Well, what do you expect? The US has to fight this make believe war against Terrorism, so that it can gain control over the populace to an unprecedented level. If this means stopping the freedom of press, then so be it. I mean, the Patriot Act, Military Commissions Act 2006 all remove responsibility from the government, and allows it unfounded freedom to do what it wants. The NSA illegally spying on the populace? Just pass new laws to let them get away with it.
The USA is one of the least democratic nations in the world imho. The sooner that blind idiotic patriotic Americans realise this, the better.
Umm no. I suggest you read that act again. The US government can NOW mark anyone as an enemy combatant, US or non US citizen. So - effective, Habeas corpus, has been removed from everyone, including US citizens if the US government considers you are terrorist threat. That's even more of a reason for the downfall of the US regime.
USA is not the land of freedom, it is not the land of democracy, far, far far from it. The US is fast becoming like pre WWII Nazi held Germany, probably worse. Instead, the US government isn't spreading hate against a religion (Jewish), but against anyone who doesn't conform to what THEY want. I'm sure Bush Jr. is looking more and more like Hitler each day.
It won't be long before it'll be legislated in the US Congress to call the president "mein fuhrer!".
Most of these drugs are harmful and should remained illegal and banned. Cocaine does permanent damage to the brain and heart, as well as kidneys. Heroin doesn't necessarily kill you, if it's not pure. The problem is that dealers 'cuts' are dangerously non conforming and they don't care if they sell you 100% pure Heroin and you overdose and die. Crack Cocaine and Ice are deadly, instantly addictable and will kill you. They permanently destroy the brain. Marijuana, destroys the digestive tract, as well as damages the heart and causes damage to brain cells, resulting in a myriad increase in mental illness. This is a statistically proven fact.
In your fantasy world, who picks up the bill to provide medical assistance to these drug users? Both short term (overdoses) and long term (mental illness) etc. What about the behavioural problems that they cause? Unemployment, not contributing taxes to society etc. Why should society care about them? Of course, society does care about them, and in order to reduce costs from illicit drug usage, it mandates that certain drugs are both dangerous, and illegal.
You should engage brain before fingers more often I suspect. Most of the other points I agree with, if that makes you feel any better;-)
Amen, you are 100% spot on. It's sad to see that/. is predominantly dominated by patriotic and idiotic yankees who mod this sort of truthtful comment down.
Absolutely. RMS is 100% right in his stance, and any respect I had for Linus has long since gone out of the window. In fact, I've returned to Microsoft Windows [for a variety of software related reasons] and will not be recommending or using Linux again give this Linus vs RMS fiasco. If the FSF can get GNU Hurd stable with driver support, I'd consider using that.
I'm 100% for the FSF making GPL v3 software incompatible with version 2 stuff, and then re-releasing bash, GNU Make, GNU GCC, GNU binutils etc etc under GPL v3. Let Linux write all of that from scratch, or start using proprietary (and costly) compilers and shells etc. That would really hurt Linux and deservedly so. Linux (and Linus and Co.) have become the sired she bitches of corporations, who don't give a fuck about the average Linux user, which is what Linux was originally created for. A Unix like system, developed by the people, for the people.
Hans has been unstable for quite some time, refusing to abide by Kernel coding requirements, having childish arguments on the LKML and outbursts etc. He's never quite struck me as a sane person in all honesty, but I would not have painted him as a killer either, simply a weird geek with very poor social skills.
Hans is the lead programmer for ReiserFS, he sets to the directions that it'll head in. Without him at the helm, the project will lose focus.
As to whether he's guilty, that's for a judge or jury to decide, but the evidence I've seen reported so far isn't very convincing of his innocence in all honesty. Blood in his house and car? Missing rear car seat? Not co-operating with police on the location of said car? He was the last to see her alive? Books on police homicide investigation techniques in his house? Rather damning evidence in all honesty.
That's largely due to Microsoft's illegal anti competitive behaviour and monopolistic deals with OEM hardware manufacturers to include only their operating system. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the easy way to fix the Microsoft problem is several fold:
1. Fine them 25 billion dollars for their misbehaviour 2. Legally force them to release MSN Messenger, Windows Media Player and Microsoft Office to both the Linux & BSD platforms with full functionality 3. Force them to remove clauses from their OEM contracts that reduces the cost per license of Windows XP et al for OEM manufacturers if they choose to put alternative operating systems on their hardware. 4. Force OEM manufacturers to pay the full (or at least near full) retail prices of Windows XP and MS Office, rather than the dirt cheap $5 deals that are currently done. SCO argued that the GPL and Linux breached the US constitution by forcing market monopolisation, I'd argue that Microsoft offering Windows/Office for such small prices does the same, even more so (since it has a market monopoly in terms of usage).
None of this is hard to do, it's just that the US government is more a friend of US business (including Microsoft) that it is for serving the people. The US DOJ should be fully investigated for its handling of the Microsoft vs US DOJ case, with heads rolling BIG time imho.
My subject says it all. Parents cannot see everything that a child does, that's just impossible. Charge the children, send them to juvenile court, but leave the parents out of it. How hard is this to decide? Took me all of 5 seconds of logic.
Yup, that's pretty much how I read it as well. Personally, I don't use or recommend FireFox, I think it's a vastly overrated product, and any company making this much hool-ah about icon sets etc doesn't interest me. I use FireFox at work, only because it has tabbing, which IE doesn't have at this point of time. Once IE7 is released, I'll be completely switching to that - any tiny hope of me continuing to use the FireFox product for work purposes was just dashed.
It seems that FireFox is only so popular because it's the darling of the Linux crowd, not because it's of a higher quality than competing products. The Linux fans might not want to hear this, but it's the truth. When I used Linux, I used KDE's Konqueror, which I considered as a much better browser in every single department.
Good on Debian for sticking to their guns, let's hope enough distributions have the balls to stick by their guns and start refusing to use the FireFox logo or icons in protest. This will probably filter through to the Ubuntu devs, since they're using Debian packages I think they'll have to comply with DFSGs. I believe CentOS doesn't use the FireFox name either in it's 4.4 release. Good stuff.
It reiterates my thought pattents - we should abolish copyrights, trademarks and patents and let true innovation happen. All else is a capitalistic way of trying to allow companies to build monopolies and control the market, which we all know ends up in market abuse and stifled innovation.
The problem is that when GPL v2 was devised, software patents were new to the industry and their impact was unknown. DRM was unheard of. These 'features' or 'loopholes' are in fact bugs.
Linus is against the GPL v3 (as are most of the kernel developers) because they are now paid by corporations to develop Linux, for the interest of the corporate community (and not ordinary users like you and me). Witness the 2.6 kernel tree, changes to the way it's all done and the general instability of this current kernel tree compared to previous kernel trees as they matured. 2.6 has had 18 months to mature now and it's still damn well buggy and unreliable (imho). The Linux kernel is no longer a kernel for the people, but for business and corporate interests, and those developing it are being bribed, oops, I mean paid wages to develop for said corporate interests. The GPL v3 will empower the people again, and not the corporate interest(s) and Linus and co. don't want this. Linus has now found his 15 minutes [of fame] and is loathe to relinquish it, and the income that it derives for him. I really wish Linus had released the Linux kernel under the BSD license, so that it could have been raped and pillaged and would be not where it is today, but would still be a kernel for the people.
My take on this is for the FSF to introduce terms into the GPL v3 that make it non backwards compatible with GPL v2, and then re-release core applications and utilities like BASH, GCC, Make, Binutils etc etc under GPL v3. If Linux developers want to use these utilities/applications then they'll have to re-license the Linux kernel to GPL v3 or find alternatives (non free obviously). This non free cost will be returned to the end users, corporations can afford this, ordinary users cannot and will move to other kernels (hopefully GNU Hurd).
It's clear now that Linux is a corporate child, and that those that are interested in the FSF's goals need to abandon the Linux kernel and move to developing the GNU Hurd to being fully operational.
hahaha! I love it...oh and Vinyl DOES sound better than CDs...CDs were only a marketing/sales/convenience toy. The record companies make a bigger profit with CDs, so do retailers (more in the same floor space). Why do you think Vinyl died so quickly? Because it was deliberately killed off...
True - cheapie turntables sound that. You do have to make an investment in decent turntable gear to show the superiority...
We shouldn't be interfering with nature - aging is a natural process. Our planet cannot support of ever growing population now as it is. Fauna and Flora are animal life are all suffering...this is just idiotic.
Hurt customers? How? By giving them choice to play their iTunes bought music in anything else other than iTunes? Whatever happened to consumer choice? As usual, Apple is trying to vendor lock and now the government is supporting a monopoly? Americans really need to change their government and get rid of several departments. Hell, you might even be able to lower your national debt by doing this!
The real problem with your political system is that it revolves around capitalism and business interestes and money. The richer politician (or the one with richer connections) is usually the one that gets in, instead of getting in on merit. Furthermore, by limiting to an effective 2 party process, you're screwing the country. Both big parties are firmly politically and financially entrenched, and policies will not change until we get fresh blood with fresh ideas into congress, with the ability to reverse all of the bad laws that the previous governments have rammed through.
If the US had decent foreign policies they wouldn't be in this 'terrorist' mess. Sadly, patriotic Americans are usually rednecks without brains, and that seems to be 90% of the US population I'm afraid. If the government says that there's a terrorist threat, and the only way to stop it is to spy on everyone, they'll happily concede the point and let themselves get fucked up the ass.
That's because these bastards aren't looking for kiddie porn or terrorism, they want to use this type of action as a means to control, monitor and intimidate individuals. 1984 is indeed upon us. Our rights no longer exist.
You also lead by example - it seems that most Managing directors/high management want to take the money and the fame, but at the first sign of problems they blame everyone below them. In my books it doesn't work that way, you're responsible for the lot, you should act like it. Lead by example.
Why is Bush Jr. not being impeached over what is considerable lies on the war in Iraq and non existant WMD. And furthermore, why is he not beimg impeached for authorising the spying on US Citizens without search warrants, something that is unconstitutional? Surely, these are far worse than a blowjob. At least Clinton was likeable, Bush Jr. is just a dumbass. Ashcroft, Rice, Rumsfield and the rest are just as bad, and all should be locked up in jail and the keys thrown away. They have caused so many issues, denied so many people the basic rights to liberty that it isn't funny.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again:
I'd rather have the terrorists win then lose my liberty and freedoms.
Dave
PS Australia, under Howard (known crack head Grade A wanker) is just as bad.
Mr Schillig has long been a pain in the ass. Yes. Look at the kernel mailing lists and you'll see how much trouble this particular individual has caused. I hope other distributions take the same action against Mr Schillig and also remove his cdrtools package. Time to do it all again from scratch, or take another implementation of it all.
Because dickwad, people still have privacy rights, whether it's a public or private loan. I'd rather let the terrorists win than give up my rights to a fascist government like what the current US government is. Spying on your populace is totally unnacceptable in any circumstances. This is what the Third Reich did many years ago - and it wasn't right then, and it's MOST certainly not right now.
Well, I was always taught that Pluto was a planet. I don't really give a rats ass what the IAU thinks, the bastards generally do bugger all anyways. The real work is done by amateurs, who the IAU generally thumbs it nose at (study on: comets, variable stars, nova star studies, supernovas etc etc). I'm still going to call Pluto a planet, and if they don't like it, tough shit. I'm still going to teach others that Pluto is a planet.
Tell me, I'm seeing researchers now say that the Australopithecines weren't probably hominids per se, but in reality a cross between apes and hominids, but I don't see scientists now calling them apes (ie. declassifying them). What's wrong wtih leaving history as it was, and not trying to re-write it? The solution to this problem is very simple: All objects defined as planets prior to 2006 are to remain as planets. Any new objects discovered after this date need to fulfill certain criteria. How hard is that IAU?
And 50,000 signatures in a country of 80 million is HOW many percent of the populace? I work out that it's roughly 1/1600 of a percent! Last I looked, that's a minority. A REAL minority.
I'm sure that everyone who watches "violent porn" goes out and does the same thing to real people, just the same as if someone watches a movie with a murderer performing an act of murder then goes out and murders someone! Good one politicians.
As someone else pointed out, this is just merely the beginning of governments being able to censor your thoughts/ideals/sexual behaviour and anything else they damn well like. Is this democracy? No.
Grassroots victims of crime? Tell me - how many girls are being murdered by guys with violent sex fantasies? Exactly how many please. Maybe, like one?
I don't mean to come across as uncaring, but this law is just an excuse to limit our freedoms. Nothing more and nothing less. Just the same as someone caught with child porn on their PC gets a larger jail sentence than someone committing murder! You go tell me what makes sense! And no, I'm not saying child porn is right, but I'm also not saying murder is right either. Neither are right, but most modern societies with an ounce of logic will say that murder is a worse crime than possession of child porn on your PC. This is just an example of how idiotic laws and society have become.
In all honesty, I'm glad I'm in my late 30s, with a family history of heart disease and strokes/heart attacks in the 50s, cos that gives me less than 20 years of this crap to live with. And I don't get to see how bad society WILL become once the citizens have no rights.
So, my friend, your comment "This is anything BUT kneejerk legislation based on media headlines, its coming up from grassroots victims of crime." is really out of line. Remember, 50,000 signatures out of 80 million is 1/1600 of a percent, that's not a majority I'm afraid.
Slashdot Mirror
Well, what do you expect? The US has to fight this make believe war against Terrorism, so that it can gain control over the populace to an unprecedented level. If this means stopping the freedom of press, then so be it. I mean, the Patriot Act, Military Commissions Act 2006 all remove responsibility from the government, and allows it unfounded freedom to do what it wants. The NSA illegally spying on the populace? Just pass new laws to let them get away with it.
The USA is one of the least democratic nations in the world imho. The sooner that blind idiotic patriotic Americans realise this, the better.
Dave
Umm no. I suggest you read that act again. The US government can NOW mark anyone as an enemy combatant, US or non US citizen. So - effective, Habeas corpus, has been removed from everyone, including US citizens if the US government considers you are terrorist threat. That's even more of a reason for the downfall of the US regime.
USA is not the land of freedom, it is not the land of democracy, far, far far from it. The US is fast becoming like pre WWII Nazi held Germany, probably worse. Instead, the US government isn't spreading hate against a religion (Jewish), but against anyone who doesn't conform to what THEY want. I'm sure Bush Jr. is looking more and more like Hitler each day.
It won't be long before it'll be legislated in the US Congress to call the president "mein fuhrer!".
Dave
Most of these drugs are harmful and should remained illegal and banned. Cocaine does permanent damage to the brain and heart, as well as kidneys. Heroin doesn't necessarily kill you, if it's not pure. The problem is that dealers 'cuts' are dangerously non conforming and they don't care if they sell you 100% pure Heroin and you overdose and die. Crack Cocaine and Ice are deadly, instantly addictable and will kill you. They permanently destroy the brain. Marijuana, destroys the digestive tract, as well as damages the heart and causes damage to brain cells, resulting in a myriad increase in mental illness. This is a statistically proven fact.
;-)
In your fantasy world, who picks up the bill to provide medical assistance to these drug users? Both short term (overdoses) and long term (mental illness) etc. What about the behavioural problems that they cause? Unemployment, not contributing taxes to society etc. Why should society care about them? Of course, society does care about them, and in order to reduce costs from illicit drug usage, it mandates that certain drugs are both dangerous, and illegal.
You should engage brain before fingers more often I suspect. Most of the other points I agree with, if that makes you feel any better
Dave
Then subpoena your government to provide proof of aid received and how it was spent :-)
Dave
Amen, you are 100% spot on. It's sad to see that /. is predominantly dominated by patriotic and idiotic yankees who mod this sort of truthtful comment down.
Dave
Absolutely. RMS is 100% right in his stance, and any respect I had for Linus has long since gone out of the window. In fact, I've returned to Microsoft Windows [for a variety of software related reasons] and will not be recommending or using Linux again give this Linus vs RMS fiasco. If the FSF can get GNU Hurd stable with driver support, I'd consider using that.
I'm 100% for the FSF making GPL v3 software incompatible with version 2 stuff, and then re-releasing bash, GNU Make, GNU GCC, GNU binutils etc etc under GPL v3. Let Linux write all of that from scratch, or start using proprietary (and costly) compilers and shells etc. That would really hurt Linux and deservedly so. Linux (and Linus and Co.) have become the sired she bitches of corporations, who don't give a fuck about the average Linux user, which is what Linux was originally created for. A Unix like system, developed by the people, for the people.
Dave
Adapt or die. It's that simple.
Dave
Hans has been unstable for quite some time, refusing to abide by Kernel coding requirements, having childish arguments on the LKML and outbursts etc. He's never quite struck me as a sane person in all honesty, but I would not have painted him as a killer either, simply a weird geek with very poor social skills.
Hans is the lead programmer for ReiserFS, he sets to the directions that it'll head in. Without him at the helm, the project will lose focus.
As to whether he's guilty, that's for a judge or jury to decide, but the evidence I've seen reported so far isn't very convincing of his innocence in all honesty. Blood in his house and car? Missing rear car seat? Not co-operating with police on the location of said car? He was the last to see her alive? Books on police homicide investigation techniques in his house? Rather damning evidence in all honesty.
I feel very sorry for his daughter.
Dave
That's largely due to Microsoft's illegal anti competitive behaviour and monopolistic deals with OEM hardware manufacturers to include only their operating system. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the easy way to fix the Microsoft problem is several fold:
1. Fine them 25 billion dollars for their misbehaviour
2. Legally force them to release MSN Messenger, Windows Media Player and Microsoft Office to both the Linux & BSD platforms with full functionality
3. Force them to remove clauses from their OEM contracts that reduces the cost per license of Windows XP et al for OEM manufacturers if they choose to put alternative operating systems on their hardware.
4. Force OEM manufacturers to pay the full (or at least near full) retail prices of Windows XP and MS Office, rather than the dirt cheap $5 deals that are currently done. SCO argued that the GPL and Linux breached the US constitution by forcing market monopolisation, I'd argue that Microsoft offering Windows/Office for such small prices does the same, even more so (since it has a market monopoly in terms of usage).
None of this is hard to do, it's just that the US government is more a friend of US business (including Microsoft) that it is for serving the people. The US DOJ should be fully investigated for its handling of the Microsoft vs US DOJ case, with heads rolling BIG time imho.
Dave
My subject says it all. Parents cannot see everything that a child does, that's just impossible. Charge the children, send them to juvenile court, but leave the parents out of it. How hard is this to decide? Took me all of 5 seconds of logic.
Dave
Yup, that's pretty much how I read it as well. Personally, I don't use or recommend FireFox, I think it's a vastly overrated product, and any company making this much hool-ah about icon sets etc doesn't interest me. I use FireFox at work, only because it has tabbing, which IE doesn't have at this point of time. Once IE7 is released, I'll be completely switching to that - any tiny hope of me continuing to use the FireFox product for work purposes was just dashed.
It seems that FireFox is only so popular because it's the darling of the Linux crowd, not because it's of a higher quality than competing products. The Linux fans might not want to hear this, but it's the truth. When I used Linux, I used KDE's Konqueror, which I considered as a much better browser in every single department.
Good on Debian for sticking to their guns, let's hope enough distributions have the balls to stick by their guns and start refusing to use the FireFox logo or icons in protest. This will probably filter through to the Ubuntu devs, since they're using Debian packages I think they'll have to comply with DFSGs. I believe CentOS doesn't use the FireFox name either in it's 4.4 release. Good stuff.
It reiterates my thought pattents - we should abolish copyrights, trademarks and patents and let true innovation happen. All else is a capitalistic way of trying to allow companies to build monopolies and control the market, which we all know ends up in market abuse and stifled innovation.
Dave
Don't you just love capitalism :)
Dave
The problem is that when GPL v2 was devised, software patents were new to the industry and their impact was unknown. DRM was unheard of. These 'features' or 'loopholes' are in fact bugs.
Linus is against the GPL v3 (as are most of the kernel developers) because they are now paid by corporations to develop Linux, for the interest of the corporate community (and not ordinary users like you and me). Witness the 2.6 kernel tree, changes to the way it's all done and the general instability of this current kernel tree compared to previous kernel trees as they matured. 2.6 has had 18 months to mature now and it's still damn well buggy and unreliable (imho). The Linux kernel is no longer a kernel for the people, but for business and corporate interests, and those developing it are being bribed, oops, I mean paid wages to develop for said corporate interests. The GPL v3 will empower the people again, and not the corporate interest(s) and Linus and co. don't want this. Linus has now found his 15 minutes [of fame] and is loathe to relinquish it, and the income that it derives for him. I really wish Linus had released the Linux kernel under the BSD license, so that it could have been raped and pillaged and would be not where it is today, but would still be a kernel for the people.
My take on this is for the FSF to introduce terms into the GPL v3 that make it non backwards compatible with GPL v2, and then re-release core applications and utilities like BASH, GCC, Make, Binutils etc etc under GPL v3. If Linux developers want to use these utilities/applications then they'll have to re-license the Linux kernel to GPL v3 or find alternatives (non free obviously). This non free cost will be returned to the end users, corporations can afford this, ordinary users cannot and will move to other kernels (hopefully GNU Hurd).
It's clear now that Linux is a corporate child, and that those that are interested in the FSF's goals need to abandon the Linux kernel and move to developing the GNU Hurd to being fully operational.
Dave
hahaha! I love it...oh and Vinyl DOES sound better than CDs...CDs were only a marketing/sales/convenience toy. The record companies make a bigger profit with CDs, so do retailers (more in the same floor space). Why do you think Vinyl died so quickly? Because it was deliberately killed off...
True - cheapie turntables sound that. You do have to make an investment in decent turntable gear to show the superiority...
Dave
We shouldn't be interfering with nature - aging is a natural process. Our planet cannot support of ever growing population now as it is. Fauna and Flora are animal life are all suffering...this is just idiotic.
Dave
Hurt customers? How? By giving them choice to play their iTunes bought music in anything else other than iTunes? Whatever happened to consumer choice? As usual, Apple is trying to vendor lock and now the government is supporting a monopoly? Americans really need to change their government and get rid of several departments. Hell, you might even be able to lower your national debt by doing this!
Dave
The real problem with your political system is that it revolves around capitalism and business interestes and money. The richer politician (or the one with richer connections) is usually the one that gets in, instead of getting in on merit. Furthermore, by limiting to an effective 2 party process, you're screwing the country. Both big parties are firmly politically and financially entrenched, and policies will not change until we get fresh blood with fresh ideas into congress, with the ability to reverse all of the bad laws that the previous governments have rammed through.
If the US had decent foreign policies they wouldn't be in this 'terrorist' mess. Sadly, patriotic Americans are usually rednecks without brains, and that seems to be 90% of the US population I'm afraid. If the government says that there's a terrorist threat, and the only way to stop it is to spy on everyone, they'll happily concede the point and let themselves get fucked up the ass.
Dave
That's because these bastards aren't looking for kiddie porn or terrorism, they want to use this type of action as a means to control, monitor and intimidate individuals. 1984 is indeed upon us. Our rights no longer exist.
Dave
Whatever happened to having actual proof before taking legal action? Are legal fishing expeditions the norm there? Explains a lot about the US.
Dave
You also lead by example - it seems that most Managing directors/high management want to take the money and the fame, but at the first sign of problems they blame everyone below them. In my books it doesn't work that way, you're responsible for the lot, you should act like it. Lead by example.
Dave
Why is Bush Jr. not being impeached over what is considerable lies on the war in Iraq and non existant WMD. And furthermore, why is he not beimg impeached for authorising the spying on US Citizens without search warrants, something that is unconstitutional? Surely, these are far worse than a blowjob. At least Clinton was likeable, Bush Jr. is just a dumbass. Ashcroft, Rice, Rumsfield and the rest are just as bad, and all should be locked up in jail and the keys thrown away. They have caused so many issues, denied so many people the basic rights to liberty that it isn't funny.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again:
I'd rather have the terrorists win then lose my liberty and freedoms.
Dave
PS Australia, under Howard (known crack head Grade A wanker) is just as bad.
Mr Schillig has long been a pain in the ass. Yes. Look at the kernel mailing lists and you'll see how much trouble this particular individual has caused. I hope other distributions take the same action against Mr Schillig and also remove his cdrtools package. Time to do it all again from scratch, or take another implementation of it all.
Dave
Because dickwad, people still have privacy rights, whether it's a public or private loan. I'd rather let the terrorists win than give up my rights to a fascist government like what the current US government is. Spying on your populace is totally unnacceptable in any circumstances. This is what the Third Reich did many years ago - and it wasn't right then, and it's MOST certainly not right now.
Dave
Well, I was always taught that Pluto was a planet. I don't really give a rats ass what the IAU thinks, the bastards generally do bugger all anyways. The real work is done by amateurs, who the IAU generally thumbs it nose at (study on: comets, variable stars, nova star studies, supernovas etc etc). I'm still going to call Pluto a planet, and if they don't like it, tough shit. I'm still going to teach others that Pluto is a planet.
Tell me, I'm seeing researchers now say that the Australopithecines weren't probably hominids per se, but in reality a cross between apes and hominids, but I don't see scientists now calling them apes (ie. declassifying them). What's wrong wtih leaving history as it was, and not trying to re-write it? The solution to this problem is very simple: All objects defined as planets prior to 2006 are to remain as planets. Any new objects discovered after this date need to fulfill certain criteria. How hard is that IAU?
Dave
And 50,000 signatures in a country of 80 million is HOW many percent of the populace? I work out that it's roughly 1/1600 of a percent! Last I looked, that's a minority. A REAL minority.
I'm sure that everyone who watches "violent porn" goes out and does the same thing to real people, just the same as if someone watches a movie with a murderer performing an act of murder then goes out and murders someone! Good one politicians.
As someone else pointed out, this is just merely the beginning of governments being able to censor your thoughts/ideals/sexual behaviour and anything else they damn well like. Is this democracy? No.
Grassroots victims of crime? Tell me - how many girls are being murdered by guys with violent sex fantasies? Exactly how many please. Maybe, like one?
I don't mean to come across as uncaring, but this law is just an excuse to limit our freedoms. Nothing more and nothing less. Just the same as someone caught with child porn on their PC gets a larger jail sentence than someone committing murder! You go tell me what makes sense! And no, I'm not saying child porn is right, but I'm also not saying murder is right either. Neither are right, but most modern societies with an ounce of logic will say that murder is a worse crime than possession of child porn on your PC. This is just an example of how idiotic laws and society have become.
In all honesty, I'm glad I'm in my late 30s, with a family history of heart disease and strokes/heart attacks in the 50s, cos that gives me less than 20 years of this crap to live with. And I don't get to see how bad society WILL become once the citizens have no rights.
So, my friend, your comment "This is anything BUT kneejerk legislation based on media headlines, its coming up from grassroots victims of crime." is really out of line. Remember, 50,000 signatures out of 80 million is 1/1600 of a percent, that's not a majority I'm afraid.
Dave