Kenya switches off Internet access

December 25, 2002 6:54 AM

Kenya switches off Internet accessDon't let Rumsfeld know about this. Might give him some ideas. If there is a lesson in this it is that putting all your eggs in one basket (GE, Home Depot , energy and phone companies etc) is at best a questionable practise if a government can get a grip on the basket's handle. No fear that it will happen in America? Then notice how the threat of not handing out federal monies gets compliance with what the government wants,ie, education, etc.
posted by Postroad (9 comments total)

I'd almost like to see the Rumsfeld and company try.

The nerds aren't going to go down without a fight, and we understand this stuff better then they do.
posted by Leonard at 7:33 AM on December 25, 2002

And the reward for Most Contrived Post of The Year™ goes to Postroad for his fantastic "Kenya Takes Away Internet, America Next" diatribe. This lucky post, which stretches conventional logic past its breaking point and into some sort of alternate post reality, somehow manages to sneak in a stab at Rumsfeld, a paranoid swipe at American corporations and a nonsensical jab at giving money to education all in 6 short sentences. Amazing!
posted by eyeballkid at 7:34 AM on December 25, 2002

*gags, pukes on ebk's shoes*
posted by quonsar at 7:46 AM on December 25, 2002

i did notice how federal money talks and the peoples desires walk, particularly with regard to education, highway speed limits, the drinking age, and numerous other examples. i have no doubt whatsoever that given the current climate of "oh me oh my, we're at war" the feds would have little trouble clamping down big time on the internet. geeks to the rescue? yeah. in a disney movie coming soon to a theater near you.
posted by quonsar at 7:51 AM on December 25, 2002

Given many of the ways 'geeks' could 'rescue' the system, would result in felony charges, not many geeks will step up to the plate.

Sorry to burst your bubble.
posted by rough ashlar at 8:10 AM on December 25, 2002

Did Matt move the server to Kenya? That would explain a lot.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 5:37 PM on December 26, 2002

And, indeed, I don't think the article even says that internet access was turned off - only the ports used by, among others, AIM and other chat programs. I think the telco tried to block www.theskyisfalling.com too, but it was too late for some MeFites.
posted by Kevs at 6:19 PM on December 26, 2002

I wish somebody would cut off Nigeria's internet access. It would certainly reduce the amount of 419 fraud spam I get.
posted by litlnemo at 7:22 PM on December 26, 2002

Nah, take a look at your headers -- those Nigerian spam scams are all coming out of the good old USA on yahoo or lycos servers. Or your ever-friendly folks over at .ru the haven for spammers worldwide.

Without getting into the paranoia game with regard to US access being shut down on a politician's folly, can I express my white hot outrage for the people of Kenya? Can I do so within the context of a much heavier but unspoken white hot outrage at yet another attack on the people from yet another corrupt African regime nterested in nothing but feather its own corrupt nest? Grrrr.
posted by Dreama at 5:41 AM on December 27, 2002