Network Imperialism

We have several operational definitions of imperialism. Among the most visible and enduring are the ideas of conquest, occupation, and militarism (tackled by books like The New American Militarism) and the ideas of cultural imperialism (advocated by among others Stuart Hall and Edward Said). But the domain of these ideas of imperialism is too restricted. More specifically, it is too physical. For in the immaterial domains of global networks (the internet) the United States is currently pursuing and undeniable form of continued military/economic/cultural imperialism whose expression is different for these spaces of new media. Broadly collected, these activities can be called "Network Imperialism" and they include: development of weaponized network technology (CYBERCOM), intellectual property task forces, and diplomatic pressure to force online activity to conform to American ideals of commerce and "security."

Articles

 * Wikipedia on CYBERCOMMAND:: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Cyber_Command
 * On Air Force Space Command :: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_Space_Command
 * 67th Network Warfare Wing :: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/67th_Network_Warfare_Wing


 * Code Cracked in CYBERCOM Logo :: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9179004/Researcher_cracks_secret_code_in_U.S._Cyber_Command_logo
 * BBC: Meet USCYBERCOM :: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8511711.stm


 * Press Release: Army establishes Army CYBERCOMMAND : http://www.army.mil/-news/2010/10/01/46012-army-establishes-army-cyber-command/index.html


 * Press Release on defense.gov :: http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2010/0410_cybersec/


 * NY Times :: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/us/21cyber.html


 * ENTIRE NY Times Theme on "Cyber War" : http://topics.nytimes.com/top/features/timestopics/series/cyberwar/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=cyber%20war&st=cse


 * "Trading Trenches for Firewalls" : http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/11/technology/11cybergames.html?ref=cyberwar


 * Bruce Sterling for the first issue of Wired: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/1.01/virthell_pr.html


 * BBC on NATO Cyber War: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7851292.stm


 * BBC on "Rules of Engagement" for CyberWar: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/9386445.stm


 * Guardian on Cyber-Warfare threat: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/feb/03/cyber-warfare-growing-threat

The .mil Domain Name

 * About : http://www.nic.mil/
 * Memo on Domain names (AMAZING!): http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc920
 * Second Memo :: http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1591

Scholarship

 * CyberWar : http://www.jstor.org/stable/40476658?seq=1


 * From RAND (Research ANd Development, a Think Tank) -> Strategic Appraisal: The Changing Role of Information in Warfare: http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1016.html#toc


 * Proposed Rules of Engagement from the East-West Institute: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/869038/US-Russia.pdf

Intellectual Property Stuff

 * Intellectual Property Rights Center : http://www.ice.gov/iprcenter/
 * Fact Sheet: http://www.ice.gov/news/library/factsheets/ipr.htm
 * Operation "In Our Sites" http://www.ice.gov/doclib/news/library/factsheets/pdf/operation-in-our-sites.pdf


 * Press Release on ATDHE.NET crackdown: http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/1102/110202newyork.htm

Scholarship

 * The Sociology of Property Rights : http://www.jstor.org/stable/29737683

Clinton

 * Gave a super topical speech on "Internet Freedom" on Tuesday 15 Feb: http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/02/156619.htm


 * Part of At Cambridge

Highly topical: