Barr asks State of Georgia to Opt-out of MATRIX System

[Judi Lynn]

Barr asks State of Georgia to Opt-out of MATRIX System
Calls MATRIX Privacy Threat to Georgians

Atlanta, GA – Former Congressman Bob Barr sent a letter Tuesday to Director William Hitchens, Head of the Georgia Office of Homeland Security urging him and the State of Georgia, to following both South Carolina and Oregon’s recent decision to not participate in the Multi-state Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange, MATRIX.

“The MATRIX program, funded by the federal government, through a private Florida company, is similar in concept, design and effect, to the now-discredited Total Information Awareness (TIA) program developed by DARPA at the Department of Defense. Congress recently reined in this program due to privacy and constitutional concerns. The MATRIX program appears to be an attempt by the Feds to do indirectly what it cannot do directly. There are currently 9 states participating.”

"Georgia has not been at the vanguard of states violating individual freedom, and I know that our leaders don't want to put us on that infamous list. Keeping the Matrix system out of Georgia will send a signal that our state supports a balanced approach to fighting crime and protecting freedom.”

Barr requested that Georgia join other states including California, Oregon, South Carolina, and Texas, in opting out of the controversial program. (snip/...)

http://www.theweekly.com/news/barrmatrix.html

[fob]

1. TEXAS opts OUT? I hereby demand TEXAS be reloaded

into bush*s MATRIX.

[Gin]

3. What states are in it?

gin

[scipan]

4. ten states according to this

Ten states comprise the existing coalition, thus far, and have agreed to participate in the MATRIX project: Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Utah.
http://www.iir.com/matrix/states.htm

[scipan]

5. ten states according to this

Ten states comprise the existing coalition, thus far, and have agreed to participate in the MATRIX project: Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Utah.
http://www.iir.com/matrix/states.htm

[DBoon]

2. Barr deserves and award

"Wingnut who sees the light"

[candy331]

6. I guess

Barr has found the Lord.LOL

[goforit]

7. I just can not believe I'm reading about this.

Barr......fighting for the freedoms our forefathers died for?

May he go to the ends of the Earth for the good of humanity!


Quick somebody grab a camera, this man may have seen the light.

[Zhade]

8. Oh, there's more good stuff!

I was equally stunned to see this piece by Barr. Stunned, I say!

Here's a snippet:

What would such a "platform" do? Oh, not much. It would make it impossible for your computer to use any hardware or software that's not approved by the Trusted Computing Group. It would prevent you from using your computer for any purpose that the group hasn't approved of, and would notify them (or the government) if you attempt to do otherwise. And it would be impossible for you (the consumer) to remove, decrypt or disable (just like the lavatory smoke detectors on airplanes).

The presence of a Trusted Platform Module would make your computer a captive of the Trusted Computer Group, which would -- by force of law, if it has its way -- ensure that you use it only for purposes of its liking. It would place the computer not under your control, but under the control of the group, which is controlled by large corporations through direct membership, or through other arrangements.

Think of the possibilities. Disney could have an arrangement that the "trusted" computer would not play any of its DVDs unless a fee had been paid. The music industry could work out an arrangement so the "trusted" computer would only play music CDs a certain number of times, or only at certain times, unless additional fees were paid. According to one group that opposes the trusted computing platform group, with this mechanism in place, you'd only be able to rent software, not buy it, and once your "rent" is up, and unless you pay more "rent," the software you've downloaded would stop working and possibly even erase the files you already created.

Don't stop there. Think of additional "freedoms" made possible by the beneficence of the group, if it gets its way. Remote censorship would be possible. Documents could be remotely erased if they fall into a category deemed by the group to be offensive, inappropriate, politically incorrect, or whatever.

Another shocker: Fritz Hollings, who once said "I've never seen a clearer example of 'cash and carry government' as this Bush Administration and Enron", backs this TCPA idea.