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January 28, 2011

Egypt Shows How Easily Internet Can Be Silenced - CNBC


So let's give the government a "Kill Switch" over electronic communication. What could possibly go wrong with that?

Egypt Shows How Easily Internet Can Be Silenced - CNBC

6 comments:

LL said...

Somewhere between the plurality and the majority of muslims in these nations want Islamist-Sharia compliant governments. I am torn between what I consider to be the rational reaction of Mubarak, faced with a fundamentalist Muslim civil war against his constituted government -- and my libertarian fear of arbitrary and capricious actions by my own government that may be aimed at "us".

Anonymous said...

I share the same concerns, LL. I'm also concerned for the security of Israel and access to the Suez Canal.

Unknown said...

Frightening reality check of how easily we could be cut off from communicating with (and planning, helping, or supporting) each other.

Hmmm. Ham radio anyone?

Anonymous said...

Did somebody mention ham?

sig94 said...

LL -same here. A few more things to consider:
1) One out of every nine jobs in Egypt is in tourism.
2) The Egyptian unemployment rate is almost 10%.
3) 87% of Egypt's unemployed are between the ages of 15 and 29.
4) The Sudanese referendum will have as uncertain effect it it's closest neighbor, Egypt, where tens of thousands of Christian Sudanese refugees have sought safety.

Egypt sought to delay the referendum because they feared that if the new nation failed, it could jeopardize access to the Nile's head waters (thnx to WikiLeaks for getting these diplomatic cables out).
'The cable outlined Cairo's warnings that a southern vote for independence in 2011 could have "fatal implications," including destabilizing the Horn of Africa, causing an influx of migrants to Egypt, and hurting Suez Canal revenues.'

As troubles mount in Egypt, look to see unemployment skyrocket as tourism shuts down because of violence. And it will have the greatest effect on those age groups who are most likely to become involved in jihad.

Sounds like a plan, doesn't it?

Quite Rightly said...

It looks like Francis Fox Piven's dream scenario--without the socialism.