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Democracy Player Is Dead, Long Live Miro
MrSpin writes "Democracy Player has relaunched today as Miro. Developed by the Participatory Culture Foundation, Miro aims to make online video "as easy as watching TV", while at the same time ensuring that the new medium remains accessible to everyone, through its support for open standards. The open-source application combines a media player and library, content guide, video search engine, as well as podcast and BitTorrent clients. But why the name change? According to last100, who have published a full review and guide to Miro: "When Democracy Player launched back in February 2006, the feedback received was that the name evoked different, yet equally negative responses. For many Americans it conjured up an image of yet another left wing media project, and to the rest of the world it was, rather bizarrely, being associated with the policies of the Bush administration. In contrast, the new name is purposely abstract.""
Is it any stranger than associating "communism" or "socialism" with bad things? The ideals are generally good natured, it's the context attached to them that has become corrupt.
Well, Bush and friends have done to the word "democracy" what Stalin and comrades have done to the words "socialism" and "communism"
May Peace Prevail On Earth
Currently our democracy is a shining example of bad things. Its broken in every way, and that is why people around the world are down on it to an extent. It's not democracy itself, but our form of democracy, which is really a corporate driven government full of corruption with little real progress, change, or responsibility. We do scary things because power is unchecked. Our election system is broken and corrupt. Our sense of governing is broken and corrupt.
Our idea of political debate is standing in an empty house of congress, with a sign that says "let us vote". Our idea of public discussion and debate is 2 idiots on the news argueing talking points back and forth. Its the same thing everyday with little change, little progress, and its just not taken serious by either party or the voters. The voters have mostly given up because of this nonsense. The voters know that we only get 2 choices. Just because 10 democrats debate for candidacy, doesnt mean any of them are really any different. They are the same. REAL, political new comers.. are not allowed "IN". The chances of entering these debates is none. The chances of getting on ballots in every state, is virtually impossible and its getting harder and harder.
And we go to war over lies and bullshit. We kill people because we want to. That is why democracy isnt so loved these days. We cant even provide healthcare for our people, and we're in serious fucking debt and we refuse to tax the corporations that now have the highest dow jones ever... SOMETHING is serverely broken... and by something, i mean everything.
Everytime you hear crap about "saving our democracy" you ought to cringe. Democracy and freedom are not the same thing. You can have a monarchy and have a free society. You can have a democracy or representative democracy and have a society that is all but a police state. The abuse most commonly occurs when leftists criticize actions by regimes like the Bush Administration.
Truth is, America was a lot freer when we weren't even a democracy in name. When our founders created our country, only 1/3 of the federal body politic was directly elected. We had the lowest taxes, fewest regulations, our federal civil service was actually serving, rather than ruling, the people and federal police powers were few and far between. Today, well, speaks for itself.
I'm glad they changed the name. Their project has a lot more to do with freedom than democracy.
Essentially, the Bush administration has twisted and perverted the term. "Spreading Democracy" now means "We're gonna invade your country and enforce our will."
Similarly, before Hitler adopted it for his own nefarious uses, the swastika was seen as a symbol of luck in the west.
Does it make you happy you're so strange?
At this point, I'm personally willing to suspend Godwins law for discussions about American politics. The more that people look at fascism and the USA next to each other, the more likely it is that we'll be able to fix some of the disturbing similarities.
-- The act of censorship is always worse than whatever is being censored. Always.