Problem is that it *is* broke ! Massive costs getting them translated to metric(think in terms new labels etc) when exporting. And the system does not even make any sense, as opposed to the metric system
Let me see. Society has restricted access to nuclear material so that some nutcase/terrorist cannot make dirty bombs to kill thousands. This alleged good reason according to you, doesn't make such restrictions right. And "society" doesn't restricts access to nuclear material, it is the government. So such government actions i.e. restricting access to nuclear material, according to you are result of bribery and dishonest pressure groups. Hmmm...
I have read through your comment several times and feel an overwhelming need to ask you one simple question : "Dude! Had you been smoking weed when you posted that?"
If TSA agents cannot verify anyone's identity, what is to stop some terrorist from putting on the uniform of a TSA agent and walking right past the checks? By your own argument, this is a big glaring loophole and requires that all the TSA agents should be strip searched by each other in full public view in the first place. Right?
Or they could, like, with all those fancy biometric machines, simply verify the fingerprints and id-card of someone claiming to be a pilot. And if you are going to pretend that this simple and obvious solution did not occur to you, may I, on behalf of the human species, request you not to breed?
Two questions. How does it matters? Why does it matters?
The law is there to just make sure that a foreign government is not able to instill a spy/agent as the President of USA. If someone was a natural born citizen but has spent last decade in China, Russia etc. he is far more likely to be a subversive agent, than someone who was say just born to say diplomats on a year long assignment to a foreign country but who has ever since, lived always in USA.
You whole argument is nothing short of, "I think the president has a small wee-wee. I don't think a man with a small wee-wee should be allowed to be President. I don't trust what his physicians say. He must show his wee-wee to me and the whole world to put an end to this conspiracy."
Nice of you to volunteer to be the living proof of the story itself. The point that everyone except you has easily understood is, that no matter how much proof is provided for something, some nut-cases will always firmly stick to their belief in the ridiculous.
Because no matter how many satellite pictures, logic or mathematical proof you throw at the people, there are some people who firmly continue to reject it all. "I cannot see/understand it myself, so it has to be a trick/conspiracy". You can take them to space and show them the planet, and they will come up with "I was just taken into a room and shown some kinda screen... it still could have been a recorded fake movie".
Just like you would ignore any inconvenient proof anyone else says about newspaper birth announcements and stick to your guns about all of it being faked. Nor would you answer how it matters in the least, since he is born of an american mother and as such is an american citizen no matter where he is born.
Heck, if you had to criticize the man, you could instead ask what he was doing about the trade deficit against China. You might ask why he was throwing a smoke-screen on China's behalf by talking of jobs being "bangalored" when India is not even on top 10 list of countries where USA has a trade deficit(China is the actual number one on that list. Too much one-sided imports mean you are indirectly sending all your manufacturing jobs to the other country anyways). But instead of questioning actions, you would rather pounce on birth and what not. The only garbage here is filled in your own head.
Pretty easy. Make it standard for all OSs to default to updating/patching *without* prompting the user. I believe Chrome etc. do this already? A DDOS usually requires a botnet with lots of infected drones. And those in turn, usually require vulnerable un-patched systems. If someone actually wants the system to prompt them for applying updates, they can configure it so, instead of that being the out of box behavior.
Microsoft alone is responsible for majority of these. The old excuse of *this is because windows is most popular OS" is pure hogwash. When dozens of unix variants can update system components without requiring a reboot, it simply implies a horrible design on part of Microsoft. And the reboots and the required prompting for updates are what is responsible for at least half of the infected systems on internet. If the user needs to control the updates, it should be configurable, not the default. The reaction of your mom and pop, after seeing the usual "updates are ready" pop-up, is to simply ignore it.
Perhaps all that is needed is for someone to do an analysis of the compositions of Botnet systems and simply launch a class action suit against Microsoft. If they want to charge the public hundreds of dollars for a product that has a fixed cost and requires near-zero cost to replicate, they better be ready to provide a hell of a better product.
Sigh. I am not promoting xenophobia. I happen to be one of the Xenos. Not American. Capiche?
I am merely stating that I can justify and understand if you suspected me, a foreigner, to be a potential terrorist and strip searched me and treated me as a potential terrorist. Sure, I won't like it and therefore I would rather NOT travel to America. I at least have that option.
And I will even understand you suspecting naturalized citizens, as a caution either. If they don't like it, they have the option not to be naturalized. They are citizens but one can understand keeping an eye on them for say 10 years or so. Maybe less harshly than on foreigners. If you wish to be not seen as xenophobic and give them a free pass too, that too is your call.
But I see no reason to your own treat American-born citizens like potential terrorists at airport. These are the folks who do not get the option to avoid going to America. You do not have to be politically correct in every situation. I don't think any country in the world is obligated to treat its citizens at par with non-citizens.
There is nothing xenophobic about taking extra precaution with unknowns as opposed to people who actually live there and usually have a vested interest in not blowing up their own country. And yes, I am saying this as a non-American.
You guys have been preaching to the world about democracy, freedoms and rights. If you go and pose yourself as a role model for human rights and democracy, you have the obligation to actually stick by them, instead of demonstrating that the so-called role model for democracy treats its own citizens as terrorists. If you are more concerned with your safety etc. then maybe you should stop throwing those human rights reports at other nations.
First, the attempted bombing of the Christmas tree lighting here in Portland, OR. (Although you could argue he wasn't born in America)
First of all, neither of these cases involves planes.
That being said, I am going to argue exactly what you said about the portland case. He is not an American citizen. I completely support whatever insane measures you can drum up for non-citizens. And yes, I am not American. Any foreigner who didn't like it, would simply not come to America.
Plus how did the groping American citizens on airports even help with the portland case? Not in the least.
As for your second case, how is having tons of guns and explosives(and possessing weapons is pretty common in USA) prove that you as an American citizen actually want to go and kill lots of random people in planes? Where is the motive for that?
As far as American citizens are concerned, merely x-raying them and checking via metal detectors for guns/knives(Just in case some nutcase went trigger-happy) is enough. I do not see any basis in thinking that American citizens are trying all that hard to crash planes into buildings.
If these measures are against America-hating terrorists, I fail to see why average American citizen needs to be subjected to them.
You sir are a bigger idiot. On what basis do you think that American citizens are terrorists? Why should American citizens be subjected to these humiliations at all? Any special reason why these harsher measures cannot be limited just to the foreigners?
Dear idiot, how is groping American citizens going to improve security? How many American citizens have been found to be terrorists who hate America and have been launching plane attacks on it? If you were proposing these measures against foreigners travelling to and in USA, it would still seem somewhat reasonable. But why is American citizens being treated like terrorists, not a big deal to you? Is it that hard for the government to know who is a citizen and who is not?
What is interesting is that hardly any of you is talking about the actual problem.
The fact that US government thinks that all of its citizens are potential terrorists hell-bent on launching attacks on their own country.
Seriously... how many of the terrorists on the 911 flights were American-born citizens? Why are AMERICAN citizens being humiliated and treated as terrorists? How hard is it to simply put all the foreigners in a separate queue and subject just THEM to these extra measures? I am not american and I would totally understand THAT measure. If I did not like it, I simply wouldn't come to America. Period. Hell if you wanted to be totally anal, you could even put those citizens who were not America-born on that list.
Oh, and there is a BIG difference between spying on FOREIGNERS living in America, and spying on American CITIZENS themselves.
Some nutcases attack your country and the government response is to start spying on their own citizens and treating them as terrorists?(that while Osama is still walking free). And instead of loudly objecting to THAT, all you guys want is that TSA measures were "less" harsh? Hell, half of you actually argue on these counter-measures as "necessary". Even when they are being taken against American citizens themselves.
I guess you didn't understand. Try to actually google "wikileaks" right now. Take a look at the result. Google is managing where Amazon failed. And I doubt US govt. can actually do anything about this.
Being against the government questionable antics does not means being against society. It usually actually implies the contrary, in fact.
Watergate for example. Did the government being "embarrassed" and its corruption exposed, benefit the society or harm it? What do you think?
My Lai Massacre. 3 American soldiers exposed it despite the government's attempted cover-up. They too were denounced by government/politicians and threatened. It embarrassed America. It was also significantly responsible for America finally pulling out of Vietnam. I take it that you would rather have more government sponsored clandestine massacres?
Let us talk about the gorilla in the room. The Taliban. It is now officially known, documented and accepted that US government created, funded and supported the islamic radicalization to use it to launch a proxy war against Russia. If this information had been leaked back then, that USA was sponsoring terrorists who may turn against USA itself(as happened in form of 911), would the public have been "short-changed" by prevention of a 911 and avoiding erosion of civil right and freedoms that accompanied it?
What secret plans has wikileaks revealed? Save perhaps what US government talks about other countries and how it was funding Pakistan to make more nukes while knowing that the same nukes may get passed to terrorists and used against American citizens themselves? If you think it is fine for US government to indirectly sponsor terrorists to launch another attack on American soil... if you don't even want to know about it... you are practically inviting all the terrorists attacks that may happen in the future.
You are assuming that average american actually likes what the American government is doing.
If anything, wikileaks has shown how the government itself is putting national security, diplomatic relations and its citizens at risk just to benefit the military industrial and oil industry faction.
You have to be a total idiot to not question your government on why they are funding a proliferating country to enable it to make/buy more nukes, when they are aware that the same nukes have a high chance of being provided to terrorists to be used against America.
Not everyone in public is a stubborn moron like you, who refuses to appreciate being shown the truth.
My my. Haven't we been brainwashed nicely into a baa-baa-ing sheep?
Best part about being a sheep. The wool that gets pulled over your eyes, comes from you yourself.
You might as well claim that whatever business the government did in that abu ghraib prison, was its own. I am pretty sure that is how you see it.
And if Nike forces kids to make its shoes, that is after all, Nike's business. Isn't it?
This is definitely whistle-blowing stuff. It is an eye-opener. I don't know about you but some of us are pretty sick of US government's double dealings and holier-than-thou attitude. Some of us downright hate it, when it goes on arming and funding a terrorist nation(Pakistan if you are too dumb), when their own cables report that they are fully aware that Pakistan is using the same funds towards the nuclear race, and diverting it even to the same terrorists. And that the government is aware that the terrorists may get those nukes from Pakistan.
Seriously? Your government is funding a government that is funding the terrorists... the same terrorists that are attacking the guys next door and your own soil to boot? US government is enabling the same government to make more nukes... so that terrorists have more of a chance of getting their own nukes? This is how you make your country safe? By funding the same terrorist cells indirectly? By increasing the chances of terrorists to get nukes? So that next time they just nuke all of new york instead of using planes? Your own government does this bull-shit and your excuse is that it is government business?
And you seriously think that American public shouldn't know this? This is not whistle blowing? This is just "embarrassing"?
Oh and this leak doesn't risks the life of those soldiers... it is the US government's decision that forces them to be in that situation in the first place. If the government was so concerned about the lives of its soldiers, it would have been pulling them out already.
And what if the government pressures a corporation to not allow you to speak?
Then there is a public backlash against such a corporation. Which forces the said government to take action against the corporation to save their own ass. Because if they don't, then there is a public backlash against *them* in the next election.
The corporations that are smart enough to recognize this fact, usually weigh on whether it is better to piss off the government or if it is better to risk public ire. If *everyone* is being asked to do it, then they have a hope, since any public opinion backlash will be against the government instead. If only *you* are being asked to do something that can be seen as "evil", it is best to say no. Government knows if they try to punish you for it, they would be risking their own neck. Just ask Google. The best part about pissing off government is that come election, the same politicians will be lining at your door, bowl in hand, hoping for a donation.
Golden rule : Politicians/Government forgive. Public doesn't.
Businesses are in the business of making money, after all, and this is just a financial no brainer.
Incorrect. Public perception has always been and remains a major business consideration too. Just ask Nike.
Ability to conduct business has always been a privilege. You are being "allowed" by the public, to conduct your business. Seriously. Even your small time vendor knows that. You lose the goodwill, you might get boycotted and see your profits evaporate. You cannot make just about any decision and say "well we are doing business after all".
And the bigger you are, the more true this is. Big companies like Amazon have to be doubly careful about public opinion. Being rich is automatically linked perception-wise, to being ruthless, corrupt and evil. And that kind of image is blood to government sharks looking for an easy kill. Why do you think corporates donate to charity and harp about it? Charity is not making money after all.
Considering how the public opinion is always favored towards the underdog and the whistle-blower, it is seriously debatable whether Amazon would take this kind of risky decision by themselves. Any business would rather weather the few DDOS attacks for a few days and grin and bear the loss, instead of being seen as an "evil company". Instead, it is definitely the American government twisting their arm.
For the same reason you would not have sex with a child, or have sex adjacent to a child, you should not be viewing others having sex along with a child. This should NOT need to be explained, as it is a basic moral value
Dear moron, have you considered simply switching the TV off? Or perhaps subscribing only to channels that cater to what you wish to watch? Why do you feel someone else should do your job for you? Do you need others to come and wipe your ass as well, just because you are too dumb to find it? It is immoral for idiots like you to have kids and pollute the gene pool.
Obviously, you don't understand motives very well. Plus you refuse to acknowledge the history behind it either, which might have explained the motives to you.
Let us check the motives and aims of the "stupid" terrorists.
1) Spread terror. That is what terrorists do, if you failed to guess it from their name. Americans today are completely terrorized. They crap their pants if someone as much as says the word bomb. Despite knowing that saying the word bomb doesn't makes things explode. Even if the person saying it is another american. Mission accomplished.
2) Take away your cherished freedoms. Your own government now spies on you. You have already surrendered almost all your rights since you are scared. You will easily surrender any freedom and right now, if they mention terrorists. Mission accomplished.
3) Make average american to be as much a victim of US government, as they themselves had been. Read above. Mission accomplished.
4) Polarise the world. By over-reacting and invading an uninolved country, you handed them a bonanza. Instead of focusing on the actual attackers(their leader is still unpunished after even a decade btw), you allowed it to become "western world versus them muslims". This is what their main goal was. They wanted to get the apathetic muslim countries involved too. Your actions in Iraq made it clear to even the uninvolved muslim countries or even any country that America dislikes, that they too are at risk and any and all excuses can be used to unilaterally invade them when their time comes. Iran had done nothing to you. And yet they are on the list next. Nice job telling all the countries that they better get a nuclear bomb like China or Russia(never been invaded despite having WMDs and violating human rights) or else risk finding themselves on invasion list. Mission accomplished.
5) Attach a cost to US government and CIA meddling with their politics, toppling democratic governments and installing dictators, esablishing and encouraging drug trade in their country, assassinating their leaders i.e. teaching US let them live in peace. They failed to take into account that US government doesn't really cares about the average americans. They would rather risk creating more terrorists so that oil companies get more rich. Mission failed.
As for MAD and all that nonsense goes, Osama bin laden is still alive and unpunished. US has proved itself to be a mere opportnistic paper tiger that cannot catch even one man.
They achieved four objectives out of five btw. And all you have done to them so far, is invade a country that had nothing to do with the attacks and given them many more potential recruits, their leader is still unpunished and uncaught. Oh, and the world dislikes you openly now.
You decide now how stupid they are.
I know what I said above is unpalatable to you, but someone had to get you hooked off fox news.
Slashdot Mirror
Problem is that it *is* broke ! Massive costs getting them translated to metric(think in terms new labels etc) when exporting. And the system does not even make any sense, as opposed to the metric system
Let me see. Society has restricted access to nuclear material so that some nutcase/terrorist cannot make dirty bombs to kill thousands. This alleged good reason according to you, doesn't make such restrictions right. And "society" doesn't restricts access to nuclear material, it is the government. So such government actions i.e. restricting access to nuclear material, according to you are result of bribery and dishonest pressure groups. Hmmm...
Too late.
If the windows calculator tells you that 10 x .999 = 9.999, I think you'd better learn to use the calculator first.
If TSA agents cannot verify anyone's identity, what is to stop some terrorist from putting on the uniform of a TSA agent and walking right past the checks? By your own argument, this is a big glaring loophole and requires that all the TSA agents should be strip searched by each other in full public view in the first place. Right?
Or they could, like, with all those fancy biometric machines, simply verify the fingerprints and id-card of someone claiming to be a pilot. And if you are going to pretend that this simple and obvious solution did not occur to you, may I, on behalf of the human species, request you not to breed?
The law is there to just make sure that a foreign government is not able to instill a spy/agent as the President of USA. If someone was a natural born citizen but has spent last decade in China, Russia etc. he is far more likely to be a subversive agent, than someone who was say just born to say diplomats on a year long assignment to a foreign country but who has ever since, lived always in USA.
You whole argument is nothing short of, "I think the president has a small wee-wee. I don't think a man with a small wee-wee should be allowed to be President. I don't trust what his physicians say. He must show his wee-wee to me and the whole world to put an end to this conspiracy."
Because no matter how many satellite pictures, logic or mathematical proof you throw at the people, there are some people who firmly continue to reject it all. "I cannot see/understand it myself, so it has to be a trick/conspiracy". You can take them to space and show them the planet, and they will come up with "I was just taken into a room and shown some kinda screen... it still could have been a recorded fake movie".
Just like you would ignore any inconvenient proof anyone else says about newspaper birth announcements and stick to your guns about all of it being faked. Nor would you answer how it matters in the least, since he is born of an american mother and as such is an american citizen no matter where he is born.
Heck, if you had to criticize the man, you could instead ask what he was doing about the trade deficit against China. You might ask why he was throwing a smoke-screen on China's behalf by talking of jobs being "bangalored" when India is not even on top 10 list of countries where USA has a trade deficit(China is the actual number one on that list. Too much one-sided imports mean you are indirectly sending all your manufacturing jobs to the other country anyways). But instead of questioning actions, you would rather pounce on birth and what not. The only garbage here is filled in your own head.
Microsoft alone is responsible for majority of these. The old excuse of *this is because windows is most popular OS" is pure hogwash. When dozens of unix variants can update system components without requiring a reboot, it simply implies a horrible design on part of Microsoft. And the reboots and the required prompting for updates are what is responsible for at least half of the infected systems on internet. If the user needs to control the updates, it should be configurable, not the default. The reaction of your mom and pop, after seeing the usual "updates are ready" pop-up, is to simply ignore it.
Perhaps all that is needed is for someone to do an analysis of the compositions of Botnet systems and simply launch a class action suit against Microsoft. If they want to charge the public hundreds of dollars for a product that has a fixed cost and requires near-zero cost to replicate, they better be ready to provide a hell of a better product.
I am merely stating that I can justify and understand if you suspected me, a foreigner, to be a potential terrorist and strip searched me and treated me as a potential terrorist. Sure, I won't like it and therefore I would rather NOT travel to America. I at least have that option.
And I will even understand you suspecting naturalized citizens, as a caution either. If they don't like it, they have the option not to be naturalized. They are citizens but one can understand keeping an eye on them for say 10 years or so. Maybe less harshly than on foreigners. If you wish to be not seen as xenophobic and give them a free pass too, that too is your call.
But I see no reason to your own treat American-born citizens like potential terrorists at airport. These are the folks who do not get the option to avoid going to America. You do not have to be politically correct in every situation. I don't think any country in the world is obligated to treat its citizens at par with non-citizens.
There is nothing xenophobic about taking extra precaution with unknowns as opposed to people who actually live there and usually have a vested interest in not blowing up their own country. And yes, I am saying this as a non-American.
You guys have been preaching to the world about democracy, freedoms and rights. If you go and pose yourself as a role model for human rights and democracy, you have the obligation to actually stick by them, instead of demonstrating that the so-called role model for democracy treats its own citizens as terrorists. If you are more concerned with your safety etc. then maybe you should stop throwing those human rights reports at other nations.
First of all, neither of these cases involves planes.
That being said, I am going to argue exactly what you said about the portland case. He is not an American citizen. I completely support whatever insane measures you can drum up for non-citizens. And yes, I am not American. Any foreigner who didn't like it, would simply not come to America.
Plus how did the groping American citizens on airports even help with the portland case? Not in the least.
As for your second case, how is having tons of guns and explosives(and possessing weapons is pretty common in USA) prove that you as an American citizen actually want to go and kill lots of random people in planes? Where is the motive for that?
As far as American citizens are concerned, merely x-raying them and checking via metal detectors for guns/knives(Just in case some nutcase went trigger-happy) is enough. I do not see any basis in thinking that American citizens are trying all that hard to crash planes into buildings.
If these measures are against America-hating terrorists, I fail to see why average American citizen needs to be subjected to them.
You sir are a bigger idiot. On what basis do you think that American citizens are terrorists? Why should American citizens be subjected to these humiliations at all? Any special reason why these harsher measures cannot be limited just to the foreigners?
Dear idiot, how is groping American citizens going to improve security? How many American citizens have been found to be terrorists who hate America and have been launching plane attacks on it? If you were proposing these measures against foreigners travelling to and in USA, it would still seem somewhat reasonable. But why is American citizens being treated like terrorists, not a big deal to you? Is it that hard for the government to know who is a citizen and who is not?
Did you also ask why he thinks that American citizens are potential terrorists?
The fact that US government thinks that all of its citizens are potential terrorists hell-bent on launching attacks on their own country.
Seriously... how many of the terrorists on the 911 flights were American-born citizens? Why are AMERICAN citizens being humiliated and treated as terrorists? How hard is it to simply put all the foreigners in a separate queue and subject just THEM to these extra measures? I am not american and I would totally understand THAT measure. If I did not like it, I simply wouldn't come to America. Period. Hell if you wanted to be totally anal, you could even put those citizens who were not America-born on that list.
Oh, and there is a BIG difference between spying on FOREIGNERS living in America, and spying on American CITIZENS themselves.
Some nutcases attack your country and the government response is to start spying on their own citizens and treating them as terrorists?(that while Osama is still walking free). And instead of loudly objecting to THAT, all you guys want is that TSA measures were "less" harsh? Hell, half of you actually argue on these counter-measures as "necessary". Even when they are being taken against American citizens themselves.
Way to go, geniuses.
I guess you didn't understand. Try to actually google "wikileaks" right now. Take a look at the result. Google is managing where Amazon failed. And I doubt US govt. can actually do anything about this.
Google.
Watergate for example. Did the government being "embarrassed" and its corruption exposed, benefit the society or harm it? What do you think?
My Lai Massacre. 3 American soldiers exposed it despite the government's attempted cover-up. They too were denounced by government/politicians and threatened. It embarrassed America. It was also significantly responsible for America finally pulling out of Vietnam. I take it that you would rather have more government sponsored clandestine massacres?
Let us talk about the gorilla in the room. The Taliban. It is now officially known, documented and accepted that US government created, funded and supported the islamic radicalization to use it to launch a proxy war against Russia. If this information had been leaked back then, that USA was sponsoring terrorists who may turn against USA itself(as happened in form of 911), would the public have been "short-changed" by prevention of a 911 and avoiding erosion of civil right and freedoms that accompanied it?
What secret plans has wikileaks revealed? Save perhaps what US government talks about other countries and how it was funding Pakistan to make more nukes while knowing that the same nukes may get passed to terrorists and used against American citizens themselves? If you think it is fine for US government to indirectly sponsor terrorists to launch another attack on American soil... if you don't even want to know about it... you are practically inviting all the terrorists attacks that may happen in the future.
You have to be a total idiot to not question your government on why they are funding a proliferating country to enable it to make/buy more nukes, when they are aware that the same nukes have a high chance of being provided to terrorists to be used against America.
Not everyone in public is a stubborn moron like you, who refuses to appreciate being shown the truth.
Best part about being a sheep. The wool that gets pulled over your eyes, comes from you yourself.
You might as well claim that whatever business the government did in that abu ghraib prison, was its own. I am pretty sure that is how you see it.
And if Nike forces kids to make its shoes, that is after all, Nike's business. Isn't it?
This is definitely whistle-blowing stuff. It is an eye-opener. I don't know about you but some of us are pretty sick of US government's double dealings and holier-than-thou attitude. Some of us downright hate it, when it goes on arming and funding a terrorist nation(Pakistan if you are too dumb), when their own cables report that they are fully aware that Pakistan is using the same funds towards the nuclear race, and diverting it even to the same terrorists. And that the government is aware that the terrorists may get those nukes from Pakistan.
Seriously? Your government is funding a government that is funding the terrorists... the same terrorists that are attacking the guys next door and your own soil to boot? US government is enabling the same government to make more nukes... so that terrorists have more of a chance of getting their own nukes? This is how you make your country safe? By funding the same terrorist cells indirectly? By increasing the chances of terrorists to get nukes? So that next time they just nuke all of new york instead of using planes? Your own government does this bull-shit and your excuse is that it is government business?
And you seriously think that American public shouldn't know this? This is not whistle blowing? This is just "embarrassing"?
Oh and this leak doesn't risks the life of those soldiers... it is the US government's decision that forces them to be in that situation in the first place. If the government was so concerned about the lives of its soldiers, it would have been pulling them out already.
Then there is a public backlash against such a corporation. Which forces the said government to take action against the corporation to save their own ass. Because if they don't, then there is a public backlash against *them* in the next election.
The corporations that are smart enough to recognize this fact, usually weigh on whether it is better to piss off the government or if it is better to risk public ire. If *everyone* is being asked to do it, then they have a hope, since any public opinion backlash will be against the government instead. If only *you* are being asked to do something that can be seen as "evil", it is best to say no. Government knows if they try to punish you for it, they would be risking their own neck. Just ask Google. The best part about pissing off government is that come election, the same politicians will be lining at your door, bowl in hand, hoping for a donation.
Golden rule : Politicians/Government forgive. Public doesn't.
Incorrect. Public perception has always been and remains a major business consideration too. Just ask Nike.
Ability to conduct business has always been a privilege. You are being "allowed" by the public, to conduct your business. Seriously. Even your small time vendor knows that. You lose the goodwill, you might get boycotted and see your profits evaporate. You cannot make just about any decision and say "well we are doing business after all".
And the bigger you are, the more true this is. Big companies like Amazon have to be doubly careful about public opinion. Being rich is automatically linked perception-wise, to being ruthless, corrupt and evil. And that kind of image is blood to government sharks looking for an easy kill. Why do you think corporates donate to charity and harp about it? Charity is not making money after all.
Considering how the public opinion is always favored towards the underdog and the whistle-blower, it is seriously debatable whether Amazon would take this kind of risky decision by themselves. Any business would rather weather the few DDOS attacks for a few days and grin and bear the loss, instead of being seen as an "evil company". Instead, it is definitely the American government twisting their arm.
Why bother? He could just join the RIAA instead!
Dear moron, have you considered simply switching the TV off? Or perhaps subscribing only to channels that cater to what you wish to watch? Why do you feel someone else should do your job for you? Do you need others to come and wipe your ass as well, just because you are too dumb to find it? It is immoral for idiots like you to have kids and pollute the gene pool.
Let us check the motives and aims of the "stupid" terrorists.
1) Spread terror. That is what terrorists do, if you failed to guess it from their name. Americans today are completely terrorized. They crap their pants if someone as much as says the word bomb. Despite knowing that saying the word bomb doesn't makes things explode. Even if the person saying it is another american. Mission accomplished.
2) Take away your cherished freedoms. Your own government now spies on you. You have already surrendered almost all your rights since you are scared. You will easily surrender any freedom and right now, if they mention terrorists. Mission accomplished.
3) Make average american to be as much a victim of US government, as they themselves had been. Read above. Mission accomplished.
4) Polarise the world. By over-reacting and invading an uninolved country, you handed them a bonanza. Instead of focusing on the actual attackers(their leader is still unpunished after even a decade btw), you allowed it to become "western world versus them muslims". This is what their main goal was. They wanted to get the apathetic muslim countries involved too. Your actions in Iraq made it clear to even the uninvolved muslim countries or even any country that America dislikes, that they too are at risk and any and all excuses can be used to unilaterally invade them when their time comes. Iran had done nothing to you. And yet they are on the list next. Nice job telling all the countries that they better get a nuclear bomb like China or Russia(never been invaded despite having WMDs and violating human rights) or else risk finding themselves on invasion list. Mission accomplished.
5) Attach a cost to US government and CIA meddling with their politics, toppling democratic governments and installing dictators, esablishing and encouraging drug trade in their country, assassinating their leaders i.e. teaching US let them live in peace. They failed to take into account that US government doesn't really cares about the average americans. They would rather risk creating more terrorists so that oil companies get more rich. Mission failed.
As for MAD and all that nonsense goes, Osama bin laden is still alive and unpunished. US has proved itself to be a mere opportnistic paper tiger that cannot catch even one man.
They achieved four objectives out of five btw. And all you have done to them so far, is invade a country that had nothing to do with the attacks and given them many more potential recruits, their leader is still unpunished and uncaught. Oh, and the world dislikes you openly now.
You decide now how stupid they are.
I know what I said above is unpalatable to you, but someone had to get you hooked off fox news.
There. Fixed it for you. You wouldn`t happen to be working for US foreign policy department by any chance, would you? Would explain a lot of things.