Limiting Free Speech and the Internet: When the Oligarchy Loses Control

A. Alexander, December 10th, 2006

The realization that they are losing control and are no longer able to dominate the debate has led Newt Gingrich, Donald Rumsfeld, and even George W. Bush to begin discussing the need to limit free speech -- usually linking it to nefarious and nonexistent "threats" -- and limiting access to the internet. Corporations are threatened by this new medium because it allows common people to counter moneyed influence and too, levels the information playing field. It is no longer a game of who has more money to spend on public relations, spin, and outright lies; with the internet it is simply a matter of who has the information. These powerful interests are beginning to realize that the internet amplifies the voices -- specifically Progressive voices -- that they had always been able to suppress through corporate media control.