| Perhaps it is a sidelight to the story of | | | | |
| cellular phones, but the technology of cell | | | | Interestingly, some of the enemies of the |
| phones has liberated people across the world | | | | Western World have assimilated the technology |
| from the slavery of a wirebound telephone, | | | | and incorporated cell phones into their |
| and a wirebound telephone company. | | | | armory of weapons. They use various |
| | | | technologies and among them is one of the |
| In countries other than the United States, | | | | latest versions of the cell phone/service |
| the telephone company was traditionally a | | | | combination. Entering into a "plan" with a |
| government concern. Phone companies were | | | | cell phone service provider has often been a |
| State Run monopolies, and the stringing of | | | | tricky issue. Permanent address, proper |
| wire to an area, or the cutting of a | | | | identification, and a credit check have been |
| connection to an area could be used as an | | | | requirements to start a cell plan going. That |
| extension of the political power of the | | | | all changed when the cell phone manufacturers |
| government. Sometimes the saturation (how | | | | continued dropping the prices on cell phones. |
| many people had the service) of wire, or | | | | |
| land-line, telephones was limited by the | | | | Suddenly there were "pay as you go" telephone |
| government's available capital. | | | | services, which allowed you to purchase |
| | | | special phones and debit card type "minutes" |
| Sometimes, it was limited by the government's | | | | cards, so that you could use the phone and |
| desire to control dissemination of knowledge, | | | | "recharge" minutes without offering any |
| as it was in such states as the (former) | | | | identification. This great convenience is |
| Soviet Union. Dictatorships understand the | | | | known to Law enforcement and security as |
| truth of the statement "knowledge is power," | | | | "untraceable" "toss-away" phones. There is no |
| and have always worked to control the | | | | need to leave a trail when using these |
| knowledge of the people. Now those same | | | | phones, as soon as the original minutes are |
| countries often have heavy saturation of cell | | | | used, the phone is dropped into the garbage |
| phones as they still suffer from lack of | | | | and replaced with another, with a "fresh" |
| infrastructure. | | | | number. |
| | | | |
| The Second Russian Revolution, also known as | | | | If you were wondering what the arguments |
| the fall of the Soviet Union was in part | | | | about the "Patriot Act" were about, these |
| fueled by the dissemination of knowledge | | | | cell phones were at the center of the most |
| through the internet, and cell phones. As | | | | heated arguments. Law enforcement and |
| people can freely gather and form | | | | security people don't like them because they |
| communities, they can assemble to act for | | | | are the favorite communication device of |
| mutual goals. | | | | lawbreakers, including drug dealers. |