SOPA, the Stop Online Privacy Act working its way through the U.S. Congress faces severe opposition today in the form of an online blackout of some of the webs most visible presences, including such giants as Wikipedia and Google.
The act, promoted as a tool to combat intellectual content theft and online piracy, if passed into law, would give the U.S. Government unprecedented power to disrupt the free flow of information over the world-wide web, holding hosting services liable for the illegal content of any website they host.
Online piracy is a problem, no doubt. Intellectual property must be protected, but using a sledge hammer to pound a 16 penny nail is not only inefficient—it is downright dangerous. We already have laws on the books penalizing intellectual property pirates, but like many such laws they are arbitrarily and sporadically enforced. Why go after the individual perpetrator when it’s far simpler to shut down an entire website. It’s a tough question.
The problem in the SOPA approach is that it’s merely the first step on the slippery slope of internet censorship. Today it’s online pirates, tomorrow it’s news content—who’s to say where it will stop.
Information is power. To control the flow of information governments have gone to great lengths, including coercion, bribery and murder, to hinder the truth from reaching the light of day, and any legislation which gives any government the means of fettering the flow entrenches their power while lessening our ability to protect ourselves from their excesses.
I make no bones about it and offer no apologies—I do not trust politicians. Period. The only politician I want to see in an elective office is one who’s had to be drug, kicking and screaming, to that office. If you campaign on your own behalf, in my book you are immediately suspect. Altruism is not alive and well in our political process. Professing a burning desire to sacrifice one’s self on the alter of “public service” is clever misdirection. In our present political climate it’s all about “self-service.” There is a reason someone is willing to spend multiple millions of dollars to get themselves elected to a position which will pay a relative pittance—they do it because of the financial benefit inherent in holding that office.
Generalizations are fallacious, at best. There are certainly politicians of high moral character and impeccable integrity. The sad truth, though, is that they are few and far between. I personally don’t want my access to information controlled by anyone, anywhere, and at any time—especially some political hack with their hand buried in the deep pocket of some special interest, promoting legislation for profit rather than societal betterment.
Once the door is opened, once the first foot is placed on that slippery slope of internet censorship, our small window of opportunity to make any meaningful change in our political and social paradigm will quickly evaporate. Those who control the information we receive control our world.
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