One of the difficulties that governments face is that the global nature of the Internet makes their job more difficult. Even in relatively open societies like the USA and the UK, it's possible for governments to exert some control over their citizens using taxation policies, for instance. However, with the existence of the Internet governments are being frustrated at every turn. How does the UK government, for instance, legislate for online activities that actually take place elsewhere in the world? How does the Australian government collect income taxes on revenue generated by a Sydney-based business where the money was raised and spent in the USA? Governments are grappling with such issues and finding it difficult. Some people are living entirely online with all income being generated outside their tax system and being spent outside it. Add to this the fact that barriers are being broken down. People in some countries are beginning to discover that those in power have lied to them in order to control them; some people are learning that other religious beliefs exist, for the first time. Such knowledge and information sharing is changing the way societies work. And governments don't like that. So, consider how governments will react to the latest development from Canadian scientists. They have come up with a way of circumventing government imposed Internet censorship. Some countries restrict Internet access, but with this new technology that will be possible to get round. This will open the floodgates to change within restricted societies and will mean dramatic changes worldwide. It will eventually lead to the end of government as we know it today.

Labels: future, politics

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At November 29, 2006 1:20 AM  Jeremycj said…

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