We Can Handle It!

What's that saying? Isn't it something like, "Give them an inch, and they'll take a foot?" Well, Shapiro would be wise to take heed to that advice. In chapter 21 of The Control Revolution, he discusses the role he thinks the government should play in regulating the Internet. I think his ideas are a little too optimistic and trusting of the government. Once you open up the door to government regulation, you might as well open up the floodgates. One example he gives is the creation of a "privacy safety net" so that there will be "a minimal level of personal information privacy that cannot be taken from us even if we think that bartering it away with a click of the mouse makes sense." What about personal responsibility? Are we not the consumers? Is it not our information to give away as we please? Shapiro must think we're too incompetent and thus, in need of protection. He's being optomistic about and trusting of the wrong people.