By Debbie Menon

It is particularly ironic, that the Internet is said to be the worst thing that ever happened to despots and dictators everywhere.

The USAF has suspended the activation of a Cyberspace Command, originally intended to assert Command and Control over all of Cyberspace, however they would define the term, which is a dangerous and frightening idea, inasmuch as no one has defined the bounds of Cyberspace, and such definition would hence be left up to those who would assert dominion and control over it employing whatever cyber weapons they might devise in order to do so.

That they have publically suspended the establishment of such a Command is of little relevance for, once having perceived the power to be gained by such dominion, and having bred the plan, you can take your bets; they shall not abandon it privately, or clandestinely.

Centuries ago, with the advent of Guttenberg, Martin Luther and the printed Bible, it became apparent to the world centres of greed, power, and control how important was the management and manipulation of information, and its effectiveness in guiding and controlling the masses by directing the formation of public images, values and opinions.  Groupthink, in Jungian and Orwellian terms; Brainwashing in modern psychological terms, and newspeak in government agency terms.

In the past century we have witnessed the domination of the Hollywood entertainment industry by powerful minority groups, and its evolution into an all encompassing "Infotainment industry" as the controlling forces expanded their domain to include the printed and the Video media.

We were presented the founding myths and the ideal images of America, the American and the American Family. We were presented with the myth of American Military and Paramilitary forces as Heroic World Policemen in the roles of John Wayne and Sylvester Stallone.  The myths of US Military Forces invincibility, dedication of service and rightness of purpose, in pursuit of the best of American ideals for the betterment of the poor and oppressed of the world.

GIs pass out chocolate bars and lollies to the children, when they are not busy machine gunning their parents in the bedrooms or upon their roofs as they defend their homes.

In the beginning, the takeovers and manipulation of the media in the US, was subtle, sugar-coated and hardly noticeable, as the educational matter presented, in company with a crippled and manipulated National Educational System gradually "dumbed down" the American and world public to a level where they hardly, if at all, detected the movement.

But some did.

And we and they rejoiced when along came the Internet, an uncontrolled, open, unlimited and unrestricted free-for-all medium, a rapid, efficient and all inclusive repository for and free and speedy medium for exchange of information.

Exchange of information, and an arena for the search of truth.  Two of the greatest and most effective enemies of oppression.

But, that was when the Government and the public paid lip service to the pretence of First Amendment principles of "Freedom and Democracy," the rights of humanity and world citizenry, and all of that mythological yarn.

This is no longer the case.  The US government seems to have dropped those pretences, taken the gloves off, and turned the management of this new free and uncontrolled medium over to the military for Command and Control.

Subtlety has never been a tactic in the quiver of military organizations or methods.  The simplest way through some obstacle is with a tank; the quickest way to reduce a fortress is with a ten pound Atom Bomb; the most effective way to subdue a people is to kill them all!

You can bet we shall hear more from the US Congress, The Executive, and the Military, and other worldly powers which be in alliance, on just how this medium is going to be "managed" to protect the citizens of the World from abuse, and how it will be backed by all the Guns, Force, Courts and Judiciary on Earth.

Management of any communications or information distribution system, under whatever guise is presented, is simply another means of covertly opening ports into another data gathering system with which to spy on everyone, including our own.  I might, in this case stress, "especially" our own!  Even, or especially, when they assure us of their "good intentions."

Mahatma Gandhi said then: "Journalism has become the art of "intelligent anticipation of events."  Perhaps we may yet wake up the sheeple.

 
About the author: Debbie Menon is an independent writer based in Dubai. She can be reached at debbie.menon@yahoo.com.

... Payvand News - 09/02/08 ...

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