Military Blocks Commercial Email Sites: First Sign of a Public Internet Lock-down in the Name of "Safety" and "Security"?

Well, I can't say that I'm really surprised about this one.

Navy, Marines Block Commercial Email Sites

Stars and Stripes
By Sandra Jontz
October 19, 2005

Hotmail account not working? Or Yahoo!? It's not a glitch with the computer connection.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps blocked all access to
commercial e-mail services, such as Yahoo!, Hotmail, America Online
and Google, from overseas government computers.

And not just at office workstations.

The block includes access to e-mail services from computers at base
libraries and liberty centers that are connected to an official
government network.

"This concerns us, because so many of our patrons won't be able to
access their e-mail, and many come to the library to do just that,"
said Ciro Giordano, supervisory librarian at Naval Support Activity
Naples, Italy.

But access to such services leaves the unclassified government
network too susceptible to hackers and computer viruses, said Neal
Miller, a senior plans and policy manager with Naval Network Warfare
Command in Norfolk, Va.

"By going through some of the commercial Web-based e-mail accounts,
it opens up vulnerabilities to government-run networks and presents
too high [of a] risk to be acceptable," Miller said. [....]

Here's a thought: Maybe the access has been blocked - not as protection against hackers and the like - but as protection, for the government, against too much of the truth - the "antibody" against the "virus" of mainstream government propaganda - being exchanged. Truth, for example, about the war in Iraq, what is really going on in the prison camps, and in Afghanistan. Truth about the real death tolls, about human rights violations, etc. For example.

Maybe some of those marines have seen a few things that the government doesn't want leaked out to the general public. Things that the marines are perhaps reporting to family and friends via email? Maybe that's the real reason for the access to these accounts being blocked? Maybe?

It's really amazing what governments can get away with - all in the name of "safety" and "security", isn't it? They can take away civil liberties - albeit in slow increments so that you don't notice too much, and by the time you do, it's too late. All in the name of "safety" and "security". They can bomb the hell out of and occupy other countries, and institute new governments of their choosing in them. They can murder innumerable innocent civilians while doing so. They can build massive walls around borders, imprisoning the residents within. All in the name of "safety" and "security".

Before long - and I think it may be sooner rather than later - the general public may find itself that access will be blocked to many sites - normal webpages, news sites, blogs, chatrooms and discussion groups - on the internet that are considered "subversive" simply due to the fact that they are speaking out against the actions of governments. Simply due to the fact that they are voices of dissent. Alternative voices to the mainstream propaganda. These sites will be labelled "dangers to safety and security", and access to them will be denied.

All of which essentially amounts to a modern-day version of "book-burning" and all-encompassing state control over dissemination of information.

I also have to wonder if maybe the blocking of access to commercial email accounts in the marines may be a sort of "experiment" to gauge just how much of a reaction - if any - they might eventually get by taking away free access to information and communication on a wider scale.

Some things to ponder, anyway.

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