Internet Censorship

The paper (yes, it is long, but it is a worthwhile read)

Internet Censorship through SOPA/PIP

"The more freely information flows, the stronger the society becomes, because then citizens of countries around the world can hold their own governments accountable. They can begin to think for themselves." A quote from President Obama (chrismlindsey.com). The quote means that if the internet is censored like the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP (PIP) bills that congress is trying to pass would allow then America would become less and less of a world power and more like China and Iran, countries with oppressed citizens and low standards of living.
The bill dubbed SOPA would effectively censor the internet SOPA works by enabling agencies (Hollywood) to be able to shut down sites with links to certain other sites. Sites like Facebook, Tumblr, Ning, Youtube, or any other site that has user input would be greatly affected and possibly shut down those sites. This bill would also make it close to impossible for start-up sites to get going. Our rights to free speech would be blocked as well, a right guaranteed by the first amendment of the US constitution.
SOPA supporters would say that passing SOPA in the House of Representatives and its sister bill PIP in the Senate would belay the majority of the internet piracy that happens today. Piracy is the practice of illegally viewing or downloading music of videos without paying for them. With SOPA/PIP passed none of that would happen, it would be censored. Youtube would probably get shut down due to all the violations of the bills because of all the user uploads, a person singing a pop song would become a felon, Justin Beiber would be a felon sitting in jail rather then a Pop Star making millions.
If SOPA and PIP pass Congress and President Obama signs it, then American fears of a Government take-over of everything could become a reality. The Government would be in charge of what is aloud to appear on computers nationwide. That would also include news sites that do not have the same views as the ruling party, similar to what is happening in Iran, Syria, China. These countries are role models of what NOT to do to the citizens. The bills also give the president to have a kill-all switch; this switch would be able to kill the entire internet for up to four months without needing congressional approval.
The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press" (www.usconstitution.net) SOPA/PIP would then be encroaching on American's first amendment right of free speech. Even though SOPA/PIP would drastically cut down on piracy and increase profits for the entertainment industry, our rights and our way of life as Americans would be at stake.
While pirating movies and songs is illegal and sometimes dangerous, is it something we would be willing to give up our right to a free internet? Many viruses live on the piracy sites and some of those viruses can destroy the computer, or worse yet, steal personal information like social security numbers or credit card numbers. SOPA/PIP would shut down those sites and those viruses consequently. Benjamin Franklin said, "Those who give up their freedom for safeties deserve neither." That is exactly what is happening here; citizens are giving up their right to a free internet in exchange for safer internet. The internet is already safe, but can be made safer with some free add-ons like McAfee Site Advisor for Firefox or Chrome (and their derivates); Site advisor displays rating next to links and directs the users away from dangerous site.
Other countries censor internet, why can't America? There is always public outrage when the news airs a story about an internet crackdown. Middle Eastern countries block social media sites (Twitter, Youtube, Facebook, Tumblr, etc.) to help crack down on protests and to stop "unofficial' information from leaving the country. With the internet shut down or heavily censored, many social media sites would shut down, thus supporting dictators and harsh rulers. Imagine the Arab Spring, only without any coverage by the media. The protestors would have been killed, and no one would have been the wiser. By allowing the government to shut down the internet or censor the internet, our Democratic government would be indirectly supporting dictators, tyrants, and other types of harsh rulers.
To sum up, SOPA/PIP are bills in the Senate and the House of Representatives that would essentially allow the government to censor the internet. The government would impose penalties on sites that have links to piracy sites, thus forcing those sites to shut down due to all the penalties they have to pay. This would all social media sites and sites that require or rely on users' input; no Facebook, no Ning, no Tumblr, no forums of any sort, no twitter, no Myspace, no Google+. The president would have the right to shut down the internet for up to four months, a third of the year, without consulting congress. Free speech would only be a memory of the internet, and start-up sites would be shut down. Shutting down the internet would inhibit the progression of our country as both a democracy and a beacon of freedom.