Bob Barr Weighs In On Trusted Computing Group

bearwayne writes "Former representative Bob Barr (R-GA), a conservative and non-technophile, who has now has teamed up with the ACLU to fight growth of the Federal government's infringements on Civil Liberties ala the Patriot Act, weighs in on the Trusted Computing Group/Alliance in this article at Creative Loafing. Among other things, he expresses concerns about censorship, loss of control over one's PC, and other corporate/government abuses."

Comments

vigilantes

[potpie]

If government-sanctioned vigilantism ever comes about by way of corporations being allowed to mess with others' computers or in any other form, I swear I will move to Switzerland.

Good to see some conservatives waking up

[sjgman9]

Even though Barr is out of Congress, he's still an influential Republican who can spread word to those still in power. He's more of a libertarian, but unless the specifications and implmentations of the Trusted Computing stuff comes to light, we should all cast a weary eye on it. A lack of vigilance in this day and age should not be an excuse for complaining about lost rights. We can fight this battle now before the TCPA is shoved down our throats, and more importantly, we can fight with our wallets. Why should we buy computers that we cannot control? As a computer programmer, the TCPA scares me.

Re:Good to see some conservatives waking up

[HBI]

Barr was/is considered a weirdo to most of the Republican party. He isn't part of the ruling wing. His help is about equivalent to getting McCain's help - not much.

The Republicans have a central elite groupthink that would make the Democrats blush. In unity there is power, they believe. This is true, but in unity also lies stodgy responses to external stimuli. In a year or so the Republicans will wake up in general and realize that this whole Ashcroft scenario is costing them big time.

Probably on 11/05/04.

Yes, at last!

[jaylen]

This is what is needed, an article in a paper like Creative Loafing. For those who do not know, Creative Loafing is a *free* newspaper which can be picked up just about in any shop in the Atlanta area, and having lived in Atlanta for about a year, let me tell you, almost everyone who buys a paper picks up the free 'Loaf' at the same time.

The good thing about Creative Loafing is that a *huge* amount of people read it, and even better, these are the 'non geek' mainstream people who would *never* visit wired.com, or any other IT based news source.

99% of articles I've seen on the internet and in paper form are articles that are already 'preaching to the converted' - people who already know of the dangers of 'Trusted Computing'. This article in Creative Loafing will hit a huge mom and pop crowd, and hopefully the word will begin to spread about how evil DRM et all can be - and then hopefully, when Trusted Computing arrives (and it *will* arrive) these people will hopefully know better than to buy such crippled, enslaved hardware.

______
Jaylen

Bob Barr was against Medical Marijana in DC

[red elk]

I have a hard time believing Bob Barr is for civil liberties and people deciding their own laws- The people of Washington DC voted to use medical marijuana with a YES Vote and it was immediately blocked by Barr.

So, he is for civil liberties and freedom ONLY if you agree if its 'morally' acceptable. Does it really matter that it was Marijana? Regardless of Washington DC being a federal district, The whole point is the people have voted and decided on an issue and it was completely overruled by the Federal Government. The hypocrisy is amazing! How can you be worried about censorship, Patriot Act, and government abuses when you were the very person who prevented the people from governing themselves?

We need to wake up and see the whole story.

Re:Bob Barr was against Medical Marijana in DC

[craw]

Bob Barr, the author of the Defense of Marriage Act has been married three times and has been in court for failing to pay child support.

Bob Barr kept campaigning for public office despite the request of his second wife that he stop because she was recupperating from beast cancer. He lost, soon after dumped her and immediately moved in with another women (his third wife).

Bob Barr, leading the crusade against the adulterous Bill Clinton. Bob Barr, one of the Congressman "outed" out by Larry Flint, as having committed adultery (see above).

Bob Barr, photographed licking whipped cream off the breast of a stripper at a fund-raising event.

Bob Barr, pro-life advocate drove his second wife to and from the clinic where she had an abortion.

The list goes on and on.

Wonder why he is such a privacy advocate?

Re:You got the definition of "neocon" all wrong

[kaltkalt]

Neoconservatives are the people like Bill Kristol, Paul Wolfowitz, etc. who believe in a global pax americana... that america must dominate and control the world. And, in the process, christianize everyone.

It's far from a libertarian.