Slashdot Mirror

Still, what you CAN do is research the candidates on the major 2 platforms and pick out the ones who side with Libertarian beliefs.

Sounds like what you really need is a system like Instant Runoff voting where you don't have to worry that you're "throwing your vote away" on a third party candidate. Then you (and everyone else) could vote for that Libertarian candidate without worrying about the bad guy winning.

Yea! Maybe he'll choose Grandfather Twilight as Secretary of State!

US Rep and presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich is the co-sponsor of this bill, shown on his website.

If you slashdotters want someone who will back you and fight for you on Internet and software issues, Dennis Kucinich is the man. Diebold would probably still be going on with the lawsuits if Dennis had not defied Diebold by publishing links to the memos on his website.

This is from the Kucinich Blog from June 20, 2003. Americans have become very sensitized to manipulation of the vote since the debacles in the 2000 presidential elections. All over america, people are expressing to me their concerns about honest elections, about election technologies, about the ownership of voting machine suppliers, about the potential for fraud...all of which can undermine our democracy. We need solutions. Here's what we can do: we can organize in every community across this country into citizen groups of individuals with technical expertise in computer programming, systems design, and working knowledge of elections. These precinct activists can begin immediately to create a template for securing the 2004 vote. The elements of such a program might include: taking action to gain access to inspect the technology, to learn what safeguards have been put in place to make sure that no coflicts of interests are involved, and to make sure there are no problems with the chain of custody. What I'm advocating is monitoring the vote. Maybe we should call it MTV2004...Monitor the vote 2004. Perhaps we could begin to post our ideas to the wiki www.civicactions.org. We will need to organize state by state or county by county. If anyone has any ideas, please go to the wiki and let's act collectively to ensure a fair election in 2004. (lifted from his Blog under his CC license).

Just last week, he blasted the FBI for stripping away the constitution. All from a man who 25 years ago, on Dec 25, 1978, refused to sell Clevelands municipal electric company under threat of political death. He stood by his principles and sacrificed his career. After a few years and hundreds of millions in savings, the people brought him back. If there is ever a candidate for president who supports rights of netizens, and "we the people", this is him. Consider a Thanksgiving day gift .

This is from the Kucinich Blog from June 20, 2003. Americans have become very sensitized to manipulation of the vote since the debacles in the 2000 presidential elections. All over america, people are expressing to me their concerns about honest elections, about election technologies, about the ownership of voting machine suppliers, about the potential for fraud...all of which can undermine our democracy. We need solutions. Here's what we can do: we can organize in every community across this country into citizen groups of individuals with technical expertise in computer programming, systems design, and working knowledge of elections. These precinct activists can begin immediately to create a template for securing the 2004 vote. The elements of such a program might include: taking action to gain access to inspect the technology, to learn what safeguards have been put in place to make sure that no coflicts of interests are involved, and to make sure there are no problems with the chain of custody. What I'm advocating is monitoring the vote. Maybe we should call it MTV2004...Monitor the vote 2004. Perhaps we could begin to post our ideas to the wiki www.civicactions.org. We will need to organize state by state or county by county. If anyone has any ideas, please go to the wiki and let's act collectively to ensure a fair election in 2004. (lifted from his Blog under his CC license).

Just last week, he blasted the FBI for stripping away the constitution. All from a man who 25 years ago, on Dec 25, 1978, refused to sell Clevelands municipal electric company under threat of political death. He stood by his principles and sacrificed his career. After a few years and hundreds of millions in savings, the people brought him back. If there is ever a candidate for president who supports rights of netizens, and "we the people", this is him. Consider a Thanksgiving day gift .

There is at least one Demo candidate who has revoking the PATRIOT act as a part of his platform - he's also got some good ideas about other problems in the U.S. Check it out:

http://www.kucinich.us/issues/patriot_act.php

In his issue position statement brings up many tried and true points the /. crowd are well aware of, including H.R. 2239, otherwise known as the "Voter Confidence and Increased Accountability Act of 2003"

I can't believe they couldn't find a better use for all that money. High speed internet shouldn't be something that is critical in a nation that still needs much development in basic infastructure. For that much money in the US we could do so much it is beyond most people's comprehension.

The only justification I see this having is the 370,000 new jobs, but how temporary are those jobs. Will most of them disapear after the system is put up and there is nothing left to build let alone money to build it with. To learn more about what we in the US could do with $80 billion(around what is being spent in Iraq go here

If we need it for such basic things I would think a less developed county would need it even more.

Ohhhh... I see. It's because UNESCO isn't giving them the money to help that this is happening.

Wrong, though since the npr.org link is to audio and not a transcript, I can't fault you for not RTFA.

The issue isn't UNESCO funding, it's about countries' subsidies of their homegrown arts programs. Amelie , for example, wouldn't have been possible without the French government's funding the project.

UNESCO wants to codify into international law (whatever the heck that means) a protection to allow countries to subsidize their national film industries. The US, which only just now re-joined UNESCO, wants film to be just like any other industry, subject to WTO trade regulations. WTO could then say that film industry subsidies pose an unfair competitive advantage.

Of course, the US is talking out both sides of its mouth (again), since the WTO is in the process of saying our own steel industry subsidies are illegal.

The issues are hideously complex, and I recommend listening to the NPR report. [asbestos_suit status=on] As far as the WTO, I'm with Dennis Kucinich -- withdraw from WTO, repeal NAFTA, and don't even *think* about FTAA. [/asbestos_suit]

As we swing into the thick of the 2004 electoral playoffs, it's interesting to see what kinds of platforms are running under the candidates' official campaign Web sites. Netcraft has a handy feature called "What's that site running?" that lets us see combinations of Web servers and OS platforms. So here's a quick rundown, in alphabetical order:

• George W. Bush: Microsoft IIS on Windows 2000

• Wesley Clark: Apache on Linux

• Howard Dean: Apache on FreeBSD

• John Edwards: Microsoft IIS "behind a computer running NetWare"

• Richard Gephardt: Microsoft IIS on Windows 2000

• John Kerry: Apache on Linux

• Dennis Kucinich Apache on Linux

• Carol Mosely-Braun: Apache on FreeBSD

• Al Sharpton: Apache on Solaris 8

• Joe Lieberman: Apache on FreeBSD

For what it's worth, the Republican National Committee is running Microsoft IIS on Windows 2000, while the Democratic National Committee is running Apache on Linux.

As of this writing, November 5, 2003, the RNC has an uptime of 4.26 days (maximum of 39.04) and a 90-day moving average of 16.91. The DNC has an uptime of 445.02 days (also the maximum) and a 90-day moving average of 395.38 days.

Draw your own conclusions.

Doc Searls is Senior Editor of Linux Journal.

Dennis Kucinich actually knows what Linux is, and he believes strongly in the free software / open source community.

H1-b/L1 legislation basically allows major corporations to use a chance at a green card as a corporate perk(i.e. it is a corporate subsidy program according to the Nobel Prize Winner and Reagan Economics advisor Milton Friedman). The only presidential candidate that opposed H-1b expansion in 1998 was Dennis Kucinich.

There are some real systemic problems in the US(i.e. the tax structure more or less assures a substantial trade deficit, governmental budget deficit and export of capital). The current immigration/temporary worker visa policy is making this worse-basically assuring that those US citizens generating foreign exchange will face governmental subsidies to lower their wages--while US citizens in "protected" and "licensed" professions(i.e. lawyers, actuaries, accountants) have fewer such problems).

In the context of a political system that is for sale, reviving of an industry may not make much difference to the average tech worker.

In the good ol' U S of A, you could patent breathing if you had enough money to influence people and push it through.

---
Kucinich in 2004!

Grove pointed to steel and microelectronics as historical precedents but there are others: textiles, televisions, and cars to name a few. Our leaders need to examine what we did before when we lost and try something different this time. The article also said, 'He [Grove] said he had detected no recognition of the problem from any of the presidential candidates.' There is one candidate who has recognized the problem. He brought it up at the democratic debate a few weeks ago. Dennis Kuncinich is the only candidate I have seen who doesn't just say what the latest polls seem to suggest. Check out his 10 key issues. Also note that he specifically offers a plan for the steel problem that Grove talked about. Want to know how he feels about any other issue? Look to the right column. It is all spelled out in black and white. I know we will end up with another Washington insider in the White House next term but the man we need there is the one who already understands the problems the industry leaders like Andy Grove are seeing and has already formulated a course of action.

Grove pointed to steel and microelectronics as historical precedents but there are others: textiles, televisions, and cars to name a few. Our leaders need to examine what we did before when we lost and try something different this time. The article also said, 'He [Grove] said he had detected no recognition of the problem from any of the presidential candidates.' There is one candidate who has recognized the problem. He brought it up at the democratic debate a few weeks ago. Dennis Kuncinich is the only candidate I have seen who doesn't just say what the latest polls seem to suggest. Check out his 10 key issues. Also note that he specifically offers a plan for the steel problem that Grove talked about. Want to know how he feels about any other issue? Look to the right column. It is all spelled out in black and white. I know we will end up with another Washington insider in the White House next term but the man we need there is the one who already understands the problems the industry leaders like Andy Grove are seeing and has already formulated a course of action.

Rather than repeat, and possibly misstate, the positions of the candidates I'd suggest you take a look at each of the candidates issue statements.

• Howard Dean
• John Kerry
• Dick Gephardt
• John Edwards
• Dennis Kucinich
• etc...

Most of the candidates have answers (or ideas) for each of these questions posted on their page. There is no single unified platform for the democratic party at this point.

And also remember that of the Democratic presidential candidates in Congress, only Dennis Kucinich voted against the USA PATRIOT Act. Of course, the pundits say he has no chance. Of course, way back in April when being pro-war was "in", the pundits were also saying that Howard Dean had no chance.

pro-environment

pro-peace

anti-war

anti-death-penalty

ANTI-NAFTA and ANTI-WTO
what else could you ask for? You've probably never heard of Kucinich since they don't have the same $ budget. And I was just thinking.. you know, if they really wanted to get some good decent donations coming in, they should just advertise on slashdot!


...And I heard they were looking for grassroots 'linux people' to help with bringing their message online...


-david

pro-environment

pro-peace

anti-war

anti-death-penalty

ANTI-NAFTA and ANTI-WTO
what else could you ask for? You've probably never heard of Kucinich since they don't have the same $ budget. And I was just thinking.. you know, if they really wanted to get some good decent donations coming in, they should just advertise on slashdot!


...And I heard they were looking for grassroots 'linux people' to help with bringing their message online...


-david

pro-environment

pro-peace

anti-war

anti-death-penalty

ANTI-NAFTA and ANTI-WTO
what else could you ask for? You've probably never heard of Kucinich since they don't have the same $ budget. And I was just thinking.. you know, if they really wanted to get some good decent donations coming in, they should just advertise on slashdot!


...And I heard they were looking for grassroots 'linux people' to help with bringing their message online...


-david

Sorry guys, if you were expecting him to be different from the majority of other politicians then you will be truly disappointed. He might be better than Bush or Lieberman, but not much. If UCE will get him into the Oval Office then UCE it is.

From the Portsmouth [New Hampshire] Herald, August 10, 2003:

"A medical marijuana campaign report card"
Howard Dean - Rating: F+
In short: Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who is a physician, is the only candidate who has actually killed a medical marijuana bill. Because of Dean's actions, Vermonters with AIDS, cancer and other terrible illnesses still face arrest and jail under state law for using medical marijuana. Dean recently retreated from his earlier pledge to direct the FDA to study medical marijuana. His reversal and his actions have shown that medical marijuana patients can never trust him. The only reason we give Dean an F+ and not a straight F is because the latter grade should be reserved for Bush, who is as cruel and heartless as anyone could possibly be on the medical marijuana issue.

Rutland Herald - Newspapers sue Dean for access to schedule
Portsmouth Herald - A medical marijuana campaig report card

My advice: pick another horse.

'Yeah, but are the alternatives any better?'

Why yes, yes they are. All of them. Even Ross Perot and his little vegan hippie clone.

Whats that i hear? The rush of brick/mortar compaines *rushing* out to patent every trivial aspect of their buisness in order to prevent others from "stealing their IP".

America has finaly started down the slippery slope... the one where entrenched and unreasonable Plutocrats rebuild the economy with rules that raise the barrier to entry so high that none can assault their position.

So, what now? Will the local cement-driveway-pourers patent their forming method? Will whitecastle patent the shape of their hamburgers (square) or the holes? What NONSENSE will become a government-protected monopoly in the USA?

I hope all you Slashdotters are paying attention to the Democrat Candidate's race. Only Kucinich and Gephardt have said they'd pull out of the WTO -- pulling out of the WTO keep the Corporate Whores from further utilizing WIPO as their favourable-IP-legislation body. Want to end the Corporate homesteading of Ideas? Vote the right way!

Although Dean has been trying to pass himself off as a progressive on everything from the war to intellectual property, a lot of it is spin. His record in Vermont shows that Dean's no progressive , that he'll cave to corporate interests when it's politically expedient. The real progressive presidential candidate is Rep. Dennis Kucinich , Chair of the Progressive Caucus in Congress. Not only is Kucinich's progressive vision and record unambiguous, he has also refused to take any form of assistance from corporations, like law firms and financial firms, in contrast to the other candidates. That's why I trust him to maintain his position on intellectual property rights *after* he's elected.

He recently wrote an article titled "The Case for Public Patents," in which he explains how public patents and nonexclusive licensing of publicly funded R&D could lower health care costs in the US. He likens the system he envisions to "an 'open source' system that makes data and findings publicly available, instead of held secret as proprietary data." He goes on to say: "Open source is how the Linux computer operating system has become a competitive force against Microsoft's Windows." When's the last time you heard a presidential candidate talking about open source and Linux? This position is also indicative of his view on copyrights and intellectual property rights more generally.

He got a late start (February), but he's been making some real strides lately. The MoveOn primary and a long string of endorsements have given a real boost to his campaign. Also, the grassroots network of volunteers is growing exponentially on the internet , where it looks like the primaries will be determined.

[5] Right-to-Choose, Privacy, and Civil Rights In a Kucinich administration, a woman's right-to-choose will be protected as essential to personal privacy and gender equality. Only those who agree to uphold Roe v. Wade will be nominated for the Supreme Court.

Dennis Kucinich seems to be one of the more clueful candidates.. From his www site:

As President, I will repeal the Patriot Act to regain for all Americans the sacred right of privacy in our homes, our libraries, our schools.

He got a "66%" rating from the ACLU.

I couldn't find any ratings from the EFF on the various candidates, so I'm not sure where he stands on Tech Liberties.

No, he isn't. He's just progressive and speaks his mind and heart. He's offering a real difference to the boring business-as-usual old-boy networks in both parties. I for one favor someone who's going to go as strong and as long in the right direction as possible, given that Congress and The System will drag him down to making a merely moderate effect. Starting out with a moderate is saying "No, I don't really want things to change".

http://www.kucinich.us/