Re: [hrpc] Censorship

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Since the 1970s I would demonstrate the net (ARPA, inter) to someone
and they would first be amazed and then invariably ask: So, who is in
charge of this thing?

In the mind's eye it seems like someone or some identifiable
organization must be in charge of such awesome power.

I take a deep breath and say: It's complicated, how much time do you
have?

That said the very idea of "cutting off" a nation may only exist in
that mind's eye. We may be debating the merits of a fiction, much like
how many angels can dance on a pin head.

Depending on organization and determination a nation can cut itself
off from the rest of the world.

Russia and China in particular have striven to make this possible by
limiting transit to state-controlled agencies which one assumes could
be shut down with a government-initiated order. There are no doubt
other such nations, not my point to be exhaustive.

The US for example probably cannot cut itself off, or not without some
vast effort. It's too distributed and transit is managed by many
private, non-governmental parties.

That said, many talk of such a sanction, cutting a nation off from the
internet, as "weaponizing" the internet.

I would argue a good topic for a RG is whether or not the net has
already been weaponized?

To that end I'll suggest there is positive and negative weaponization.

  1. Positive - weaponizing traffic such as through strategic and
     tactical use of malware, ransomware, disinformation, etc.

  2. Negative - blocking traffic associated with an entity.

One might have some effect with attempting to do #2, cutting off the
traffic of a nation like Russia.

But #1 is much like terminating someone's cell phone service on the
assumption that they would be unable to ever make a phone call
again. Nonsense.

However #1 has been presented as the justification for attempting #2.

All that said I do appreciate the symbolic value of Ukraine's request,
even if it can't be perfectly implemented.

Note that just about all the sanctions levied against Russia in
response to their invasion of Ukraine are very "leaky". Russian oil
etc. will be sold, the transactions will be paid for without access to
SWIFT, etc.

Hence, making the best the enemy of the good I would argue is a
terrible and naive debating point. We can't do #2 perfectly so let's
not try at all.

No reasonable person expects perfect compliance for any sanction.

They might reasonably expect a unified statement be made.

-- 
        -Barry Shein

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