Dave Winer can sometimes be over the top at times (in truth, so can I), but he's not far off the mark when he writes, "...foreclosure. That's what MS is doing with everything we hold dear.".

What Dave's talking about is Palladium, Microsoft's newest innovation.

What's it all mean? Well, think about that machine you're using to look at this post. Now think of it modified to include a "security chip" that will most likely, among other things, have a unique identifier that lets anyone know, anyone, where you've been and what you've done with your machine. In addition, that nice open protocol that you used to gain access to the Internet? Well, kiss it good-bye and see it replaced with something developed under the benevolent auspices of Microsoft.

This is the worst piece of technology-related news I've heard in a long time. This is also an example of how corporations can manipulate the US while the American citizens are hiding with their heads in the sand.

While we give Bush et al high marks for "doing a good job", our beloved president and his gang are selling this country to the highest bidder - in this case, Bill Gates and Microsoft. And as we let the Bush gang manipulate and discard the Constitution and our freedoms in order to wage "war on terrorism", so now we're allowing Microsoft do the same to wage war on hackers.

More:

Microsoft's Palladium: A new security Initiative
Palladium: Microsoft's Big Plan for the PC
Who trusts Microsoft's Palladium? Not me
Microsoft Security: Will it be different this time?
Cringely: I told you so
The Big Secret
Why Intel loves Palladium