God..I so don't care about this "horrible crime." What, do we have old creepy men hiding in their basement with sketch pads? Does this keep people awake at night.
The only law we need is a law that prevents victimless crimes from being legislated and propagandized to death over a small, small fraction of people.
Just as I am sure there are pedophiles who look at this shit, there are far more legitimate artists who would be harmed by such a measure. Pedophiles are going to be more interested in real life shit - and if they aren;t then I would much rather have them doing their sick shit with imaginery drawings.
People should be able to draw or paint or use computer software to create any sort of images they wish.
That is art, period.
Let's see. What could an incendiary artist draw orpaint that would cause outrage...AH..I got one: How about a picture of an infant Hitler being sodomized by an infant George W Bush while he is being sodomized by Pappy Bush while the ghosts of Avrell Harriman and Prescott Bush look on from the bank vault in hell where they keep their blood money.
That sounds like art to me, disturbing art that hits you at the gut and says soemthing - yes, it is crude, and only a segment of the population would truly understand it other segments would find it offensive and say it was shock value only (and to a degree they may be right) - the neocons would cry porn/subversion/"you hate America" etc - which is one reason why such an image would be art.
These sorts of laws just reek of thought and art police - seriously - who spends their time on this shit? - aren't there more important things for legislators to deal with?
BUt now maybe people who think there is nothing to worry about with this fascism creep that has been going on in thUK and the US wull start to wake up.
You can view video clips of Tony Blair and CIA officials basically stating that Al Qaeda doesn't exist on You Tube (IIRC from the BBC originally).
Assuming they are even doing this for the reason they claim, I understand what they're doing, but I think it's completely retarded and will probably backfire - and here's why:
The type of person who is going to be using their smartphone/PDA at an amusement park generally isn't going to be doing so because they think it's more fun than hanging out with their family or going on rides, they're going to be doing it in most cases because they have to be able to have those communication options to even be able to get away. If the person's family doesn't have a problem with it, then why should the park?
What about people who want to have their smartphone AS A PHONE?
This is just so stupid and I think that it will cost them business. For any person who would find this appealing, there are going to more than twice as many who will hate it.
What is so new about this? That it's been given a media friendly ph-suffix name?
I think Malicious Firmware Update is better.
M.F.U. (I am sure with those initials, we could come up with a name much more compelling and befitting the situation you'd be in if this happened to you).
Anyone who has worked with even consumer grade home computers and routers and done a firmware or BIOS flash should have been aware that this is possible, with most home routers having the ability for remote management....
Now....if we saw a worm that does this in the wild, it might be more newsworthy.
I think that if one is only looking at this on the surface, 'sumdumass,' then it may look as though this is post 9/11 politics as usual and that it's all either incompetence or "Aw shucks, it's sure a shame that we have to unconstitutionally violate the very liberties we're supposed to have sworn an oath to protect, but we'll do whatever we need to do in the name of safety."
Well, I think many of those who have researched our current situation and are familiar with the players and history would say that there is a much deeper level of politics at work, and from what I can tell it has nothing to do with protecting our way of life. If it did, things would be so different. It is actually destroying our way of life.
Another thing to remember is that there is no such thing as perfect safety in a free society; and in a controlled/repressed society (as we are becoming) you aren't safe from the controllers. Blanket safety does not exist, and anything can happen.
The way the corporate media in league with government goes on with bombarding the populace with fear relentlessly, both via "news," movies and TV shows and even commercials on one hand - then speak of safety via giving up liberties and undermining our Bill of Rights on the other hand - you'd think our constitution had been replaced with a simple guarantee of safety - but it hasn't; and if it had, who would protect the populace from the sociopaths charged with protecting us?
There is a reason the that oft quoted statement in our constitution says "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and not "Safety, life, and the pursuit of happiness" - our founding fathers were all too familiar with the political uses of fear and how the populace can be manipulated via that method.
So my point is that IMO there is a level of political manuvering going on that most people aren't aware of. As far as the courts and congress, unfortunately we have seen many courts become political tools and the majority of congress has basically all but abdicated their duties to the people and the constitution.
Why do I think DARPA is on the phone with Uncle Milton's* right now?
(or maybe they made the call several years ago and are having some success).
*the "Ant Farm" people who supply ants by mail order - of course, then again, DARPA probably has access to Ant eugenics programs and szuper ants, so maybe they don't need to call the ant farmers.
What the hell does "legal standing" even mean in this country in this day and age anymore?
Seriously - especially when you're talking about "regulatory" agencies of the federal government and big telecom businesses that they supposedly oversee for the good of the people.
Whatever happens between the FCC and Verizon - "legal standing" will have very little to do with it; because all of these laws are selectively enforced, and selectively interpreted(or misinterpreted/misappropriated as the case may be) when they ARE actually enforced.
Notice how these kind of comments, when made, are always made by "Anonymous Cowards."
They don't seem to grasp the nuances of the issue, can't spell (even her name) properly, and generally seem like a perfect example of what social promotion and television have done to western societies.
These types will be the first ones who bow down and welcome the completion of the convergence of corporate behemoths and corrupt governments into the coming fascistic nightmare.
They speak of "the law" and seem to have disdain for those who think they are "above it," yet have no recognition of which parties in this issue are truly acting "above the law."
Yes, that is good advice, a good "bottom line" approach, definitely.
But I also think that (in this situation) money is only one half of the equation. The thing that is likely really going to drive them to take whatever measures necessary (even if the cost of whatever legal services may be needed exceeds the amount of potential benefit) is that they will want to know for sure if their child killed himself; and if so, why...
I have known people who have been in a similar situation, where a death was viewed as a suicide but no note was left and it may have been accidental - and after the initial shock and grief it was the not knowing; the "ifs and whys" that was torturous for them.
I understand what you're saying, but I am not sure I agree in full.
There is no question that biased moderations occur - this is a large part of why meta-moderation is important - it is a way to "moderate the moderations."
Certainly I am sure that even when people are being responsible that personal opinions can come into play. I am sure we all may have made blunders in this way before.
"INSIGHTFUL" is supposed to mean exactly that, that the comment is insightful, interesting is supposed to mean interesting, etc.
If people are truly abusive as a pattern, the meta moderation system should catch them. Labelling comments as "Agree" or "Disagree" has no relative value because such comments are so subjective and (other than turning an issue into a popularity contest) doesn't serve the community but providing useful feedback that can be used to determine who is elligable to moderate, etc.
Wow..they sure have mangled the freedoms and rights of Australians in the past 8 years. Gun rights? Gone. Now laser pointers?
It's happening everywhere. Well, let's just cut to the chase (or the future):
The US, UK, and Austrailia are combined into one giant country, locked down like a prison. Everyone is chipped, everything is monitored and tracked. You cannot own a gun or laser pointer, hell - you cannot even own a flashlight without registering it as only cops and burglers need them, and you're not a cop.
Matter of fact, you can't really own anything.
So you have applied for ownership of a car, which is a class c restricted motorized device?
Nope, don't think so Application denied - only criminals and party members use cars, they are quite potent weapons and very dangerous and since we care about keeping YOU safe above all else let me just point out some of the many uses of a 'car" -
You could run someone over-especially children.
You could use the car as a bomb and run it into government buildings, and we can't have that.
You could use it in your garage to gas yourself (that is, if we don't make it there in time to stop you once we've noticed you're spending an inordinate amount of time sitting in the garage in one place with an illegal motorized device running).
You could use it to try to leave the country; that would be unsafe, you could get in an accident or end up trying to live somewhere where there is no government to protect you, or one that won't protect you enough.
- So you can see, that we really do care - and we are, above all else: FAIR. DNA does not lie. We genotyped you AND your children and your wife and you all show a high propensity for independent thought, distrust of authority and suseptibility to disease. You children show possible criminal tendencies with a 20% liklihood of un-societal behavior. This is why you have been given a repetitive manufacturing job in the D-5 neighborhood and why your children will be educated at the government happy child camp.
Remember, safety and security above all else; without it, and without us - you have nothing!
Well, from some posts here it seems some feel this guy is being overly dramatic or making a mountain out of a molehill.
I couldn't disagree more; I think organizing against this sort of stuff IS important and is one of the few things people can do to push back against this consortium of corporate and government interests who have aligned against the people.
The issue isn't only DRM or the RIAA - that is but the tip of the iceberg and the government certainly knows that. All of these issues are related; DRM and RIAA, Net Neutrality, what seems to be an ongoing campaign to emphasize "the dangers of the internet" in the mind of the public and the abuse of the legal system and legislative process.
I believe that the internet right now is making governments, corporations and ALL of the status quo old guard 'powers that be' extremely nervous. Never before have the people been able to have access to so much information and organization tools, instantly. TO be able to communicate a viewpoint or idea to milllions around the world, instantly - without the approval or oversight of any authority is amazing and is something 'the people' have never had before.
News bypasses "gatekeepers" thus making public perception more difficult for govt/corps to mold and the agenda more difficult to set.
People can educate themselves about anything - history from a multilateral perspective without whatever sort of influence or omissions are involved in textbooks and without going through the sort of "cogs for society" production mills that many colleges and universities seem to be.
People around the world can organize together quickly and share information, they can rally around a cause and share pictures - we have citizen journalists, etc. We hear about things instantly that we NEVER would have heard about 20 years ago unless the TV or newspaper news covered it - and you know how that goes, they color the story or leave out crucial details or ignore it entirely, etc).
As governments of the world become more repressive (particularly western ones) with the buffet bonanza that is the neverending sham on terror; and with more countries unpegging their currency from the dollar and the economy heading into what many uncompromised experts feel is a global depression things are going to get more and more restrictive.
This is about control - and aside from the "consumer rights" angle of this I believe that there are deeper issues here.
I think that there are a lot of people in positions of power who have this vision of the internet/pc of the future:
A machine is definitively registered to a person like a car or something and/or you need a license to go online; the internet is like some cross between early AOL and the Home Shopping Network, net neutrality no longer exists and independent websites are effectively rendered rare, expensive to manage, and basically not effectively available because anything unofficial/not corporately bankrolled is carried at the lowest priority. Software and songs are no longer owned - EVERYTHING on on the network/net and if you stop your subscription or are turned of for any reason you no longer have any software, music, or anything...
I know it sounds like a picture painted from a bad sci fi movie, but if there is one event (like a "terror attack where the net is used to take down a power grid or in some other way, or someone important has their child kidnapped by pedophiles and the internet played a part or something like that) where the net is used in a criminal manner that is large enough to sway pulbic opinion it will be like the patriot act all over again.
My point is that with how much everything else seems to be going downhill in regard to personal freedom in the US/UK and the trust that the individual has sovereign rights and is innocent until proven guilty, and all of these commonly held beliefs upon which western free countries are supposedly based, the internet seems like the last bastion of true democracy and freedom - net neutra
I totally agree with the spirit of your jest - and while I think lawyers can be the bane of existence (except when you need one or they're saving your ass), the real issue in my mind is judges and the institutionalized corruption of some (particularly federal) judges and the legal/legislative system in general.
I a not saying that there aren't are good and ethical judges, I am sure the majority of them are just that; but there are many judges who are political instruments, who refuse to inform juries of their rights and taint the process with extremely limited instructions to the jury which attempt to control the verdict. They get their position via a politcal maneuver, and repay the powers involved by doing everything they can to make things turn out those who put them there would like.
I am mainly referring to three types of cases: The first, tax cases where the constitutionality of the tax code and IRS are involved. The second is high profile cases where the government or MIC are taken on, and the third would be high profile cases involving setting a precedent that the powers that be would like set. These types of cases can be shopped to the "correct" judges.
I have even read read transcripts of a tax law case where the judge refused to allow the defendant to admit several supreme court precedents set that would have made his case and who said (and this is a direct quote) "I will not allow the law in my courtroom."
It just seems to me (especially in the past 8 years) that the law is selectively applied and even more selectively enforced. When we have a president that attaches signing statements that invalidate parts of laws or compeltely changes their meaning and spirit and we have a judicial system not upholding it's responsibility to the people in many ways, what do we have?
Certainly we no longer have "rule of law." I would say that what we have now in regards to these things are a large part of what enables the current predicament the people of this country are in as we head deeper into fascism.
I grew up about 500 yards from Plant 42 near Edwards AFB in an extremely heavy aerospace sector, so I totally know that game with the B2. Pretty brilliant politics actually...
P2P Users Propose to Monitor All Senators for Illegal Activity:
Including:
Taking of bribes or payment for votes/policy quid pro quo. Hiring of prostitutes Possession of Child Pornography Violation of Campaign lows relating to finances Violation of Federal "do not call" registry etc, etc, ad infinitum.
Could this be anymore disingenuous? Could this be anymore bullshit?
So is is about violence? Take a look at TV. I don't see him concerned about that.
SO this is about porn? I think not as P2P is one of many ways to obtain porn and has nothing to do with the production of it.
So this is really about lobbyists and big business buying support for an assinine policy that goes against the interests of the people this man is supposed to serve.
Now let's look at the technical side. Doe he even know what he is talking about? Obviously not. MAC addresses and IP addresses can be spoofed; neither of them can definitively ID a person.
Does he even understand general technology concepts? Obviously not, because if he did he would realize that the second one technological avenue is closed, the tech community will create a new one. Innovation cannot be stopped by repressive minded politicos who are in the pocket of consortiums.
This is an important issue - one that could be used to basically take away the privacy you have on your computer and internet connection. When this government uses things like this they will take advantage of them to the hilt.
It's apples and oranges.
I am not saying that the entire intelligence community is omniscient - everything is compartmentalized, and that is the key - and yes, there are all sorts of problems with these agencies and the process of selection and promotion - being eastern establishment blueblood in the right circles at the right universities pretty much make you prime selection material.
SO while there are all kinds of "porch breathren," those with the real power are anything but inept - but ineptness is a great cover, one of many.
SO yeah - blowback occurs and these organizations are not meritocracies, but that has nothing to do with my point.
They love for you to think that they aren't proficient, and that they are incompetent. Then nobody ever has to be accountable for behavior or programs which would be considered malicious, treasonous, or against our core and stated values.
But where the real power resides nothing could be further from the truth. At the higher levels of the intelligence community, whether it's FBI, CIA, NSA, NRO, ONI, etc they definitely know what they are doing. Stuff like this doesn't happen by accident - things like this happen by design.
Slashdot Mirror
God..I so don't care about this "horrible crime." What, do we have old creepy men hiding in their basement with sketch pads? Does this keep people awake at night. The only law we need is a law that prevents victimless crimes from being legislated and propagandized to death over a small, small fraction of people. Just as I am sure there are pedophiles who look at this shit, there are far more legitimate artists who would be harmed by such a measure. Pedophiles are going to be more interested in real life shit - and if they aren;t then I would much rather have them doing their sick shit with imaginery drawings. People should be able to draw or paint or use computer software to create any sort of images they wish. That is art, period. Let's see. What could an incendiary artist draw orpaint that would cause outrage...AH..I got one: How about a picture of an infant Hitler being sodomized by an infant George W Bush while he is being sodomized by Pappy Bush while the ghosts of Avrell Harriman and Prescott Bush look on from the bank vault in hell where they keep their blood money. That sounds like art to me, disturbing art that hits you at the gut and says soemthing - yes, it is crude, and only a segment of the population would truly understand it other segments would find it offensive and say it was shock value only (and to a degree they may be right) - the neocons would cry porn/subversion/"you hate America" etc - which is one reason why such an image would be art. These sorts of laws just reek of thought and art police - seriously - who spends their time on this shit? - aren't there more important things for legislators to deal with?
However they found out who he was it can't have been legal.
He should fixate on this and sue them.
BUt now maybe people who think there is nothing to worry about with this fascism creep that has been going on in thUK and the US wull start to wake up.
You can view video clips of Tony Blair and CIA officials basically stating that Al Qaeda doesn't exist on You Tube (IIRC from the BBC originally).
http://polidics.com/cia/top-ranking-cia-operatives-admit-al-qaeda-is-a-complete-fabrication.html
Maybe they are trying to stop people from researching this stuff.
Assuming they are even doing this for the reason they claim, I understand what they're doing, but I think it's completely retarded and will probably backfire - and here's why:
The type of person who is going to be using their smartphone/PDA at an amusement park generally isn't going to be doing so because they think it's more fun than hanging out with their family or going on rides, they're going to be doing it in most cases because they have to be able to have those communication options to even be able to get away. If the person's family doesn't have a problem with it, then why should the park?
What about people who want to have their smartphone AS A PHONE?
This is just so stupid and I think that it will cost them business. For any person who would find this appealing, there are going to more than twice as many who will hate it.
Obviously you haven't been to the US lately;
Because, apparently nowdays the only thing we have the right to is "safety."
What is so new about this? That it's been given a media friendly ph-suffix name?
I think Malicious Firmware Update is better.
M.F.U. (I am sure with those initials, we could come up with a name much more compelling and befitting the situation you'd be in if this happened to you).
Anyone who has worked with even consumer grade home computers and routers and done a firmware or BIOS flash should have been aware that this is possible, with most home routers having the ability for remote management....
Now....if we saw a worm that does this in the wild, it might be more newsworthy.
I think that if one is only looking at this on the surface, 'sumdumass,' then it may look as though this is post 9/11 politics as usual and that it's all either incompetence or "Aw shucks, it's sure a shame that we have to unconstitutionally violate the very liberties we're supposed to have sworn an oath to protect, but we'll do whatever we need to do in the name of safety."
Well, I think many of those who have researched our current situation and are familiar with the players and history would say that there is a much deeper level of politics at work, and from what I can tell it has nothing to do with protecting our way of life. If it did, things would be so different. It is actually destroying our way of life.
Another thing to remember is that there is no such thing as perfect safety in a free society; and in a controlled/repressed society (as we are becoming) you aren't safe from the controllers. Blanket safety does not exist, and anything can happen.
The way the corporate media in league with government goes on with bombarding the populace with fear relentlessly, both via "news," movies and TV shows and even commercials on one hand - then speak of safety via giving up liberties and undermining our Bill of Rights on the other hand - you'd think our constitution had been replaced with a simple guarantee of safety - but it hasn't; and if it had, who would protect the populace from the sociopaths charged with protecting us?
There is a reason the that oft quoted statement in our constitution says "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and not "Safety, life, and the pursuit of happiness" - our founding fathers were all too familiar with the political uses of fear and how the populace can be manipulated via that method.
So my point is that IMO there is a level of political manuvering going on that most people aren't aware of. As far as the courts and congress, unfortunately we have seen many courts become political tools and the majority of congress has basically all but abdicated their duties to the people and the constitution.
I don't believe for a second thagt most of the people involved in the abuse of these NSLs believe that they are truly protecting our freedom.
Brings new meaning to the term "ChAir Force"
Why do I think DARPA is on the phone with Uncle Milton's* right now?
(or maybe they made the call several years ago and are having some success).
*the "Ant Farm" people who supply ants by mail order - of course, then again, DARPA probably has access to Ant eugenics programs and szuper ants, so maybe they don't need to call the ant farmers.
What the hell does "legal standing" even mean in this country in this day and age anymore?
Seriously - especially when you're talking about "regulatory" agencies of the federal government and big telecom businesses that they supposedly oversee for the good of the people.
Whatever happens between the FCC and Verizon - "legal standing" will have very little to do with it; because all of these laws are selectively enforced, and selectively interpreted(or misinterpreted/misappropriated as the case may be) when they ARE actually enforced.
Notice how these kind of comments, when made, are always made by "Anonymous Cowards."
They don't seem to grasp the nuances of the issue, can't spell (even her name) properly, and generally seem like a perfect example of what social promotion and television have done to western societies.
These types will be the first ones who bow down and welcome the completion of the convergence of corporate behemoths and corrupt governments into the coming fascistic nightmare.
They speak of "the law" and seem to have disdain for those who think they are "above it," yet have no recognition of which parties in this issue are truly acting "above the law."
It does not fill me with faith in our future.
""Dude, the government exists to help us when we need help"" (said ktappe).
Yeah - many times regardless of whatever we want or need said "help"
(and that's just when they are being "helpful.")
Yes, that is good advice, a good "bottom line" approach, definitely.
But I also think that (in this situation) money is only one half of the equation. The thing that is likely really going to drive them to take whatever measures necessary (even if the cost of whatever legal services may be needed exceeds the amount of potential benefit) is that they will want to know for sure if their child killed himself; and if so, why...
I have known people who have been in a similar situation, where a death was viewed as a suicide but no note was left and it may have been accidental - and after the initial shock and grief it was the not knowing; the "ifs and whys" that was torturous for them.
I understand what you're saying, but I am not sure I agree in full.
There is no question that biased moderations occur - this is a large part of why meta-moderation is important - it is a way to "moderate the moderations."
Certainly I am sure that even when people are being responsible that personal opinions can come into play. I am sure we all may have made blunders in this way before.
"INSIGHTFUL" is supposed to mean exactly that, that the comment is insightful, interesting is supposed to mean interesting, etc.
If people are truly abusive as a pattern, the meta moderation system should catch them. Labelling comments as "Agree" or "Disagree" has no relative value because such comments are so subjective and (other than turning an issue into a popularity contest) doesn't serve the community but providing useful feedback that can be used to determine who is elligable to moderate, etc.
This is great until the Feds come in and unconstitutionally trump that like they do whenever they wis to step all over state law.
Wow..they sure have mangled the freedoms and rights of Australians in the past 8 years. Gun rights? Gone. Now laser pointers?
It's happening everywhere. Well, let's just cut to the chase (or the future):
The US, UK, and Austrailia are combined into one giant country, locked down like a prison. Everyone is chipped, everything is monitored and tracked. You cannot own a gun or laser pointer, hell - you cannot even own a flashlight without registering it as only cops and burglers need them, and you're not a cop.
Matter of fact, you can't really own anything.
So you have applied for ownership of a car, which is a class c restricted motorized device?
Nope, don't think so Application denied - only criminals and party members use cars, they are quite potent weapons and very dangerous and since we care about keeping YOU safe above all else let me just point out some of the many uses of a 'car" -
You could run someone over-especially children.
You could use the car as a bomb and run it into government buildings, and we can't have that.
You could use it in your garage to gas yourself (that is, if we don't make it there in time to stop you once we've noticed you're spending an inordinate amount of time sitting in the garage in one place with an illegal motorized device running).
You could use it to try to leave the country; that would be unsafe, you could get in an accident or end up trying to live somewhere where there is no government to protect you, or one that won't protect you enough.
- So you can see, that we really do care - and we are, above all else: FAIR. DNA does not lie. We genotyped you AND your children and your wife and you all show a high propensity for independent thought, distrust of authority and suseptibility to disease. You children show possible criminal tendencies with a 20% liklihood of un-societal behavior. This is why you have been given a repetitive manufacturing job in the D-5 neighborhood and why your children will be educated at the government happy child camp.
Remember, safety and security above all else; without it, and without us - you have nothing!
Well, from some posts here it seems some feel this guy is being overly dramatic or making a mountain out of a molehill.
I couldn't disagree more; I think organizing against this sort of stuff IS important and is one of the few things people can do to push back against this consortium of corporate and government interests who have aligned against the people.
The issue isn't only DRM or the RIAA - that is but the tip of the iceberg and the government certainly knows that. All of these issues are related; DRM and RIAA, Net Neutrality, what seems to be an ongoing campaign to emphasize "the dangers of the internet" in the mind of the public and the abuse of the legal system and legislative process.
I believe that the internet right now is making governments, corporations and ALL of the status quo old guard 'powers that be' extremely nervous. Never before have the people been able to have access to so much information and organization tools, instantly. TO be able to communicate a viewpoint or idea to milllions around the world, instantly - without the approval or oversight of any authority is amazing and is something 'the people' have never had before.
News bypasses "gatekeepers" thus making public perception more difficult for govt/corps to mold and the agenda more difficult to set.
People can educate themselves about anything - history from a multilateral perspective without whatever sort of influence or omissions are involved in textbooks and without going through the sort of "cogs for society" production mills that many colleges and universities seem to be.
People around the world can organize together quickly and share information, they can rally around a cause and share pictures - we have citizen journalists, etc. We hear about things instantly that we NEVER would have heard about 20 years ago unless the TV or newspaper news covered it - and you know how that goes, they color the story or leave out crucial details or ignore it entirely, etc).
As governments of the world become more repressive (particularly western ones) with the buffet bonanza that is the neverending sham on terror; and with more countries unpegging their currency from the dollar and the economy heading into what many uncompromised experts feel is a global depression things are going to get more and more restrictive.
This is about control - and aside from the "consumer rights" angle of this I believe that there are deeper issues here.
I think that there are a lot of people in positions of power who have this vision of the internet/pc of the future:
A machine is definitively registered to a person like a car or something and/or you need a license to go online; the internet is like some cross between early AOL and the Home Shopping Network, net neutrality no longer exists and independent websites are effectively rendered rare, expensive to manage, and basically not effectively available because anything unofficial/not corporately bankrolled is carried at the lowest priority. Software and songs are no longer owned - EVERYTHING on on the network/net and if you stop your subscription or are turned of for any reason you no longer have any software, music, or anything...
I know it sounds like a picture painted from a bad sci fi movie, but if there is one event (like a "terror attack where the net is used to take down a power grid or in some other way, or someone important has their child kidnapped by pedophiles and the internet played a part or something like that) where the net is used in a criminal manner that is large enough to sway pulbic opinion it will be like the patriot act all over again.
My point is that with how much everything else seems to be going downhill in regard to personal freedom in the US/UK and the trust that the individual has sovereign rights and is innocent until proven guilty, and all of these commonly held beliefs upon which western free countries are supposedly based, the internet seems like the last bastion of true democracy and freedom - net neutra
I totally agree with the spirit of your jest - and while I think lawyers can be the bane of existence (except when you need one or they're saving your ass), the real issue in my mind is judges and the institutionalized corruption of some (particularly federal) judges and the legal/legislative system in general.
I a not saying that there aren't are good and ethical judges, I am sure the majority of them are just that; but there are many judges who are political instruments, who refuse to inform juries of their rights and taint the process with extremely limited instructions to the jury which attempt to control the verdict. They get their position via a politcal maneuver, and repay the powers involved by doing everything they can to make things turn out those who put them there would like.
I am mainly referring to three types of cases: The first, tax cases where the constitutionality of the tax code and IRS are involved. The second is high profile cases where the government or MIC are taken on, and the third would be high profile cases involving setting a precedent that the powers that be would like set. These types of cases can be shopped to the "correct" judges.
I have even read read transcripts of a tax law case where the judge refused to allow the defendant to admit several supreme court precedents set that would have made his case and who said (and this is a direct quote) "I will not allow the law in my courtroom."
It just seems to me (especially in the past 8 years) that the law is selectively applied and even more selectively enforced. When we have a president that attaches signing statements that invalidate parts of laws or compeltely changes their meaning and spirit and we have a judicial system not upholding it's responsibility to the people in many ways, what do we have?
Certainly we no longer have "rule of law." I would say that what we have now in regards to these things are a large part of what enables the current predicament the people of this country are in as we head deeper into fascism.
Nice quote.
I grew up about 500 yards from Plant 42 near Edwards AFB in an extremely heavy aerospace sector, so I totally know that game with the B2. Pretty brilliant politics actually...
Don't worry. With the way things are going sooner or later you'll be branded as a criminal for something innocuous or independent that you're doing.
"You can't find justice, it'll find you." - The Dicks.
P2P Users Propose to Monitor All Senators for Illegal Activity:
Including:
Taking of bribes or payment for votes/policy quid pro quo.
Hiring of prostitutes
Possession of Child Pornography
Violation of Campaign lows relating to finances
Violation of Federal "do not call" registry
etc, etc, ad infinitum.
Could this be anymore disingenuous? Could this be anymore bullshit?
So is is about violence? Take a look at TV. I don't see him concerned about that.
SO this is about porn? I think not as P2P is one of many ways to obtain porn and has nothing to do with the production of it.
So this is really about lobbyists and big business buying support for an assinine policy that goes against the interests of the people this man is supposed to serve.
Now let's look at the technical side. Doe he even know what he is talking about? Obviously not. MAC addresses and IP addresses can be spoofed; neither of them can definitively ID a person.
Does he even understand general technology concepts? Obviously not, because if he did he would realize that the second one technological avenue is closed, the tech community will create a new one. Innovation cannot be stopped by repressive minded politicos who are in the pocket of consortiums.
This is an important issue - one that could be used to basically take away the privacy you have on your computer and internet connection. When this government uses things like this they will take advantage of them to the hilt.
It's apples and oranges. I am not saying that the entire intelligence community is omniscient - everything is compartmentalized, and that is the key - and yes, there are all sorts of problems with these agencies and the process of selection and promotion - being eastern establishment blueblood in the right circles at the right universities pretty much make you prime selection material. SO while there are all kinds of "porch breathren," those with the real power are anything but inept - but ineptness is a great cover, one of many. SO yeah - blowback occurs and these organizations are not meritocracies, but that has nothing to do with my point.
They love for you to think that they aren't proficient, and that they are incompetent. Then nobody ever has to be accountable for behavior or programs which would be considered malicious, treasonous, or against our core and stated values.
But where the real power resides nothing could be further from the truth. At the higher levels of the intelligence community, whether it's FBI, CIA, NSA, NRO, ONI, etc they definitely know what they are doing. Stuff like this doesn't happen by accident - things like this happen by design.