I predict the UK and other major European powers will follow suit within 12 months. Then on the heels of that, traditional, grass-roots, community level activism will flourish, although by necessity it will be of a more militant kind, as orthodox, insitutionalised protest is silenced progressively. The net result will be flashmobs folks, just like the MOD warned us about in 2007. If this ISN'T a plan to facilitate the conditions where most people will blindly accept world government totalitarianism, just what on Earth do you think it is?
QUOTE
French Government decides to censor the Internet
Keep your Égalité and Fraternité but shove your Liberté!
By Sylvie Barak
Tuesday, 10 June 2008, 7:48 PM
THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT has apparently decided that it doesn't much like being democratic, and that it would rather like to censor the Internet instead.
Not content with simply limiting itself to blocking despicable child sex abuse, a move three major ISPs in the US also agreed to today, the French government feels it necessary to go a radical step further and decide for its citizens whether or not they can view content it considers inappropriately racist and or linked to terrorism.
In fact, worse still is that any site is now game for a French blockade, as Sarkozy's government is inviting people to send in huge long lists of sites which offend their delicate sensibilities. The French government, which will purportedly be able to receive complaints from Internet users in real time, will be able to add sites to a so called "black list", which it will then force national ISPs to block.
The move, announced by France's Interior Minister, Michel Alliot-Marie, is France's way of showing it is indeed taking a strong stand against cyber-criminality, but it seems that the line between 'strong' and 'authoritarian' is a little fuzzy on this one.
Alliot-Marie, only caring to justify the block on child sex abuse sites, noted "Other democracies have done it. France could wait no longer". She added that all of France's Internet Service Providers had agreed to comply with the new regulations which go into effect as of September.
The minister vehemently denied that the French government was turning itself into "a Big Brother of the Internet" and promised that the "fundamental liberty that is Internet access" would continue to thrive. As long as people only see the sites the government allows them to see, of course.
Keep your Égalité and Fraternité but shove your Liberté!
By Sylvie Barak
Tuesday, 10 June 2008, 7:48 PM
THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT has apparently decided that it doesn't much like being democratic, and that it would rather like to censor the Internet instead.
Not content with simply limiting itself to blocking despicable child sex abuse, a move three major ISPs in the US also agreed to today, the French government feels it necessary to go a radical step further and decide for its citizens whether or not they can view content it considers inappropriately racist and or linked to terrorism.
In fact, worse still is that any site is now game for a French blockade, as Sarkozy's government is inviting people to send in huge long lists of sites which offend their delicate sensibilities. The French government, which will purportedly be able to receive complaints from Internet users in real time, will be able to add sites to a so called "black list", which it will then force national ISPs to block.
The move, announced by France's Interior Minister, Michel Alliot-Marie, is France's way of showing it is indeed taking a strong stand against cyber-criminality, but it seems that the line between 'strong' and 'authoritarian' is a little fuzzy on this one.
Alliot-Marie, only caring to justify the block on child sex abuse sites, noted "Other democracies have done it. France could wait no longer". She added that all of France's Internet Service Providers had agreed to comply with the new regulations which go into effect as of September.
The minister vehemently denied that the French government was turning itself into "a Big Brother of the Internet" and promised that the "fundamental liberty that is Internet access" would continue to thrive. As long as people only see the sites the government allows them to see, of course.
Original article post here at the inquirer.net.
Nothing to do with the post (you could argue), but Sarkozy's ancestral heritage is revealed here. If you live in France you might want to check it out right now while you still can! It's a big clue as to who's really behind much of this nonsense.
Two related stories from this week (they're sure on a roll these days):
New York attorney denies access to 100,000 Usenet groups - almost none of which have anything whatsoever to do with child porn
Anti-War protesters banned from protesting against war in London - more arbitrary restrictions on free expression
You had your fill of corporate fascism yet?