The Day the Internet Died

As I sit here wishing for a snow day I come across and article on Egypt.  Although I probably should be more up to date on my current events than I am, I do know that Egypt is having some major governmental problems.  I read the article and it explains that all internet and telephone communications have been shut off.  What a bummer.  As I read on I discover that this use of an action used to try to control the people reminds me of that long list of laws the Taliban put in place when they took over Afghanistan in A Thousand Splendid Suns.
Throughout history different governments have tried many ways to control they people of their territory.  Some leaders have been tyranical while other have tried to be popular with the people.  Governments as a whole have been known to make unexpected and questionable moves.  Although some moves may have been beneficial to their society, others have sent the country back many years technologically and socially. 
In A Thousand Splendid Suns when the Taliban took over Afghanistan they put into effect many new laws that seemed to take the country back years.  The biggest examples of this were the laws against women's freedoms.  Women were no longer permitted to go out with out a man accompanying them, work, go to school, or hold any office.  This was a tribal existance in the city of Kabul where as before these laws women were allowed to do almost everything men were.  These laws brought the city of Kabul back to a time when men were superior.  To me this was just a terrible thought, the women being shut up in their houses and not being able to go anywhere without a man.  I think this would seem really crappy especially because women were at one point actually able to do things and be independent. 
Actions with the same stifiling power as the the laws in A Thousand Splendid Suns are still being activated today. In Egypt the president Hosni Mubarak has shut down telephone and internet access.  The purpose of this was to cut off dangerous political radials from using social networks and text messaging to gather followers.  This at first seems like a good political move, except the people in Egypt did not seem to like not being able to text their "bff" that Jerry just broke up with Cindy or Facebook that they got some cute shoes today while Barney was being the biggest jerk.  The people of Egypt have been forced to carry messages the old fashioned way, which is exactly that, carrying them.  Most communication is being done by carriers on foot or motorbike.  What is happening in Egypt is similiar to what happened in Kabul in A Thousand Splendid Suns in the fact that it has forced the population to revert back to old ways of living.  Messages are litteraly being spread by word of mouth.  Personally I think not being able to text or use the internent would REALLY STINK!
In all I am not a fan of these laws and actions portrayed above, they only bring the countries backwards. 

"This isn't some village. This is Kabul. Women here used to practice law and medicine; they held office in government..." Laila ~ A Thousand Splendid Suns