S.773

A disturbing trend in government today is the unrelenting avarice of the current administration to place more and more power in the grip of the executive. The creation of dozens of governmental agency “czars”  in the control of the White House at this time and unanswerable to the electorate is unprecedented. Some would argue the Constitutional soundness of such appointments.

 Unseemliness is a mere bother to the administration that would bring the United States Census Bureau into the West Wing and cast dispersions on the intentions it portends for future free elections in this country.

Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) has sponsored and introduced to the Senate S.773- The Cybersecurity Act of 2009. The bill’s drift is to protect America’s security by creating the means to thwart any hostility towards our cyber space from enemies foreign and domestic. It reveals what lies within in the last line of its preamble- “…maintain effective cyber security defenses against disruption and for other purposes.” Other purposes, indeed.

Sensing the crisis in cyber security, while insensible to the one that exists on the borders, S.773 and Senator Rockefeller are here to help. This bill places prodigious power in the hands of this and any future U.S President by giving that person control over the cyber communication system in this country.

It allows the President to create a “Cyber Advisory Panel” which would be fully answerable to him or her. It will be in charge of all standards in cyber security and its implementation. Furthermore, the President is not fully accountable to any State or Federal entity in all of this. As the bill states- “The President- (2) may seek and give consideration to recommendations from the Congress, industry, the cybersecurity community, the defense community, State and local governments and other appropriate organizations.” Consideration! Is this a “checks and balances” approach to government? Are not States protected by the 10^th Amendment?

S.773 goes on to new Orwellian heights. It creates Regional Cybersecurity Centers which will be the standard bearers of your cyber well being. What will their role be? “The purpose of the Centers is to enhance the cybersecurity of small and medium sized businesses in the United States..” and “Each center shall be affiliated with a United States based non-profit institution or organization, or consortium thereof, that applies for and is awarded financial assistance under this section.” Why would we need to relinquish our private self reliance on our security to non-profit organizations directed by the government? What selection process would be in place for this? What chapter of ACORN do want to be in charge of your privacy and protection?

Where else will mercurial political power flow should this bill pass? 

Most of us do not even know about the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST). The Director position at NIST is currently vacant and awaits a Presidential appointment. It will be NIST that arranges for what is in place in the computers of the government and in private sector businesses deemed “critical” to our infrastructure. Just for the record, the NIST Director also chairs and appoints members to an advisory committee- the Technical Guidelines Development Committee- of the Elections Assistance Commission. They oversee the standards for the voting machines and computers we use in elections.

In this bill the power of assigning the designation of critical infrastructure is given to the President of the United States. Perhaps your business will pass muster.

Like all power grabs by tyrannical governments this one seeks, as it must, to abolish the private sector competition. They will license and vet the workforce that will protect you. It will be unlawful, if you are deemed critical to the infrastructure, to contract outside of a government designee for your cyber protection.

What’s in it for the kids? As Marx stated- “From each according to his ability to each according to his needs.” S.773 offers this for the little ones- “The Program- shall provide a procedure for identifying promising K-12 students for participation in summer work and internship programs that would lead to certification of Federal information technology workforce standards and possible future employment.” We all want our first graders to go to Federal work programs don’t we? Ponder what selection procedure will be developed.

College aged young adults well versed in computer technology will be reported by their respective schools to the Federal government under this legislation. Any school which participates in government funding equal to or greater than one million dollars will be required to report students educated enough to have the ability to launch a cyber attack.

When will the availability of certain books require a security clearance?

Lastly, “The President- may declare a cyber emergency and order the limitation or shutdown of Internet traffic to and from any compromised Federal Government or United States critical infrastructure information system or network.” Like on Election Day.

The quote from S.733 in the last paragraph contains the dish that is feeding the frenzied news outlets. It is the realization of the dissemblance in this government from the one our country was founded on that will peel away the veil of the deeper deceptions.