study and reports. Not this time.
Guess what his deadline is?
"The Working Group shall complete its work to the
greatest extent possible and present its report and
recommendations to the President and Vice President
within 120 days of the date of this order," the executive
order states.
What! That means the report must be prepared before
the end of the year. I would suggest to you that this
means the report is already drafted. I would suggest
further evidence for that conclusion is that Clinton is
also requiring the committee to circulate the report to
federal agencies well before it comes to the White
House.
Why would he do that? Because the White House has
already seen it. The White House has written it.
Who's going to be a part of this working group? The
chairman is Janet Reno, and the members are most of
the important Cabinet officers. Do you really think those
guys and gals could draft a report on policing the
Internet in less than 120 days?
Uh-uh.
Something's up here, folks. Something smells really foul.
Now what do you suppose is in that future report?
Hillary once told us the Internet needed gatekeepers
and controls.
"We are all going to have to rethink how we deal with
this, because there are all these competing values,"
Hillary said last year. She also deplored the fact that the
Internet lacks "any kind of editing function or
gatekeeping function."
I think Clinton's about to make his move on our last
best hope for freedom -- the Internet. Methinks the
Internet is about to get an official editor or a
government gatekeeper.
[/quote]
------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes"
[This message has been edited by DC (edited August 10, 1999).]
finally made his move on the Internet.
Late last week, when reporters and members of
Congress were going home for the weekend, he issued
one of his now-famous executive orders -- this one on
"Internet conduct."
Like almost all such orders, it will sound quite
innocuous on a quick first read. But these guys in the
Clinton administration are clever. This action sets up a
working group of top U.S. officials to study the whole
concept of policing the Internet. No, Clinton doesn't use
that word, but that's clearly the intent of this order -- the
establishment of a national Internet police force.
But if you catch that much -- and few will -- then the
wording of this order is designed to make you relax
because the working group is simply going to write a
report! We all know government reports don't kill
people, right? Nobody gets hurt by a government
report unless they drop it on you.
However, let's take a look at what's being studied here:
No. 1 -- How the federal government can insinuate
itself into this revolutionary new medium. And, No. 2 --
How new technology tools, capabilities or legal
authorities may be required for effective investigation
and prosecution.
Let me repeat that last purpose behind this working
group and this executive order in the actual language
used by Clinton: "The extent to which new technology
tools, capabilities, or legal authorities may be required
for effective investigation and prosecution of unlawful
conduct that involves the use of the Internet."
Get it? "New technology" equals spying tools.
"Capabilities" means surveillance capabilities. And "legal
authorities" means Internet police.
You've got to understand the bureaucratic jargon here.
Think of me as your Clintonese translator. Remember,
this is a man who questions what the word "is" means.
You've got to leave this to the professionals -- and that
means me.
Now here's the other scary part of this executive order.
Normally with these task forces, the president allows a
year or more for study and reports. Not this time.
Guess what his deadline is?
"The Working Group shall complete its work to the
greatest extent possible and present its report and
recommendations to the President and Vice President
within 120 days of the date of this order," the executive
order states.
What! That means the report must be prepared before
the end of the year. I would suggest to you that this
means the report is already drafted. I would suggest
further evidence for that conclusion is that Clinton is
also requiring the committee to circulate the report to
federal agencies well before it comes to the White
House.
Why would he do that? Because the White House has
already seen it. The White House has written it.
Who's going to be a part of this working group? The
chairman is Janet Reno, and the members are most of
the important Cabinet officers. Do you really think those
guys and gals could draft a report on policing the
Internet in less than 120 days?
Uh-uh.
Something's up here, folks. Something smells really foul.
Now what do you suppose is in that future report?
Hillary once told us the Internet needed gatekeepers
and controls.
"We are all going to have to rethink how we deal with
this, because there are all these competing values,"
Hillary said last year. She also deplored the fact that the
Internet lacks "any kind of editing function or
gatekeeping function."
I think Clinton's about to make his move on our last
best hope for freedom -- the Internet. Methinks the
Internet is about to get an official editor or a
government gatekeeper.
[/quote]
------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes"
[This message has been edited by DC (edited August 10, 1999).]
