Military Proxies
American’s military is the glue that holds the nation together. National security is on every U.S. citizens’ mind, and this is only magnified in these turbulent times. These freedom fighters would give everything to help their country, and do so every day.
Though they may seem almost inhuman with their selflessness, these are just ordinary people. They love family, freedom, and happiness just as much as anyone else. While traveling or being stationed internationally, some military members can get homesick. This is perfectly normal, and happens to some when leaving on a leisurely vacation. Imagine the anguish of having to leave your country, and go off to some faraway land to fight!
Watching some familiar American T.V. is a great way to stay in touch with old Uncle Sam. Unfortunately, a man can‘t exist on “I Love Lucy” alone, and must supplement their viewing diet.
Internet T.V. to the rescue! Imagine the joy of a lonely soldier when he or she could access an entire cultural reservoir of familiarity. They could just catch up on the affairs back home, or maybe just see who J-Lo is marrying this week. Alas, it was too good to be true.
Media companies began to realize that out of U.S. viewers began to crop up everywhere. Their paid advertisers began to protest against this wide audience who couldn’t even buy their products. Their whining persuaded the media companies, and soon enough, non-US IP addresses were blocked.
A private proxy server turned out to be the answer. These servers actively change your IP address, and allow for complete anonymity on the Internet. These military personnel used these proxies, and soon enough, they were back in business. The proxies changed their IP addresses to look like US ones, and the media companies were fooled.
Military stationed around the world are already using this technology. In the countries they are in, censorship governs and actively suppresses any content the government doesn’t deem fit for its citizens. Many American sites are blocked, and the people’s right to surf what they want is completely voided. It is one thing if the civilians are up to criminal business on the net, but it’s another if they are just updating a MySpace page.
The anonymous proxies burrowed right through this censorship. The proxy will allow you access to the site, acting as a middle-man. Then, as you are surfing these banned sites, you need not worry; upon sifting through your communication logs, all they would see is the proxy site visited over and over again. If the proxy offers an encryption service, then all the ISP would see is complete mush. No evidence you committed the deadly sin of browsing YouTube!
These military members are also business-minded while overseas. For some, trading stocks online is as therapeutic as is chatting with friends on a networking site. They stay up to date on the stock market, local politics, and especially how the U.S. dollar is doing. Some may even do banking online, and this is where security and anonymity a proxy provides is essential; they don’t want some foreign interloper sifting through their bank statements.
The Internet is a great channel for soldiers to enjoy themselves, relax, and reconnect. Homesickness is not a fallacy, and every person who has served their country overseas can relate to it. The endless days away from home can be more bearable and pass more quickly if they have some lifeline to what they left behind. Unfortunately, censorship, ridiculous laws, snooping eyes, and other deterrents can keep the military personnel away from this potent technology.
