No. I'm at the point where I'd like to see the 50 States call a Constitutional Convention, and abolish the United States completely, replacing it with the Articles of Confederation (where the central government was weak).
We the People have granted a *temporary* monopoly to authors so they earn some money off their product. This monopoly is intended to benefit the People by enriching our lives, and the lives of the authors, not to go-around ruining various citizens lives with million-dollar court punishments and/or threatening persons with $5000 extortionate letters ("pay up or else"). We the People gave these authors a generous monopoly over their works, and they have abused it. Like a kid who takes crayons and scrawls on your wallpaper.
Since they have demonstrated they can not handle the responsibility, it's time for we the people to take-back the monopoly. You couldn't behave. You ruined people's lives and are *destroying* our culture instead of enriching it. And now you're done.
Back in the 1980s people used to charge their long-distance calls for downloading pirated games to other people's calling cards. Perhaps something similar is being done with downloading over cellular dialup/phones?
>>>he came out onto his porch and loudly berated the officers in a profanity-laced diatribe
So? It's HIS yard and HIS right to say any damn thing he wants. The officers should have reacted as any employee would to their boss - "I'm sorry sir," and left. If they don't like that job, well they're welcome to change careers. The right of free speech in the constitution does not say, "You have the right to free speech unless we don't like what you're saying, and then we'll arrest you." It says nothing of the sort.
Furthermore:
My ancestors were slaves. Their mouths used to be owned by their masters. They had to be silent, because they did control their own tongues. Not no more. Our mouth is OUR property, our body is our property, and we will say anything we want to say. We. Are. FREE. Free at last. Free at last. Thank GOD almighty! We are free at least.
Yes my brother Gates acted like a jerk but he is a FREE Man and he has that right to say any damn thing he wants to say in his own house or his own front yard!!!
Troll? Really? I thought it was rather informative myself. Next I suppose you're going to tell me I'm not allowed to post this document:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights..... The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States."
"...has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures." "...has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power. "...has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance."
But when police make a mistake, as in the Professor Gates case, then they should have to serve equal time. If Gates spent a night in jail and was found "not guilty" and released, then the arresting officers should ALSO have to spend a night in jail.
Perhaps it will teach them to be more understanding of the citizens' viewpoint (jail is not fun; neither is being away from home for a night), and they'll be less inclined to pull that "You're under arrest" trigger for trivial stuff. i.e. They would have left Gates rant and not arrested him.
>>>Do I side with the Fascist cops or the Nazi record exec?
Well since the government has the power to throw you in jail, draft you into the army and send you to your death (Vietnam/Afghanistan), and suck money directly from your paycheck..... and the record exec does not..... I side with the lesser of the two evils.
Besides even if I don't like someone, I will still demand their individual rights be respected. People have rights. Governments do not; governments are servants of the People. The government should get down on its knees and Thank the People for allowing it to exist, rather than abolishing it completely.
>>>(the 1st amendment doesn't protect your right to say things that endanger the public
Too bad the United States Supreme Court disagrees with you. You can say anything upto the point of riot, but if the crowd is not rioting then your innate, natural, and inalienable right to free speech will be protected by the government.
Also it's not as if this was the first case of police acting like tyrants, instead of taxpayer employees: - there's the famous Professor Gates where he was arrested in his own house; okay he acted like a loud-mouthed jerk but that is right (free speech) - there's the fellow that was barred from traveling from St.Louis to Arlington Virginia because he had $4000 cash (not illegal) - there's the guy who was stopped in the middle of Arizona, forced to open his trunk, he refused, so they drug him out and beat him - and then there's case-after-case-after-case where people were arrested for using a camera in a public sidewalk
Neither the U.S. Constitution nor the EU Lisbon Treaty allows Massachusetts (Lithuania) to bar Californian (Portuguese) sellers to sell their goods into their respective territories. These were the terms of the Confederation these states agreed to.
And as for the tax, only the central government can tax across state lines. Citizens of one member states are not subject to the sales laws of the other state. Each state's laws end at the border.
Being a Virginian I don't recognize New York's authority to subject me to their laws.
That's because the following things happen to upset the market:
- Natural monopolies (water, sewer, natural gas, electricity) - Government-mandated monopolies (DeBeers diamonads, Comcast cable, Bell telephone or internet, OPEC cartel/price fixing) - Government interference to save bad businesses that should be left to die (AIG, GM, Boscovs) - Outright government banning of competition (you can't buy insurance outside your state, which is not quite but close to a government-granted monopoly)
The first is obviously unavoidable, but the latter 3 could easily be fixed by getting the government the hell out of the way.
- gas stations (one corner versus another corner) - grocery (store versus store) - computers - cars - radio and television stations - cable and satellite TV providers
Why should Amazon's owner, a citizen of California, be subject to a Massachusetts government ~2500 miles away? That's akin to saying somebody in Portugal citizen-seller should have to pay tax to the Lithuania government. It makes no sense to allow governments to extend their laws beyond their own borders.
Especially when the Californians/Portuguese citizens have no voice in the Massachusetts/Lithuanian Legislatures. That's taxation without representation.
>>>A large percentage of my purchases at Amazon are from independent resellers.
Which States like New York, Massachusetts, et cetera want to force to collect sales tax, and thereby create a heavy accounting and cost burden. Let's see. 10,000 sales tax jurisdictions/forms times 44 cents each == $4400 to comply.
I like when things arrive damaged. I can complain to Amazon and they'll usually give it to me free. Good luck getting anything free from Walmart, who will usually give you a store credit (gift card) instead even when you deserve a refund
I don't know where the other guy got his numbers but I've found (via google), that 1.5 Mbit/s ITU G.992.3 Annex L (reach extended) ADSL can travel five miles without a repeater, and ten miles with the repeater. If you slowed that down to 1 Mbit/s you could probably get 15 miles distance.
Almost all American homes are within that distance of the central office, or a DSLAM
>>>he local loop/last mile - the physical infrastructure. It's uneconomical and certainly impractical to expect every player...
I disagree. If the government has already laid the pipe under the street to carry (for example) Comcast and Verizon's wires, then when a new startup like AppleTV wants to serve that neighborhood, all they need to do is run the fiber optic wires through the same pre-existing pipe. That isn't expensive at all.
>>>I will just nip around and book into the 4 year lazer surgery course. Then YOU can be my first patient I operate on
Sure. If 4 years is enough to write the world-spanning Windows OS, or to design weapons for the Navy which can mean life or death for sailors, or to layout circuits for PCs that reach into millions of homes (including hospitaloffices), it should be enough to perform a minor incision in somebody's lens & correct the focus.
Why don't we just all sell ourselves as Serfs to our respective Politicians, and let them take care of our every need? Why it will be just like circa 1000 A.D. again, where we can live, eat, and die happy with our little plots of land.
>>>when I pay taxes I don't consider a state healthcare system to be a theft of my labour.
Even if you never get sick? i.e. You get hit by a car and die, or have a massive heart attack at age 80 and fall over dead. Then you've paid ~$500,000 in Euros towards the hospitals and got (virtually) nothing in return. That's almost as bad as the thousands we Americans were forced to give to AIG - welfare for the corporations.
>>>But your neighbor can pay the bill to bomb foreign countries, interstate highways, airports, schools, police, fire departments, etc.... Why is it ok
STRAWMAN argument. It isn't okay. I am anti-war through-and-through. I also am against forcing people to fund highways if they don't drive, or schools if they passed menopause and never had kids.
And as for police, they are funded by all because they benefit all.
>>>its socialization none-the-less. The fact that politicians and pundits seem to overlook this
Speaking of overlooking, you apparently can't read because you overlooked where I said Republicans/Libertarians support a "safety new" such as unemployment, emergency medical treatment, et cetera. We support approximately 5% socialization as a last-ditch resort for those in need, not 100% socialization for everybody
>>>Indeed. The entire rest of the developed world is all wrong, and the way America is doing it is right.
Sure. Why not? It happened once before when, in 1781, America created the world's only elected Republic (the Confederation of United States) while the rest of the "developed world" was ruled by monarchs or oligarchs. We Americans are rebellious like that.
Slashdot Mirror
No. I'm at the point where I'd like to see the 50 States call a Constitutional Convention, and abolish the United States completely, replacing it with the Articles of Confederation (where the central government was weak).
We the People have granted a *temporary* monopoly to authors so they earn some money off their product. This monopoly is intended to benefit the People by enriching our lives, and the lives of the authors, not to go-around ruining various citizens lives with million-dollar court punishments and/or threatening persons with $5000 extortionate letters ("pay up or else"). We the People gave these authors a generous monopoly over their works, and they have abused it. Like a kid who takes crayons and scrawls on your wallpaper.
Since they have demonstrated they can not handle the responsibility, it's time for we the people to take-back the monopoly. You couldn't behave. You ruined people's lives and are *destroying* our culture instead of enriching it. And now you're done.
The crayons are being taken away.
Which is not what he said.
He said he'd BILL the record companies for the cost, but of course it would still be administered by the ISPs
Back in the 1980s people used to charge their long-distance calls for downloading pirated games to other people's calling cards. Perhaps something similar is being done with downloading over cellular dialup/phones?
>>>he came out onto his porch and loudly berated the officers in a profanity-laced diatribe
So? It's HIS yard and HIS right to say any damn thing he wants. The officers should have reacted as any employee would to their boss - "I'm sorry sir," and left. If they don't like that job, well they're welcome to change careers. The right of free speech in the constitution does not say, "You have the right to free speech unless we don't like what you're saying, and then we'll arrest you." It says nothing of the sort.
Furthermore:
My ancestors were slaves. Their mouths used to be owned by their masters. They had to be silent, because they did control their own tongues. Not no more. Our mouth is OUR property, our body is our property, and we will say anything we want to say. We. Are. FREE. Free at last. Free at last. Thank GOD almighty! We are free at least.
Yes my brother Gates acted like a jerk but he is a FREE Man and he has that right to say any damn thing he wants to say in his own house or his own front yard!!!
Amen.
Troll? Really? I thought it was rather informative myself. Next I suppose you're going to tell me I'm not allowed to post this document:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights..... The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States."
"...has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures."
"...has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
"...has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance."
Yes.
But when police make a mistake, as in the Professor Gates case, then they should have to serve equal time. If Gates spent a night in jail and was found "not guilty" and released, then the arresting officers should ALSO have to spend a night in jail.
Perhaps it will teach them to be more understanding of the citizens' viewpoint (jail is not fun; neither is being away from home for a night), and they'll be less inclined to pull that "You're under arrest" trigger for trivial stuff. i.e. They would have left Gates rant and not arrested him.
>>>Do I side with the Fascist cops or the Nazi record exec?
Well since the government has the power to throw you in jail, draft you into the army and send you to your death (Vietnam/Afghanistan), and suck money directly from your paycheck..... and the record exec does not..... I side with the lesser of the two evils.
Besides even if I don't like someone, I will still demand their individual rights be respected. People have rights. Governments do not; governments are servants of the People. The government should get down on its knees and Thank the People for allowing it to exist, rather than abolishing it completely.
>>>(the 1st amendment doesn't protect your right to say things that endanger the public
Too bad the United States Supreme Court disagrees with you. You can say anything upto the point of riot, but if the crowd is not rioting then your innate, natural, and inalienable right to free speech will be protected by the government.
Also it's not as if this was the first case of police acting like tyrants, instead of taxpayer employees:
- there's the famous Professor Gates where he was arrested in his own house; okay he acted like a loud-mouthed jerk but that is right (free speech)
- there's the fellow that was barred from traveling from St.Louis to Arlington Virginia because he had $4000 cash (not illegal)
- there's the guy who was stopped in the middle of Arizona, forced to open his trunk, he refused, so they drug him out and beat him
- and then there's case-after-case-after-case where people were arrested for using a camera in a public sidewalk
Anyway I'll let you do your own google search, but here's just some quick links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUzd7G875Hc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMB6L487LHM http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=arrested+for+taping+police&search_type=&aq=f The U.S. Police are turning into a modern variant of the Roman Legionnaire that spread terror throughout the empire.
We have reached enlightenment. We shall now call ourselves Q.
(huuummmm)
Man this is dull.
Neither the U.S. Constitution nor the EU Lisbon Treaty allows Massachusetts (Lithuania) to bar Californian (Portuguese) sellers to sell their goods into their respective territories. These were the terms of the Confederation these states agreed to.
And as for the tax, only the central government can tax across state lines. Citizens of one member states are not subject to the sales laws of the other state. Each state's laws end at the border.
Being a Virginian I don't recognize New York's authority to subject me to their laws.
That's because the following things happen to upset the market:
- Natural monopolies (water, sewer, natural gas, electricity)
- Government-mandated monopolies (DeBeers diamonads, Comcast cable, Bell telephone or internet, OPEC cartel/price fixing)
- Government interference to save bad businesses that should be left to die (AIG, GM, Boscovs)
- Outright government banning of competition (you can't buy insurance outside your state, which is not quite but close to a government-granted monopoly)
The first is obviously unavoidable, but the latter 3 could easily be fixed by getting the government the hell out of the way.
There's also competition in the following areas:
- gas stations (one corner versus another corner)
- grocery (store versus store)
- computers
- cars
- radio and television stations
- cable and satellite TV providers
Why should Amazon's owner, a citizen of California, be subject to a Massachusetts government ~2500 miles away? That's akin to saying somebody in Portugal citizen-seller should have to pay tax to the Lithuania government. It makes no sense to allow governments to extend their laws beyond their own borders.
Especially when the Californians/Portuguese citizens have no voice in the Massachusetts/Lithuanian Legislatures. That's taxation without representation.
>>>A large percentage of my purchases at Amazon are from independent resellers.
Which States like New York, Massachusetts, et cetera want to force to collect sales tax, and thereby create a heavy accounting and cost burden. Let's see. 10,000 sales tax jurisdictions/forms times 44 cents each == $4400 to comply.
I like when things arrive damaged. I can complain to Amazon and they'll usually give it to me free. Good luck getting anything free from Walmart, who will usually give you a store credit (gift card) instead even when you deserve a refund
I don't know where the other guy got his numbers but I've found (via google), that 1.5 Mbit/s ITU G.992.3 Annex L (reach extended) ADSL can travel five miles without a repeater, and ten miles with the repeater. If you slowed that down to 1 Mbit/s you could probably get 15 miles distance.
Almost all American homes are within that distance of the central office, or a DSLAM
>>>he local loop/last mile - the physical infrastructure. It's uneconomical and certainly impractical to expect every player...
I disagree. If the government has already laid the pipe under the street to carry (for example) Comcast and Verizon's wires, then when a new startup like AppleTV wants to serve that neighborhood, all they need to do is run the fiber optic wires through the same pre-existing pipe. That isn't expensive at all.
Already done.
>>>I will just nip around and book into the 4 year lazer surgery course. Then YOU can be my first patient I operate on
Sure. If 4 years is enough to write the world-spanning Windows OS, or to design weapons for the Navy which can mean life or death for sailors, or to layout circuits for PCs that reach into millions of homes (including hospitaloffices), it should be enough to perform a minor incision in somebody's lens & correct the focus.
Here's a thought:
Why don't we just all sell ourselves as Serfs to our respective Politicians, and let them take care of our every need? Why it will be just like circa 1000 A.D. again, where we can live, eat, and die happy with our little plots of land.
>>>when I pay taxes I don't consider a state healthcare system to be a theft of my labour.
Even if you never get sick? i.e. You get hit by a car and die, or have a massive heart attack at age 80 and fall over dead. Then you've paid ~$500,000 in Euros towards the hospitals and got (virtually) nothing in return. That's almost as bad as the thousands we Americans were forced to give to AIG - welfare for the corporations.
>>>But your neighbor can pay the bill to bomb foreign countries, interstate highways, airports, schools, police, fire departments, etc.... Why is it ok
STRAWMAN argument. It isn't okay. I am anti-war through-and-through. I also am against forcing people to fund highways if they don't drive, or schools if they passed menopause and never had kids.
And as for police, they are funded by all because they benefit all.
>>>its socialization none-the-less. The fact that politicians and pundits seem to overlook this
Speaking of overlooking, you apparently can't read because you overlooked where I said Republicans/Libertarians support a "safety new" such as unemployment, emergency medical treatment, et cetera. We support approximately 5% socialization as a last-ditch resort for those in need, not 100% socialization for everybody
>>>Indeed. The entire rest of the developed world is all wrong, and the way America is doing it is right.
Sure. Why not? It happened once before when, in 1781, America created the world's only elected Republic (the Confederation of United States) while the rest of the "developed world" was ruled by monarchs or oligarchs. We Americans are rebellious like that.