Ummm, my head of state is a hereditary ruler, I live in a representational constitutional monarchy. So democratic, but not in exactly the same way that the USA is (assuming you're there because you mentioned midterm elections).
That said, yes, I read the Guardian. And the BBC and other new sites, unlike apparently most of the US, according to that link - Facebook is not my main source of news, it's not a news site...
I can certainly see that there are issues, but... as some posters have pointed out in other articles (https://politics.slashdot.org/story/18/08/24/1845257/trump-accuses-social-media-firms-of-silencing-millions) they're not being silenced, they're being told to move. Which might amount to the same thing if followers can't search the internet to find them again, on brietbart or stormfront, whatever.
I choose not to worry about such, since I can't do anything about it (like vote against it). I'm more concerned about climate change, frankly.
Oh you've picked my side? Nicely done. Which is it?
By "willfully blind" I mean I don't follow the minutiae of the arguments in the claims that some poster or site has been blocked. I am aware of some, because yes, I read Slashdot and new sites, among other things. I don't use Twitter - but have clicked on links that open the website to see the image.
I didn't say I didn't care about free speech, just that businesses banning posters who annoy them is not a terribly bad thing in my opinion. There are many other things that businesses do that I think are worse. The apparent fact that my country has no legislation about free speech should explain one reason why I don't think it's such a big thing, it's not a right I have, so it's not a right I can lose. And I'm fairly sure that even in the places with free speech you are still accountable for what you say, assuming libel, slander and defamation laws exist?
Shadowbanned? Oh now I've got to search... Ooh, yeah, that's not helpful, I'll agree, how does it educate the bannee?
It may be a surprise that I don't find this a terribly bad thing. It may also be a surprise to you that my country has no free speech right, it's implied, apparently, but not part of any legislation. And yes, I was aware of the claims made, but from what I've read - before moving onto more interesting topics - it seemed that the 'censorship' was, largely, banning accounts that violated the rules they agreed to when signing up.
Willfully blind, as I don't use Twitter and try to avoid Facebook and apart from/. FB is the only social media I do use (and that only due to friends using it).
Something I've never understood about the USA, how can you have only one choice for ISP?
Sometimes govt regulation is a GOOD thing, ie requiring that the telecommunications no matter who built the wires, is available for ANYONE to use and that means businesses as well.
I have a choice of dozens of ISPs, here in the (alleged) most remote capital city on the planet.
Not sure they are curating the content so much as banning those who break the rules that they (the posters) agreed to abide by when signing up for the services.
If I understand the SSN correctly, in Australia the equivalent is the Tax File Number (TFN).
Only an employer, once you're employed, a bank (to deduct tax from any interest you may earn from having money in the bank) and the Tax office are allowed to ask for it. Or store it.
Anyone else asking for it is committing an offence.
Or you have a society that values membership of that society, and copes quite well with high income earners paying a greater portion of their income as tax than the low (or no) taxed poor.
And the rich get richer.
The poor get looked after.
And everyone is happy enough.
That's been the case for my country (Australia) for generations, though the last few decades have had populist leaders copying, for reasons, the USA's model of tax cuts for the rich and the unbelievable idea of trickle down economics...:(
Nope, I've never even been to your side of the planet:) But for about 8 months of the year I ride my bike to work, 14.5km (so not 14 miles, no) and it's a pleasant ride, even if I do get hit by the occasional summer storm. Of course, I'm on bike paths for 90% of the ride, and I'm on roads well before peak hour for the small portion I am on the roads.
No, I have not directly complied with USA laws, never having been in the hemisphere in which the USA exists.
I live in the Southern Hemisphere, the land of the free!
I'm an Aussie, from Down Under.
I've never been an employer, but I have been a worker in the Australian government area that deals with employers and employees. Some years ago...
From memory, an employer says "Yes" to "I'll employ you", to a new employee.
The new employee hands the employer a "Tax File Number Declaration".
The employer records the details in their payroll system, and then forwards the TFN dec to the government.
Bingo, job done.
Umemployment insurance (which in Australia is a federal govt thing) sorted. Workers compensation insurance, sorted (I think, may actually require some notification to the employers workers comp insurer, I'm not sure, but easy enough, it's via email I'm sure) and state withholding taxes? They don't exist here.
Hiring someone from a diffferent state? No difference between hiring them or someone who lives next door.
Why does your country make things so difficult?
That's for you to answer, not me.
It's pretty simple here, apart from, maybe, workers comp, and even that is national here, and if I join a uniion (which I will next pay, within a week) it's sorted, nationall.
oh, and it seems while I've been typing a reply to you, I've been killed in my tank game... thanks, Brian, thanks... tanks a lot!:)
Basically, things don't HAVE to be as difficult as they are in the USA. The USA has CHOSEN to make things difficult, because of... reasons (your constitution?
Don't Tread On me, Big Govt is bad, FREE DUMBS@!@S!!) I don't know, but most of the arguments I read about from the USA seem to be retarded, redundant or simple idiocy from my perspective (that said, as mentioned, I do not employ people, I'm an employee and it's been REAL SIMPLE for me for over 30 years).
Rant over (I admit to being... unable to legally drive at the moment, but it's almost 2pm where I am and I've nothing planned that requires leaving my house for today).
Painless? No, but there is (or should be) no oppressive tax burden in a decent progressive tax system. It should be relatively pain free. You earn more money, you get to keep more money, but you pay a bit more tax.
I mentioned Australia, as that's where I live.
Everyone in every era complains about bureaucracy, but no-one seems to offer a better suggestion than anarchy, it seems?
I'd love for the world to be a utopia, it's arguably possible, but it, again, never seems to happen. I wonder why? (that's a rhetorical question!)
Slashdot Mirror
Ummm, my head of state is a hereditary ruler, I live in a representational constitutional monarchy. So democratic, but not in exactly the same way that the USA is (assuming you're there because you mentioned midterm elections).
That said, yes, I read the Guardian. And the BBC and other new sites, unlike apparently most of the US, according to that link - Facebook is not my main source of news, it's not a news site...
I can certainly see that there are issues, but... as some posters have pointed out in other articles (https://politics.slashdot.org/story/18/08/24/1845257/trump-accuses-social-media-firms-of-silencing-millions) they're not being silenced, they're being told to move. Which might amount to the same thing if followers can't search the internet to find them again, on brietbart or stormfront, whatever.
I choose not to worry about such, since I can't do anything about it (like vote against it). I'm more concerned about climate change, frankly.
There is also this article from yesterday:
https://techcrunch.com/2018/08...
Oops, slashdot link is here:
https://tech.slashdot.org/stor...
So, there are issues, certainly. But the answer doesn't seem to be unfettered access to everything for everyone.
I get 4K Youtube over 25mbs fixed wireless.
Oh you've picked my side? Nicely done. Which is it?
By "willfully blind" I mean I don't follow the minutiae of the arguments in the claims that some poster or site has been blocked. I am aware of some, because yes, I read Slashdot and new sites, among other things. I don't use Twitter - but have clicked on links that open the website to see the image.
I didn't say I didn't care about free speech, just that businesses banning posters who annoy them is not a terribly bad thing in my opinion. There are many other things that businesses do that I think are worse. The apparent fact that my country has no legislation about free speech should explain one reason why I don't think it's such a big thing, it's not a right I have, so it's not a right I can lose. And I'm fairly sure that even in the places with free speech you are still accountable for what you say, assuming libel, slander and defamation laws exist?
Shadowbanned? Oh now I've got to search... Ooh, yeah, that's not helpful, I'll agree, how does it educate the bannee?
It may be a surprise that I don't find this a terribly bad thing.
It may also be a surprise to you that my country has no free speech right, it's implied, apparently, but not part of any legislation.
And yes, I was aware of the claims made, but from what I've read - before moving onto more interesting topics - it seemed that the 'censorship' was, largely, banning accounts that violated the rules they agreed to when signing up.
Willfully blind, as I don't use Twitter and try to avoid Facebook and apart from /. FB is the only social media I do use (and that only due to friends using it).
Thanks, It's a very old online (and arcade game) nickname I use :)
Aaah, I see, and I agree.
Something I've never understood about the USA, how can you have only one choice for ISP?
Sometimes govt regulation is a GOOD thing, ie requiring that the telecommunications no matter who built the wires, is available for ANYONE to use and that means businesses as well.
I have a choice of dozens of ISPs, here in the (alleged) most remote capital city on the planet.
You could try the Australian electoral system?
Particularly preferential voting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Call a federal election, after an unusually long election campaign of 11 weeks, we had a new government.
Fast, low cost, not difficult to understand. And pretty much every vote counts.
And yet, didn't Hillary win the popular vote?
I don't think you win the popular vote by being unpopular...
People might use the word in that way.
Lawyers?
I do not expect a lawyer to misuse language in that manner.
Words and the phrasing of them are their tools to earn a living.
And I did watch the video.
I fear that Giuliani might be past his prime...
Not sure they are curating the content so much as banning those who break the rules that they (the posters) agreed to abide by when signing up for the services.
Quite a different thing, from where I'm sitting.
The important thing to remember is that Twitter, Facebook etc have RULES that you HAVE to AGREE TO before using their services.
If you don't like the rules, don't sign up.
If you don't follow the rules, don't be surprised when banned.
It's really that simple.
Oh, well, that makes perfect sense, sorry for asking! :)
Modded insightful?
I'd have modded it troll...
The number of points missed by ScentCone is... about 5 or so, by my quick and admittedly drunken count? Ooh, maybe 6.
Nope, nope and nope, ScentCone. Nope.
Go read up about income inequality and then do some reading about sewerage issues in some of the southern states, just to start.
The thing I find amazing is that the cameras would EVER be connected to the internet!
What possible reason does a POLICE body camera have to connect to the internet??
If I understand the SSN correctly, in Australia the equivalent is the Tax File Number (TFN).
Only an employer, once you're employed, a bank (to deduct tax from any interest you may earn from having money in the bank) and the Tax office are allowed to ask for it. Or store it.
Anyone else asking for it is committing an offence.
TFNs are secret.
Or you have a society that values membership of that society, and copes quite well with high income earners paying a greater portion of their income as tax than the low (or no) taxed poor.
And the rich get richer.
The poor get looked after.
And everyone is happy enough.
That's been the case for my country (Australia) for generations, though the last few decades have had populist leaders copying, for reasons, the USA's model of tax cuts for the rich and the unbelievable idea of trickle down economics... :(
Nope, I've never even been to your side of the planet :)
But for about 8 months of the year I ride my bike to work, 14.5km (so not 14 miles, no) and it's a pleasant ride, even if I do get hit by the occasional summer storm.
Of course, I'm on bike paths for 90% of the ride, and I'm on roads well before peak hour for the small portion I am on the roads.
Why don't you ride a bicycle?
dafuq?
Technically correct, factually irrelevant - due to the tiny difference between 4% and 6%.
What might be relevant is the amount of subsidies each 'nation' pays to their producers.
Got any stats on that?
" Look who America is now modelling their lives and aspirations after."
Nazis?
No, I have not directly complied with USA laws, never having been in the hemisphere in which the USA exists.
I live in the Southern Hemisphere, the land of the free!
I'm an Aussie, from Down Under.
I've never been an employer, but I have been a worker in the Australian government area that deals with employers and employees. Some years ago...
From memory, an employer says "Yes" to "I'll employ you", to a new employee.
The new employee hands the employer a "Tax File Number Declaration".
The employer records the details in their payroll system, and then forwards the TFN dec to the government.
Bingo, job done.
Umemployment insurance (which in Australia is a federal govt thing) sorted.
Workers compensation insurance, sorted
(I think, may actually require some notification to the employers workers comp insurer, I'm not sure, but easy enough, it's via email I'm sure) and state withholding taxes? They don't exist here.
Hiring someone from a diffferent state? No difference between hiring them or someone who lives next door.
Why does your country make things so difficult?
That's for you to answer, not me.
It's pretty simple here, apart from, maybe, workers comp, and even that is national here, and if I join a uniion (which I will next pay, within a week) it's sorted, nationall.
oh, and it seems while I've been typing a reply to you, I've been killed in my tank game... thanks, Brian, thanks... tanks a lot! :)
Basically, things don't HAVE to be as difficult as they are in the USA. The USA has CHOSEN to make things difficult, because of... reasons (your constitution?
Don't Tread On me, Big Govt is bad, FREE DUMBS@!@S!!) I don't know, but most of the arguments I read about from the USA seem to be retarded, redundant or simple idiocy from my perspective (that said, as mentioned, I do not employ people, I'm an employee and it's been REAL SIMPLE for me for over 30 years).
Rant over (I admit to being... unable to legally drive at the moment, but it's almost 2pm where I am and I've nothing planned that requires leaving my house for today).
Painless? No, but there is (or should be) no oppressive tax burden in a decent progressive tax system. It should be relatively pain free. You earn more money, you get to keep more money, but you pay a bit more tax.
I mentioned Australia, as that's where I live.
Everyone in every era complains about bureaucracy, but no-one seems to offer a better suggestion than anarchy, it seems?
I'd love for the world to be a utopia, it's arguably possible, but it, again, never seems to happen. I wonder why? (that's a rhetorical question!)