Should the government be allowed to monitor the internet? Something that is an international thing, such as someone from the Netherlands coming to this forum to post, should the government of a single nation be allowed to monitor the internet? Should any government monitor the internet or should it just be left alone?
The government already does. Also, if you have trouble with harassment or anything of that nature online it isn't your local police who deal with it. It's the FBI. And I'm sure other governments watch it already too. If the internet is free for everyone to go on then why wouldn't they try to see what people are saying on it? As for if they should or shouldn't... Some people feel the freedom of anonymity are more loose lipped then they might be in person. The government already invades our privacy and rights as it is with the Patriot Act. If we allow them to do that with the Patriot Act then how do we stop them from watching what we do online?
People shouldn't be afraid of their governments.
Government should be afraid of the people.
The government better stay the heck out of my life, or it's Ed Brown time, ladies and gentlemen. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Lewis_Brown#Earlier_felony_convictions_and_pardon">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Lew ... and_pardon</a><!-- m -->
Quoting from V For Vendetta, Mr. Ireland.
I don't have much to hide online, nor am I visiting dangerous terrorist recruiting sites, do you?
If you don't, then there shouldn't be any trouble.
I don't see why they should be watching over everything, I mean, the internet most of all. What if i decided to learn more about why Al Qaeda exists and search it up on the internet? What if i accidentally click the Al Qaeda home page? Isn't this coming more towards communism like china where they can't look up certain stuff on the internet?
Then they monitor you for a few months, you become something of interest. If you keep actively searching for the terrorists organization, then they can bring you down under the Patriot Act. Heres something, don't look it up. Its that simple.
Quoting from V For Vendetta, Mr. Ireland.
I don't have much to hide online, nor am I visiting dangerous terrorist recruiting sites, do you?
If you don't, then there shouldn't be any trouble.
That's a ridiculous argument, the Democrats during the Watergate scandal weren't going to terrorist recruiting sites, yet they had their rights abused by Nixon when he sent his thugs to "investigate" their Democratic office.
The PATRIOT act is a way to curb all dissent of the government, just because Bush isn't using the full powers of the PATRIOT act right now IE take over the government, dissolve congress, LOOK IT UP, doesn't mean another president years from now won't or can't use it. Any attack of freedom ANYWHERE hurts the governments and lives of our children in the future.
ALSO DON'T YOU THINK THE PATRIOT ACT IS CLEVERLY NAMED... IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW IT THEN YOUR NOT A "PATRIOT"?
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YELL FEST!! If I don't follow the PATRIOT Act, then I'm not Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism, or... PATRIOT.
Yeah, and EVERYTHING in the Patriot Act is about fighting terrorism, RIGHTTTT.
We can't trust Bush and President Cheney about Iraq, why should we trust them about fighting terrorism?
What is their definition of terrorism, as it is decided by the president... sooner or later anybody that criticizes the administration is a terrorist.
This government is a terrorist government, frightening anyone and everyone who dares criticize their policies and conniving ways, such as :arrow: not declaring the Iraq "War", just like Vietnam and Korea, domestic spying on American citizens without a warrant, through the internet and by phones, and dozens of other abuses of power. WE ARE BECOMING THE NEW ROMAN EMPIRE DEATH TO THE TYRANT.
Don't get me wrong, Ireland, I do not favor this government as well. But as for people with your....state of mind, every person who goes into office is bad. The reason democrats in the 60's couldn't go to terrorist recruiting sites is because, well, they didn't exist. The internet didn't exist either. And not much terrorism was going on in the world. Yeah, what Nixon did was bad, but all a humans rights are rules written down on paper. As long as my fingernails aren't getting pulled out, then I have no problem with them watching me.
I won't turn this into a political argument against the current government, if you want, you can go ahead and start a new thread about it, and I will debate you there. But, if watching the internet and violating my rights keeps a nuclear bomb out of my city, then by all means, go ahead and do it.