The Stasi down under – Oz democracy at risk with information restrictions
by Kismo Sunday, Nov 16 2008, 12:57am
international / mass media / commentary

The Murdoch-Rudd government of Australia is about to implement draconian censorship and information filtering measures on the internet, beginning ‘Christmas Eve’ – well timed, draco! Murdoch is more pissed off than most over the influence his media empire has had to concede to internet independents – bloody rabble!

Lacklustre: Rudd flanked by deputy Gillard, Treasurer Swan and Finance Min. Tanner

The neo-conservative movement failed to anticipate the ENORMOUS effect media independents – blogs, free presses, alternative newswires and social networking sites -- would have in shaping public opinion and effecting social change. The combined strength of media independents on the net helped demolish Bush and Howard -- regardless of the totally partisan support of the mainstream press! Obama’s success is an example of internet power utilised to support rather than expose/destroy! Unlike the mainstream media, the internet medium is NOT the message, CONTENT provides meaning and the message!

Confronted with a new, TRULY DEMOCRATIC communications reality, media moguls and other ‘information managers,’ embarked upon a number of strategies designed to regain their former influence. However, it soon became apparent that the style, tone and FREEDOM of expression that gives the internet its appeal was beyond the reach of the mass media. The mass media is forced to operate under a huge array of legal and other external and internal constraints.

Rather than compete on a level playing field and engage in stylistic anarchy and spontaneous free expression media moguls and others that view FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION as threatening, decided to implement the usual conservative CONTROL (anal) prohibitions on the internet.

However, as is always the case with fuck-knuckle conservatives, they failed to ‘think their problem through.’

China is the most infamous example nation that employs internet filtering techniques today, isn’t that right Cisco and Google?

Most users have heard of the ‘great firewall’ of China, which is an implementation of a wide network of systems (software) and hardware strategies designed to limit the information the Chinese population is able to freely access – eat your hearts out Washington and Canberra, you wanna be dictatorships! However, the limited success these measures have achieved in China is largely due to associated punitive legal measures that support internet information control! It is the fear of long jail terms and other barbaric punishments that prevent the majority from even attempting to circumvent the restrictions imposed by government – I would add it’s child’s play circumventing costly, cumbersome and inaccurate filter systems! In other words, without the associated legal penalties the system is doomed to fail – notwithstanding the Oz population would not tolerate punitive information related laws!

Other problems which arise from baldly planned filtering strategies include litigation when filtering errors result in injury or the loss of life (medical) and property damage attributed to automated safety systems adversely affected by faulty and IMPRECISE filtering. I am not about to elaborate in these areas as we advise consultants to the IT industry and millions in damages are potentially at risk!

Not the least negative impact awaits those companies actively engaged in the installation/implementation and maintenance of filtering technologies. The future viability of any company engaged in this extremely unAustralian act would be at risk!

Implementing such draconian strategies in a relatively free nation is fraught with innumerable problems; perhaps this is the reason the previous government chose to provide a free software package to be utilised at the discretion of the end user, liability is thus avoided.

Nevertheless, we should never underestimate the stupidity of a Labor puppet government; it was deputy PM Julia ‘Stasi’ Gillard who attempted to give Corporate bosses and managers access to the personal emails and other personal details of employees! The swift reaction from the public jolted even Stalinist ‘two cats fucking’ Gillard, back to reality.

In a land of ignorant yobbos, sweeping sycophants, brainless couch potatoes, incompetent politicians and a ROBUST LEGAL SYSTEM; internet filtering? We can’t wait!

[As for pathetic little errand boy, Conroy, eat your playlunch elsewhere if you know what’s good for you.]

See:
http://cleaves.zapto.org/news/story-1309.html

http://cleaves.zapto.org/news/story-143.html