internet is a form of control but not the only one. television had been used for decades. radio before that. with internet shut down, we'd revert to older tech to stay informed. however, since more infrastructure is needed for many of these forms, they would be more centralized and therefore more easily co-opted.

it's important for us to have ways to keep open communications open outside of what is provided for us. it's not scare-mongering. for the government, it's better than leaving the internet running.