I was just reading an article in the New York Times called "Egypt Leaders
Found 'Off' Switch for Internet". It concerns how the government of former Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak was able to cut off the country from the
global Internet -- and for the most part, even from Internet networks within the country -- on January 28th, as major public protests erupted in Tahrir Square in Cairo, and in other major cities throughout Egypt.

The realization that a government possesses the capability to do this is
scary. In his famous novel "1984", British author George Orwell's "Big
Brother" government possessed the ability to control and manipulate information; they were historical revisionists; but what Hosni Mubarak's government did goes way beyond that. They didn't just manipulate
information, rather, they just about completely cut off the flow of Internet information; not in a matter of days or weeks, but in a matter of only a few hours.

What makes this troubling is the fact that according to the article, there
are other countries -- such as China, Nepal, some North African countries,
and certain Middle Eastern countries -- which are believed to possess the
very same ability. In fact, while it is not plainly stated in the article, I would think that any technologically-advanced country could acquire this
very same capability if it really wanted to. Perhaps such government control
of the Internet already exists in many more countries, but it just isn't something that is talked about openly. Maybe we should start a popular
uprising in our own country and see what happens. That would be one sure way
to find out. :)

In contemplating these recent events in Egypt, one can only wonder about
what would potentially happen if a Global Government were to arise, headed
by a ruthless dictator who would demand absolute control of the world's telecommunication and computer networks. Considering how interconnected we
all are now, for business, for news, for education, for entertainment, and
for everything in between, it isn't a pretty thought. If such a world
dictator possessed the ability to punish a defiant country by totally
cutting it off from the global financial and communication system, it would
be absolutely devastating for that country. Such a country wouldn't be able
to survive for very long, thanks to the current march towards complete globalization.

If you don't yet get the picture, then consider a scenario like the
following where economic activity is totally controlled by just such a dictator:

"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or
the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding
count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number
is Six hundred threescore and six."
Revelation 13:16-18, KJV

It certainly seems like God has a bird's-eye view of the situation. Maybe we should pay attention.



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