But with the internet now essential to countries' basic infrastructure - Brazil relies on it for 90% of its tax collection - the question of who has control has become critical.
Which is, of course, exactly why the US wants to maintain control of it.
For example for those not familiar. Picture a time when nanotechnology as developed to the point of being able to replicate anything (extreme i know but we are talking sci-fi here). Imagine with this replicator anything can be made: books, tvs, cars, jets, tanks, nuclear weapons, money... at that point whats the value of money? These machines could replicate themselves and everyone would have a replicator. Everyone has everything... material things then become worthless. Class structure collapses in on itself as everyone is on a level plain.
Some idiots will always manage to still be living in a dirt-floored shack. Socialism will take up forcing you to help them figure out how to run their replicators, and, when people STILL live on dirt-floored shacks, with forcing you to help them think of good uses for the replicator.
> Would you rather live in a *Logan's Run* civilization where > you have to be "renued" at the ripe age of 30? (yes, > I realize the age was lower in the book).
I'd rather live forever in a "Logan's Run" civilization where I could press a button on the telportation sexual meatmarket 'net, and go up and hold her hand and lead her to the bed, asking her, "Would you like to f*ck?"
> And oh my....the tyranny to live under the rule > of someone who has lived a long time. Seems like > that's what we tolerate today here in the U.S. > under the Constitution.
Now this is a more important point. Without, as it must to all Men, death comes to so-and-so, there's nothing to clear out the high charisma thugs.
Long story short: increases in productivity allow more work to be done, allowing more specialization, and thus more development in ever more varied areas.
That's the whole point. I don't believe you can anymore. It used to be right there on your ID page. They dropped it because of people "karma whoring" to get their karmu up as fast as possible.
I don't know why this was a problem, though. People who abused karma (by using their bonus +2 posting ability to post dirty pictures) would still be a problem.
While holding a normal conversation on the phone Babble plays back random meaningless snipits of your own voice which makes your conversation practically unintelligible to people as close as 4 feet away.
Finally! A way to do away with Rosie O'Donnel and Barbara Streisand! Send 'em some of these, free.
You can't go buy a video game that depicts extreme violence without Mommy standing there if you are under 18.
What's the problem? Yes, I know you waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnt it bad, real bad like. But Mommy and Daddy have decided you shouldn't be able to get it without us saying OK.
'If public land is being used for private purposes, the tenants should be paying local property taxes... We have $30 million in unfunded retirement liabilities. We need the money.'
...because you, the population, exist to serve us. That's why we suffer your pathetic countenance. You will not be allowed to do anything without a 42.8% energy damper attached to your every move to feed our bloated body. We bloat, therefore you (are allowed to) are.
another single mother is taking the fight to the RIAA. More than just standing up to them however, Tanya Anderson has decided to go on the offensive and countersue. In a move that aims to put the RIAA on the same level as your average organized crime syndicate the suit identifies violations of the Oregon RICO Act in addition to 'fraud, invasion of privacy, abuse of process, electronic trespass, violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, negligent misrepresentation, the tort of "outrage", and deceptive business practices.' Ms. Anderson has also demanded a trial by jury.
Damn! What some single mothers won't go thru just to ensure a steady supply of scammed porn...
If they haven't changed it since they hid it, then the cap is 50. Ironically, there is no "momentum", so you could be pegged high at 50, get a bunch of +5's in a row, which just evaporate, then get a single -1 and presto, you're down to 49.
There's not even such thing as a jury trial in the Bible.
However, ownership of slaves is A-OK with Yaweh. Just don't go killin' 'em indiscriminately.
And, go look it up if you don't believe me, Yaweh is of such high moral character, he once sicced bears on 42 children, killing them, because they made fun of some bald guy's head
Nice, moral guy, this Yaweh. (Note: Every time you see THE LORD in tiny print in the Bible, that's refering to "YHWH" in the original text, said translators being afraid to translate the actual name of God, presumably because of some ancient superstitious notion about invoking someone's "true name" giving you some inappropriate power over them.)
Not the right, the power. It's an important distinction to make.
Exactly. It should be in Politics 101. Only people have rights. Governments only have powers that the people grant them over those rights; powers the people can revoke at will subject to their own created rules for doing so.
What's NOT a subject for debate is that the bill of rights guarantees that an individual is innocent until proven guilty.
Which reminds me: The government thinks it can just declare a crime has been committed, seize property, and never bother even arresting anyone, much less trying someone, much less convicting someone.
There was a situation about 10 years ago where a Cops-like TV show showed an officer pulling over a Mexican family, finding $8000 in cash in a tire in the trunk, took it because "obviously" it was drug money, then let the family go.
Some politicians blustered about how the cop should be arrested for theft, and then that was the last I had heard about it. Anyone know an update as to status (of this case, or in general on the government seizing stuff claiming it criminal contraband, without even arresting anybody?)
Well, the definition I learned was that Fascism was a system where production was nominally privately owned, but with a large measure of control by the government, and involved a great deal of nationalism.
As opposed to Communism, which was largely the same except that things were "publically" owned.
Of course, an Ayn Randian analysis demonstrating the intrusion of "statism" into privacy (including private property ownership) is the real root of evil will fall on deaf ears as Republicans learn it means you can't ban pornography, and Democrats learn it means you can't Robin Hood money. [Robotic voice=on]Therefore it is bad.[/Robotic voice]
Nothing to see here, move along, move along, we now return you (generic you) to your poverty of critical thinking and your emotional investments in your political arguments...
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Which is, of course, exactly why the US wants to maintain control of it.
"Government will be looking for ways to tax the holy hell out of it all."
Some idiots will always manage to still be living in a dirt-floored shack. Socialism will take up forcing you to help them figure out how to run their replicators, and, when people STILL live on dirt-floored shacks, with forcing you to help them think of good uses for the replicator.
And STILL there will be morons living in poverty.
"Seriously, have you ever talked to a woman before without having to give your credit card number?"
Wings are about fifth on the list of body alterations I wanna grow.
> Would you rather live in a *Logan's Run* civilization where
> you have to be "renued" at the ripe age of 30? (yes,
> I realize the age was lower in the book).
I'd rather live forever in a "Logan's Run" civilization where I could press a button on the telportation sexual meatmarket 'net, and go up and hold her hand and lead her to the bed, asking her, "Would you like to f*ck?"
> And oh my....the tyranny to live under the rule
> of someone who has lived a long time. Seems like
> that's what we tolerate today here in the U.S.
> under the Constitution.
Now this is a more important point. Without, as it must to all Men, death comes to so-and-so, there's nothing to clear out the high charisma thugs.
> Which brings up the point, do you really WANT to live 300 years?
Well, I do know for damned sure that 70 years is way too short.
I'll let you know once I get there. How's that?
Long story short: increases in productivity allow more work to be done, allowing more specialization, and thus more development in ever more varied areas.
I'm thinkin' a six shooter'll be good enough. After all, chariots of iron are good enuf to give Yaweh's hide a beet red tannin'!
> Well hurry the hell up then
I read one sci-fi story where, for lack of anything better to do, people would sign up to be each other's sex slaves for a hundred years at a crack.
I concur! Hurry the hell up, then!
Of course, it's tough imagining anything better to do than consentually being forced to do degrading things to women you're hot for.
That's the whole point. I don't believe you can anymore. It used to be right there on your ID page. They dropped it because of people "karma whoring" to get their karmu up as fast as possible.
I don't know why this was a problem, though. People who abused karma (by using their bonus +2 posting ability to post dirty pictures) would still be a problem.
Finally! A way to do away with Rosie O'Donnel and Barbara Streisand! Send 'em some of these, free.
You can't go buy a video game that depicts extreme violence without Mommy standing there if you are under 18.
What's the problem? Yes, I know you waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnt it bad, real bad like. But Mommy and Daddy have decided you shouldn't be able to get it without us saying OK.
I hope you can understand that.
Damn! What some single mothers won't go thru just to ensure a steady supply of scammed porn...
If they haven't changed it since they hid it, then the cap is 50. Ironically, there is no "momentum", so you could be pegged high at 50, get a bunch of +5's in a row, which just evaporate, then get a single -1 and presto, you're down to 49.
I.e. one of those boring games like Star Wars: Battlefront or Star Wars: Galaxies, where it's tough or impossible to be a Jedi?
> Now I went into this more excited about this movie than any other movie I've ever been to.
Even "Where the Boys Aren't, Vol. 17" in the peep show booths?
> Universe != USA (despite what George W thinks)
Universe != Galactic Central Command (despite what Xenu thinks)
Yet people still wanna learn Standard Galactic and line up to get the hell off this planet, don't they?
Who wants to hear a spoiler? Here's a spoiler: You will die alone.
Oh, mercy Triumph's good...
Plus Kira was some fine ass!
However, ownership of slaves is A-OK with Yaweh. Just don't go killin' 'em indiscriminately.
And, go look it up if you don't believe me, Yaweh is of such high moral character, he once sicced bears on 42 children, killing them, because they made fun of some bald guy's head
Nice, moral guy, this Yaweh. (Note: Every time you see THE LORD in tiny print in the Bible, that's refering to "YHWH" in the original text, said translators being afraid to translate the actual name of God, presumably because of some ancient superstitious notion about invoking someone's "true name" giving you some inappropriate power over them.)
Exactly. It should be in Politics 101. Only people have rights. Governments only have powers that the people grant them over those rights; powers the people can revoke at will subject to their own created rules for doing so.
Which reminds me: The government thinks it can just declare a crime has been committed, seize property, and never bother even arresting anyone, much less trying someone, much less convicting someone.
There was a situation about 10 years ago where a Cops-like TV show showed an officer pulling over a Mexican family, finding $8000 in cash in a tire in the trunk, took it because "obviously" it was drug money, then let the family go.
Some politicians blustered about how the cop should be arrested for theft, and then that was the last I had heard about it. Anyone know an update as to status (of this case, or in general on the government seizing stuff claiming it criminal contraband, without even arresting anybody?)
Well, the definition I learned was that Fascism was a system where production was nominally privately owned, but with a large measure of control by the government, and involved a great deal of nationalism.
As opposed to Communism, which was largely the same except that things were "publically" owned.
Of course, an Ayn Randian analysis demonstrating the intrusion of "statism" into privacy (including private property ownership) is the real root of evil will fall on deaf ears as Republicans learn it means you can't ban pornography, and Democrats learn it means you can't Robin Hood money. [Robotic voice=on]Therefore it is bad.[/Robotic voice]
Nothing to see here, move along, move along, we now return you (generic you) to your poverty of critical thinking and your emotional investments in your political arguments...