The New York Times on Hypocrisy of US IP Policies

jwinterboy writes " The New York Times has an article (free blah di blah) criticizing the intellectual property framework that the U.S. places on developing countries, given that it was a large pirate of intellectual property during it's own industrialization. "

Comments

Re:Broader Theme of Colonialism (OT)

[Uri]

...but there has always been a good historical president for it:

Not a grammar nazi, just for those who are interested: (I always thought the president/precedent mix-up was an odd one for slashdot, because a similar distinction exists in most other European languages)

• president/président/Präsident/daitouryou: one appointed or elected to preside.
• precedent/précédent/Präzedenzfall/senrei: a preceding instance used as an example for subsequent cases.

Who gives a fuck about income equality?

[Convergence]

Because I certainly don't.. What matters to people isn't how how envious of the rich they can be, but their standard of living.

I'd rather live in a country where I make $20k/year, and the richest person makes 100,000x as much as that, than live in a country where I make $10k/year, and the richest person makes 10x that.

You might rather be poorer, but I don't.

Sure, throw in some adjustment on prices based on, say, median income... But basing *ANY* social policy on envy (which is what is occuring if people complain about 'income inequality' between the rich and poor) is STUPID and NONPRODUCTIVE.

Are people better off in, say, India, where the median income is $2500, with the lowest 10% of households consuming 3.5% of total GNP? Or the US, where its $36000 and 1.8%? [numbers from CIA world factbook 2002 edition]

Blah di blah?

[ichimunki]

Now I like to consider myself moderately intelligent, well-read, and decently informed, but what, exactly, is a free "blah di blah"? And is that free as in speech or free as in beer?