Illegalizing popular practices has never been an answer to a problem. Look at every kind of law of that type ever passed: -first, the [alcohol] prohibition amendments in the US of the early 20th century, which supported huge criminal organizations, and decreased alcohol consumption only negligibly. -Currently there is the "War on Drugs", which also supports large, similar, organized crime, and the main effect of which is to drive the prices of said drugs up to the point where addicts have to steal or otherwise do substantial damage to society to support their habit.
I hate to emphasize the drug angle so much, but it's hard to get around it. Basically what I'm saying is that if large numbers of people want to do something (in this case, media piracy), law enforcement telling them not to won't effectively stop them. It will just force them to circumvent said laws.
I can't be sure how it would happen, but the net effect would be for current government and law enforcement in the US (and any other country(ies) that pass SSSCA-like laws. There's an argument that at least the smarter politicians (those who can understand it) could agree with.
Can anyone think of other prohibition-style laws (whether they worked or not) in history/current events?
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Illegalizing popular practices has never been an answer to a problem. Look at every kind of law of that type ever passed:
-first, the [alcohol] prohibition amendments in the US of the early 20th century, which supported huge criminal organizations, and decreased alcohol consumption only negligibly.
-Currently there is the "War on Drugs", which also supports large, similar, organized crime, and the main effect of which is to drive the prices of said drugs up to the point where addicts have to steal or otherwise do substantial damage to society to support their habit.
I hate to emphasize the drug angle so much, but it's hard to get around it. Basically what I'm saying is that if large numbers of people want to do something (in this case, media piracy), law enforcement telling them not to won't effectively stop them. It will just force them to circumvent said laws.
I can't be sure how it would happen, but the net effect would be for current government and law enforcement in the US (and any other country(ies) that pass SSSCA-like laws. There's an argument that at least the smarter politicians (those who can understand it) could agree with.
Can anyone think of other prohibition-style laws (whether they worked or not) in history/current events?