trickybeck wrote:
Sir Exodus wrote:
Sorry if this was posted already since it's two days old and yeah, my source isn't exactly stellar, but it still makes me wonder.
http://www.phillyd.tv/2009/04/14/obama-owns-your-interwebs/
Why the hell did they make a youtube video out of a written article? Are people that illiterate?
Yeah. It drive me nuts when people link to a video of a news story instead of the actual written story.
Quote:
Also, everything on the page blames Obama of course, when the bill was introduced by a Democratic and a Republican senator.
Haven't looked at the details, so I'm not going to automatically toss out an "OMGZ!!!" response. My understanding is that most of the alarm over this isn't the concept itself, but the vagueness of the criteria under which the powers could be used. I also believe there's a section which grants not just the power to turn off the internet, but basically collect data domestically (yes. This is "actual" domestic spying folks) as part of the emergency powers.
It's the details of the language, not the basic idea. We already have similar powers set up which the executive can use in other situations. The president can close off interstate highways, deputize various agencies, enforce curfews and search/seizure, and mobilize a whole host of federal organizations during a declared emergency, but the law is *really* clear what kinds of things constitute an emergency and what sort of documents and findings have to be present to allow one to be declared. This bill is waaaay too vague in those areas for many people's comfort level.
Edited, Apr 17th 2009 6:57pm by gbaji