Assange: Internet Can Increase Transparency or Tyranny

Photo Credit: AFP


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The internet is the "greatest spying machine the world has ever seen" and is not a technology that necessarily favours the freedom of speech, the WikiLeaks co-founder, Julian Assange, has claimed in a rare public appearance.

Assange acknowledged that the web could allow greater government transparency and better co-operation between activists, but said it gave authorities their best ever opportunity to monitor and catch dissidents.

"While the internet has in some ways an ability to let us know to an unprecedented level what government is doing, and to let us co-operate with each other to hold repressive governments and repressive corporations to account, it is also the greatest spying machine the world has ever seen," he told students at Cambridge University. Hundreds queued for hours to attend.

He continued: "It [the web] is not a technology that favours freedom of speech. It is not a technology that favours human rights. It is not a technology that favours civil life. Rather it is a technology that can be used to set up a totalitarian spying regime, the likes of which we have never seen. Or, on the other hand, taken by us, taken by activists, and taken by all those who want a different trajectory for the technological world, it can be something we all hope for."

Assange also suggested that Facebook and Twitter played less of a role in the unrest in the Middle East than has previously been argued by social media commentators and politicians.

He said: "Yes [Twitter and Facebook] did play a part, although not nearly as large a part as al-Jazeera. But the guide produced by Egyptian revolutionaries … says on the first page, 'Do not use Facebook and Twitter', and says on the last page, 'Do not use Facebook and Twitter'.

"There is a reason for that. There was actually a Facebook revolt in Cairo three or four years ago. It was very small … after it, Facebook was used to round-up all the principal participants. They were then beaten, interrogated and incarcerated."

Assange said that cables released by WikiLeaks played a key role in both fomenting unrest in the Middle East and forcing the US government not to back former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

Assange said diplomatic cables concerning US attitudes to the former Tunisian regime had given strength to revolutionary forces across the region.

"The Tunisian cables showed clearly that if it came down to it, the US, if it came down to a fight between the military on the one hand, and Ben Ali's political regime on the other, the US would probably support the military."

He continued: "That is something that must have also caused neighbouring countries to Tunisia some thought: that is that if they militarily intervened, they may not be on the same side as the United States."

Assange, who is appealing against his extradition to Sweden on alleged sex charges, said the WikiLeaks releases had also forced the US to drop their tacit support of Mubarak.

"As a result of releasing cables about Suleiman [the vice-president of Egypt under Mubarak], the US and Israel's preferred option for regime takeover in Egypt, as a result of releasing cables about Mubarak's approval of Suleiman's torture methods, it was not possible for Joseph Biden to [repeat his earlier claim that Mubarak was not a dictator]. It was not possible for Hillary Clinton to publicly come out and support Mubarak's regime."

Responding to a question about Bradley Manning, the US soldier incarcerated for allegedly leaking classified information, Assange said: "We have no idea whether he is one of our sources. All our technology is geared up to make sure we have no idea."

Islamists Envision Internet Takeover

Islamic Supremacists Envision a Takeover of the Internet Pamela Geller, American Thinker

It was hardly noticed at the time, but its consequences could be catastrophic. Late last September, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which assigns internet domain names, approved a huge change in the way it operates . Europe and North America will now have five seats on its Board of Directors, instead of ten, and a new "Arab States" region will have five seats as well.

At icann
How big a deal is this? ICANN at the same time took a reference to "terrorism" out of its Draft Applicant Guidebook. Why? Because Arab groups complained. And so now jihad terror websites can grow and prosper, as ICANN has removed its own ability to police them.

This has been a long time coming.

Back in October 2009 , I warned of a seismic transformation in internet regulation and free speech. Under the transnational-happy Obama administration, the U.S. relinquished control of the net at that time. ICANN ended its agreement with the U.S. government.

If not America, who? Now we know the answer to that. The new agreement gave other countries (including dictatorships and rogue nations) and the U.N. the ability to set internet use policies. At the time, I wrote, "[W]atch for Sharia law to find its way into this."

Well, that didn't take long. The ICANN action in September gave the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and other unfriendly nations a prominent internet role -- something they never could get during the administration of George W. Bush.

News analyst Daniel Greenfield explains:

The OIC has already effectively used the UN to push its censorship agenda. But the UN is virtually toothless when it comes to the United States. However if the Muslim world can dominate ICANN the way it dominates the UN General Assembly, then free speech on the internet is dead.

In practice, the new arrangement makes it much easier for Muslim countries to dictate what stays on the internet and what doesn't. The removal of the material about "terrorism" was just muscle-flexing; there is much more of that kind of censorship coming. If this stands, anti-jihad sites like my own site AtlasShrugs.com and the JihadWatch.org site run by my colleague Robert Spencer will likely lose their domain names. It will become harder and harder to find the truth about jihad activity, or any resistance to it, on the internet or anywhere else.

Why is this necessary at all? Why should the U.S. relinquish control of its own invention? The internet was our extraordinary gift to the world. We kept it free. And now, like some depraved drunk, we are tossing it away and relinquishing control to the vultures and destroyers.

The new "net neutrality" rules approved last week by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will just make that easier as well. Columnist Jonathan Gurwitz explains:

Net neutrality is anything but neutral. It takes the operation of the Internet away from the heterogeneous and diversified interests of the private sector that has created it and concentrates it in the hands of an unelected and unaccountable board of political appointees atop a federal bureaucracy.


"Few proposals in Washington have been sold employing such deceptive language - and that's saying something," observed James G. Lakely, the co-director of the Center on the Digital Economy for the Heartland Institute, a free-market think-tank. "But few public policy ideas can boast the unashamedly socialist pedigree of net neutrality."

Impeachable - BJ Tells It Like It Is

From BJ:

I appreciate everything you do in the name of Freedom and Liberty.

The first set of Documents WikiLeaks released earlier this year, I didn't make it my duty to read them (because I read everything). I am in my 60's, well informed -know American History, world history, understand how governments work, and I know that if this Government worked the way the US Constitution intended, we would be in good shape. However, I digress. I didn't read the first set of WL's. I remember thinking at the time, why the US Government, which would mean the WH, USSD, NSA, US Justice Department, and it GWOS the WH, refused to do anything.

Now, we have the 2nd set of Wikileaks (involving literally hundreds of thousands of documents), which this Government has known was coming for some time now. I DID read most of these documents this time, and I can tell you this one thing and that is his: Mr. Julian Assange (along with some 22-year-old Private in the US Army) did not do this alone. I realize that computer hackers are good at what they do: Mr. Assange DID NOT get his hands on literally 100's of thousands of Documents from the U S State Department, etc., without someone in upper levels of Government (with Obama's WH), and Holder's Justice Department, turning a blind eye and a deaf ear. It simply cannot be done. You will not see any serious investigations by Holder's (traitor to his core) I consider Obama, as well as Holder guilty of Treason of the highest order. Of course, I consider B. Hussein Mohamed Obama to be America's number one enemy.

Basically, this would have NEVER happened under a Reagan Administration.

We all know that Obama's goal is to fundamentally change America, and bring it to its knees. We also know that George Soros' number one goal is to destroy our Republic. If I am not mistaken Mr. Soros is a member of The Open Society Organization as is Mr. Assange. I believe the WikiLeaks (parts 1 and 2) were orchestrated by GS. How would Julian Assange manage to release all these Top Secret Documents, which basically spills the beans on what America thinks about everyone of our enemies and our Allies wiout the help of someone with very deep pockets, if you get my drift. How does Assange stay alive, where does he get his money. Who pays for his lawyer. Some guy from Australia, aided by a private in the USARMY does this. Simply cannot be none. Obama (with GS's help) allowed this to happen.

Think about this: TSA - I have seen pictures of people at the Airports, whose 4th Amendment rights are being seriously violated. WTP are being conditioned to accept the strong arm of the Government. DHS is already taking their Gestapo to Buses, Trains, Boats - next thing you will have intra-state check points, then interstate check points. Its coming. Then, this past week-end, the WH ordered DHS via ICE to simply go in and SEIZE 75 domain sites, without any warrants, nothing. The people who owned these Domains had no clue they had violated any laws. The FEDS just went in and S h u t T h e m D o w n!!!!!! Because they could. Last time I checked, ICE was supposed to help enforce illegal immigration. The excuse DHS used was Copy Right Infringement, but if that was the case, that comes under the Department of Justice.

We all know that Obama wants control of the Internet. He wants the Kill Switch. He definitely sees the Alternative Media as his enemy. He basically controls TV News, National newspapers, etc. I definitely believe that Obama has been and continues to be well aware of WikiLeaks. He is the enemy within. He basically is in the process (moving at a lightening pace) of putting the boot to WTP throat. The hammer is coming down. Control of the Internet would be a dream come true for BHO.

In closing, I called Senators J. Cornyn was well as Sessions, Coburn, Hatch, etc. pertaining to Voting For Censor of the Internet, and with one exception none of these people had heard of the FEDS seizing 75 Domain addresses this week-end.

Take care, and may God continue to bless you and your family. May God bless our Country.
Posted by Atlas Shrugs

China: To Be Human

'China: #Tanzuoren - to be human'
by Oi wan Lam, Global Voices

Chinese activist Tan Zuoren was sentenced to 5 year imprisonment and 3 year deprivation of political rights this morning under the charge of inciting subversion of state power. Tan was involved in the investigation of the relation between bean dregs school buildings and the death of school children in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake by interviewing the parents and compiling a victim list. He was arrested last year and the investigation was stopped accordingly. In his first trial, the evident that the prosecutor presented was mainly about his interviews with overseas media about the earthquake. However, all the proceedings today were linked to June 4th incident. A diary about the June 4th Incident published back in 2007 and email communication with overseas Chinese dissident Wang Dang through his yahoo.cn email were presented as evidences. His verdict was read out in less than 10 minutes. (more from AFP)

Although the news has been harmonized in mainland China, many concerned citizens expressed their anger through twitter. Below is a selected translation of the twitter hastag #tanzouren, and the tweets are arranged according to the time line from 9am - 4pm.

Yahoo.cn sells out Tan Zouren, again?

E-mail providers in China have to follow local regulation even though the charges are purely political prosecution and it is not the first time Yahoo.cn has betrayed their clients in exchange for the China market.

daaitoulaam: No wonder Alibaba said Yahoo US was over the line for supporting Google against Chinese govt. Alibaba's Yahoo.cn sells out #tanzuoren, huh?

ruanji 美国雅虎虽然不直接经营中国雅虎，暂时作为一个投入10亿资金的大股东，也应该受到谴责。 #tanzuoren

ruanji Although yahoo.com does not directly manage yahoo.cn but it is a major stock holder and has invested more than a billion in the business. It should be condemned as well.

secretaryzhang “境外敌对分子王丹利用电子邮件与谭作人主动联系”，谭作人使用的邮箱是雅虎中国 zuoren54@yahoo.com.cn #tanzuoren

secretaryzhang "overseas enemy Wang Dang has contacted Tan Zuoren via email", and Tan's email is yahoo.cn: zuoren54@yahoo.com.cn


Anger

Satantara 眼泪无助，愤怒廉价。愤怒会养出心中的暴力政治。民主政治是没有敌人和仇恨的政治( #tanzuoren 语)。他们自己在颠覆自己，不稀你我动手。不说谎，让更多的人知道事实，真相自有万钧之力，改变终会到来。

Satantara No use shedding tear and it is too easy to be angry. Anger will nourish violence. Democracy should not have enemy nor resentment (#tanzouren's expression). They are subverting themselves, we don't need to do that. We do not lie in order let more people knowing the truth. Truth is the most powerful weapon and change will eventually come.

hkxforce 為何揭露豆腐渣工程會是煽動顛覆國家政權罪？因為這個政權本身就是豆腐渣政權。 #tanzuoren

hkxforce Why the exposure of bean dregs construction becomes inciting subversion of state power? because this very state power is a bean dregs power bloc.

szeyan1220 @28481k @LEMONed 高智晟「失踪」，胡佳3年，刘晓波11年，谭作人5年。起到了多大的威吓作用？唤醒了多少人？我只知道，这是一场持久战，而我无论如何不会认输。历史会审判你们。 #tanzuoren

szeyan1220 @28481k @LEMONed Gao Zhisheng vanished, Hu Jia sentenced to 3 years, Liu Xiaobo 11 years, Tan Zuoren 5 years. How many people it has intimated? How many people it has awakened? This is a long term battle and I will not be defeated. History will be the judge.

Feng2084 呼唤非暴力不合作抗争,從今天起，我厭惡任何與暴政苟合的活動！ #tanzuoren

Feng2084 let's call for non-violent civil disobedient act. I despise any act that gives legitimation to the absolute state.

No justice no peace

noooo0000 颠覆颠覆颠覆颠覆颠覆颠覆颠覆颠覆颠覆颠覆颠覆颠覆颠覆颠覆颠覆颠覆颠覆颠覆..........我就是想颠覆!!!我极想颠覆!!!我必颠覆!!! 一生的梦想--颠覆你!!! #tanzuoren

noooo0000 subversion subversion subversion subversion subversion subversion subversion... I want to subvert!!! I really want to subvert!!! I have to subvert!!! All I am dreaming of is to subvert you!!!

dgatterdam Chinese Government, you imprison your Heros, NO JUSTICE NO PEACE! NO JUSTICE NO PEACE NO JUSTICE NO PEACE #tanzuoren

AlChowh I support any measure to change the status quo,peaceful or violent!!!!#Tanzuoren

sanrencn 我们不能被压制而不反抗，我们不能被淹没，而不呐喊。我们微弱的抗议迟早会壮大起来踏平中共的无道 #Tanzuoren

sanrencn We have to fight back when repressed; we have to scream when drowned. Our small resistance will eventual grow into a strong force that defeat the tyranny of the CCP.

gjlawyer 宣判谭作人之后，这个大地上没有了良知，良知被谭作人带进了牢房；宣判谭作人之后，这个大地上没有了正义，正义是谭作人脚下沉重的铁镣。——恸哭中 via (@cuiweiping) #Tanzuoren

gjlawyer conscience has vanished along with the sentence of Tan Zuoren, Tan brings conscience along with him into the prison; justice has vanished along with the sentence of Tan Zuoren, justice has turned into Tan's heavy foot chain. -- crying out loud via (@cuiweiping)

dante1184 中共正在挑战全中国人的心理极限，追求全人类的无耻之最。畜生不如。去死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死死！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！ #tanzuoren

dante1184 The CCP is testing the limit of Chinese's people's tolerance and it is competing for the most shameless being in this world. It is worse than animal. Go to hell hell hell hell hell hell hell hell hell hell hell hell hell !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Subverting the state with diaries

wglxh They say Tan's diaries may subvert the government. I think they mean the government of, for, and by perverts. #Tanzuoren

mranti A tweet is a mini-diary - if a diary can "subvert" a govt. #Tanzuoren

wdrdog 颠覆国家政权，最高可以判处死刑，你我这些 #Twitter 上的发言，都够这个罪，只要他们这样认为。 我们的小命，就这样和谭作人刘晓波们连在了一起。 #Tanzuoren

wdrdog subverting the state power, the maximum sentence can be life imprisonment. What you and me have said in #Twitter can be charged with subversion if they want. Our lives are connected with Tan Zuoren and Liu Xiaobo.

To be human

Feng2084 #tanzuoren 當一個個公民面對強權貪腐的垭口失言噤聲，对生命的哀鸿接近麻木的時候，是你站了出來，然而他們今天對你的審判，是卑鄙与无耻对良知与正义的审判，也是对我们的审判，在这一个罪恶的国家里，我们都有罪。

Feng2084 when citizens were speechless towards the corrupted power, when they were indifferent towards life, you stood out. They have judged you today, it is a judgment of banality and shamelessness towards conscience and justice, it is also a judgment on everyone of us. In an evil country, we all have sin.

wglxh 所有的老师，都是在以各种方式给孩子们给学生们个说法。今天审判谭作人，是审判所有想给下一代一个说法的人。 #Tanzuoren

wglxh every teacher tries to explain the truth to our children and pupils. Today's judgment on Tan Zuoren is also a judgment towards those who try to deliver the truth to our next generation.

horse 今天检查的是我们“作人”的底限在哪里。一起来“作人”吧。 #Tanzuoren

horse today is a test on the baseline of our "being human", let's "be human". (Translator notes: the pronunciation of Tan Zuoren is similar to "Talk about being human" in English.)

Dissent Means Strength

When an Israeli exercises his right to free speech he risks an avalanche of criticism. Much of it questions his right to live and his nation’s right to exist.
Most of the world’s population looks upon dissent as subversion. They brand the members of the opposition as traitors to their own country. They say dissent gives aid and comfort to the enemy.
In their view, a wide range of public opinion shows weaknesses that can be exploited for propaganda purposes. It’s a matter of gaining a temporary advantage in a 61-year war that never ends.
Elongated conflicts can devastate liberty. One can consider the demise of free speech in the USA as an example. She is virtually a communist corporate state. It is amazing Israel has managed to survive as the only Middle East democracy. The lively resistance to the state incursions on the Internet bodes well for Israel in the long term.

When the KGB Fights the CIA

After 47 years, the Organization of American States has lifted its ban on Cuba's admission from the group, with most member states restoring ties with the island nation. The United States, which still maintains a trade embargo against Cuba, was the notable exception, as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham-Clinton advocated for democratic and human rights reforms in Cuba as pre-requisites to the island's readmission. But the opinions of other hemispheric leaders, some of which were previewed at the recent 5th Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, won out. Cuba is free to be part of the OAS - despite its leadership's statements suggesting that it has no interest in returning.

When the KGB fights the CIA, the police always win in the end.
Joaquin Sabina
This is not the first time I’ve heard that MSN Messenger is blocked for Cuban users. Almost three years ago a friend furtively sneaked me into a state office where she worked so I could connect to the Internet. I wanted to write an article and I was missing some data, so I asked for a few minutes in front of an obsolete computer at her company. Those were the days when I pretended to be a tourist to connect to the network at hotels, and that week I didn’t have the convertible pesos to pay for an hour of access.
My friend read me the list of what was prohibited on that institutional connection and added that MSN wasn’t working because it had been blocked for months. “You can’t use any email or chat services that aren’t local,” and “don’t even think about going to El Nuevo Herald,” she said, eyes open wide. When I asked about the limitations on chatting with Microsoft software she explained that I should not use any interface that the network administrators couldn’t control. Hotmail was banned because it was almost impenetrable to the recording software that kept a record of all the employees’ correspondence. A little bit later Yahoo and GMail would also be banned at work and educational connections for the same reason.
Now the prohibition comes from the other side, precisely on the part of those who built a program that helps us escape government control. “Windows Live Messenger IM has been disabled for users in countries embargoed by the United States,” reads the note that Microsoft published announcing the cut off. I feel with that once again we citizens lose out, because our government has its own channels for communicating with the rest of the world. This, clearly, is a blow to internet users, we outlaws of the web, which includes nearly everyone who accesses the Internet from Cuba. Surely at the company where my friend works the censor who monitors the connections must be delighted: Microsoft has just done his work for him.

Internet Censorship

Sixty years of brain washing and information control have pretty much sapped Americans of the desire to stand up and be heard. Almost as important, they have lost the ability to be heard to communicate.
Joining any blogging outfit one usually can observe a remarkable absence of debate. The participants often contribute cut and paste jobs from the mass media. Hardly a town hall experience, the talking heads of television have drummed the government's press releases into the minds of the populace.
To experience the freedom of speech potential of the Internet, the blogger can surf overseas. If he lacks foreign language skills, he can get English translations from the likes of Global Voices and Blogspot.
Attend the spirit of the young Egyptians who oppose Mubarek and the Arabs who stand against the Israeli line. You may even learn that Muqtada al Sadr embodies Iraq's best chance for freedom.