A "60 Million Channel TV", Predicted in 1996

Many people independent of the "mass media" are often way ahead of their time.  In the year 2000 we heard warnings from Harry Browne about potential terrorist attacks in the U.S. and the government reading our emails.

On the communications front, nearly two decades ago Terence McKenna was already thinking of the internet as a "60 million channel TV":

*3 minute clip

What Is the Internet?

Gautham Nagesh of the Wall Street Journal explains what the internet is (hint: private property).

The video clip is 3 minutes:

From C-SPAN's Washington Journal

"Everything That Human Beings Do Is Political"

Check out this video from way back in 1998.  It's John Perry Barlow speaking about creating the first political commons that all of humanity could occupy.  I think they call it the internet.  

Learn more about Barlow and his organization's fight against NSA spying at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. 

Breaking Language Barriers via Skype

Skype, the online phone service is making cross culture communications even easier.  The Microsoft subsidiary is planning to offer language translation services to it's 300 million customers.

The translating feature can be seen in action in the video below.  It's very impressive and a bit freaky.

Is the 'Internet Bill of Rights' a Red Herring?

Should People Look to the State for Protection? (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

The President of the people calling themselves "Brazil" has signed legislation that acts as an internet bill of rights.  The measure is popular among internet users because it is supposed to protect online privacy.  Specifically it states that email can only be read by senders and recipients.

The state of Brazil is making it clear to other states that they cannot spy on Brazilian citizens.  Of course the biggest repeat offender of internet spying is the U.S. military (NSA).

The internet bill of rights is fine and good but when it is originated and enforced by the state there is bound to be conflict.  Brazil claims it still has authority, under court order, to obtain a users computer files & internet records.  Brazil claims that it still has authority over ISP's and that these companies must play by the rules laid down by the state.

So now that Brazil will stop other states from spying on the people of Brazil who is stopping the state of Brazil from spying on the people of Brazil?