Is there no end to Republican spying on individuals? Is there no corner where the GOP will not impose the government?

They are calling their latest venture in Stalinism the Internet Stopping Adults Facilitating the Exploitation of Today’s Youth Act, “Internet SAFETY Act.” [Is there a course at Patrick Henry University for acronyms?]

From CNet – Congress may make ISPs snoop on you:

Wisconsin Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is proposing that ISPs be required to record information about Americans’ online activities so that police can more easily “conduct criminal investigations.” Executives at companies that fail to comply would be fined and imprisoned for up to one year.

In addition, Sensenbrenner’s legislation–expected to be announced as early as this week–also would create a federal felony targeted at bloggers, search engines, e-mail service providers and many other Web sites. It’s aimed at any site that might have “reason to believe” it facilitates access to child pornography–through hyperlinks or a discussion forum, for instance.

ISPs [Internet Service Providers] can’t afford this. We are talking major investments in storage and software, an unfunded mandate.

After these people have funded universal pre-natal care, childhood nutrition and health care, universal childcare, etc. I’ll believe they give a damn about children. Until then they are perverts who want to spy on people.

There was no Congressional oversight. Giving 8 of 535 members of Congress a classified briefing that they can’t discuss with anyone, is not oversight.

There is certainly no oversight when you refuse to give investigators the clearances they need.

Steve Bates found a gem of an essay by Bruce Schneier on privacy.

I’m sick of this “if you have nothing to hide” attitude. We all have something “to hide”: our real feelings about people we deal with every day.

Do you really want people to know what you really think of their children’s behavior? Do you want people to know whether you really think they’re “good looking”? Do you want people to know what you really think of their gifts?

There are a lot of “white lies” in this world that make society possible. Being “brutally” honest is just that, brutal.

Most of the time only feelings would be hurt, but the fact that you think your boss is an obnoxious jerk with the IQ of a brick could result in homelessness if it became public knowledge.

This case is an extreme example of what happens when private information is available to the wrong people. This happened is spite of all of the changes put in place as a result of a 1989 case, to protect privacy.

When do they outlaw curtains and blinds?

As Publius points out so well, carbon dioxide is a Waste Product, whether it’s created by the digestion of carbohydrates or the combustion of hydrocarbons.

You’ll see another corporate ad on many of the big blogs asking: “Do you want the government to regulate the Internet?”

Well, no, I don’t, but I’d be very happy if they’d regulate the telcos and cable companies who are planning to plunder the Internet.

The basic research and structure was created with tax dollars. Let the people who risked the capital, the taxpayers, enjoy the benefits.