Becoming Like Those We Despise

With all that is happening throughout the world right now you might wonder why I have chosen to end this week on a topic such as this. The reason is quite simple. When a government becomes oppressive and tries to force itself as the momma of the citizens then I feel a post coming on.

I can't really speak about countries like China censoring parts of the internet. I can't really speak about countries like India that have recently started to control what their citizens are able to access or not. But I can speak about my own country and one of the most boldest and oppressive attempts to restrict internet content as well as peoples freedom of choice when they go online.

Online gambling has been in the news more than ever lately. I have never played online for money nor would I ever. Call me old fashion but I prefer touching the money I loose or win in a physical casino - Reno or Las Vegas or Macau. This is an issue that has nothing to do with how one might view the morality of gambling. This is an issue that has everything to do with the right of a person to make their own choices - good or bad.

Right now congress is trying to push a bill through to do just this. Some in our federal government want to make it a crime if a person wants to gamble online, although it is perfectly legal to do so many places throughout the USA. Big Brother (or Big Momma) to mandate to adults what they can or can not do. Big Brother to mandate to banks and credit card companies who they can or can not make transactions with.

Big Brother has been transforming itself into Big Momma through the years. Our government wants people to believe that they can take care of us better than we can take care of ourselves. Both Republicans and Democrats are guilty of this transformation, and it is becoming so very, very scary.

Perhaps an article the other day from eMediaWire entitled USA Steps Closer to China, North Korea, Iran With New Legislation says it best:

While many Americans don't gamble online, H.R. 4411 is causing grave concern to many as it allows the government to tell the American public how to spend money on the internet, making it illegal on restricted (by the government) web sites. Most importantly, it opens the door to the precedent of allowing the government to regulate and censor web content the American can view.

Freedom of speech and expression on the internet could take a turn for the worse, mirroring other countries that regulate and censor web-content to their citizens like the hard-line dictatorships of North Korea, Iran and China.