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DrinkOrDie Warez Trader to be Extradited to U.S.
femto writes "Hew Raymond Griffiths, alleged to be one of the leaders of the warez group DrinkOrDie, is to be extradited to the United States after losing an appeal. The case is of interest as the appeal was based on the fact that during the offences, alleged to have been committed in the US, the accused did not leave Australia."
In a legal dispute between a DrinkOrDie member and the United States Government, why link to a United States Government document on the group? It's a little biased.
Wikipedia, perhaps a more neutral source, has an article on DrinkOrDie
Actually I think you'll find that John Howard is popular because during his tenure:
1. Interest rates fell. A lot. For a long time. He's 9 years in and only now are they rising.
2. Unemployment fell. A lot. It's still falling, to the point where Australia is seeing serious skills shortages.
3. Real Household Wealth rose. A lot.
On the downside:
1. Household debt is way up. A lot of this is easy peasy consumer credit and borrowing for investment property ("Negative Gearing"). When this bubble bursts, the Liberals' time in office will end.
2. Government spending is way up. Particularly through the GST. Americans: heed the lesson that consumption taxes don't replace income tax; they just get spent together.
3. Blossoming trade deficits. For those who care, though we've run deficits essentially uninterrupted for over a hundred years and we're doing OK so far.
For most Australians, the defence of Australia against Indonesia is far from their minds. In truth, we'll do more for our security by being honest with Indonesia (rather than sucking up), and by trading with them. Both of these are pretty much stock standard Howard policy.
Classical Liberalism: All your base are belong to you.
Copyright infringement isn't a criminal act in Australia
Additional sections exist for nondigital distribution, other modes of violation, etc. Source: Australian Copyright Act of 1968, as amended.
It's always amusing to watch somebody not from Australia pull out the "settled by convicts" line, with the expectation that it will make Australians uncomfortable. It hasn't for about 30 years or more.
;-)
Seriously, which sorts of people do you think got transported to Australia?
a) murderers and rapists
b) political prisoners
c) small-time theives and vandals
d) bankrupts
If you answered a), and you are an American, you have a most astoundingly interesting view of the British justice system at the turn of the 19th century - especially in light of the fact that such people could be executed today if they were US citizens.
Seeing as b), c) and d) were all transportable offences, which practically anybody's point of view - let alone an Australian's - is a little on the harsh side, why should anybody give a damn?
Today, it's considered a small matter of pride if you can prove that one of your ancestors was transported to Australia because of their part in an Irish rebellion, their theft of a loaf of bread, or their fall on hard times. Most of those offences practically scream "underdog" - a status that Australian politicians and sporting coaches scramble after to this day.