I Fought The Law
by Mike Peck
by Mike Peck
In one of the many classic episodes of "The Simpsons," Homer is talking to a magic shopkeeper in an obvious parody of the first scene from the movie "Gremlins":
Shopkeeper:(grimly) Take this object, but beware -- it carries a terrible curse.
Homer: Ooh, that's bad.
Shopkeeper:(brightly) But it comes with a free Frogurt!
Homer: That's good!
Shopkeeper:(grimly) The Frogurt is also cursed.
Homer: That's bad.
Shopkeeper:(brightly) But you get your choice of topping!
Homer: That's good!
Shopkeeper:(grimly) The toppings contain potassium benzoate.
Homer: (dumbfounded, says nothing).
Shopkeeper: That's bad.
Homer: Can I go now?
In more than a few frightening ways, this illustrates to how the U.S. government views the new technologies, specifically online communication, and how it plans to control the flow of information among its citizenry and the rest of the world. I present the following version:
Me: New technologies allow for communication on a scale never seen before.
Average American: That's good.
Me: (grimly) That will also allow people who want to traffic in evil subjects and criminals bent on harm to more easily exchange ideas and materials.
Average American: That's bad.
Me: (brightly) But the government's going to protect us.
Average American: That's good!
Me:(grimly) They're taking action before anyone understands how the technologies work or what effects the laws may have on civil liberties.
Average American: dumbfounded, says nothing.
Me: That's bad.
