After Obama approved the assassination of that US citizen in Yemen, I fear it's all downhill from here. Yes, he was probably a terrorist, but he was a US citizen, and governments that follow their own consitution just don't go around killing their own citizens.
The US Will Become a Police State (not a joke)
by metatron 113 Replies latest jw friends
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NewChapter
NewChapter:
I lived in Jeddah, Saudia Arabia from 1976-1979 - Is that close enough?
How does America compare in personal liberty to Sadia Arabia in 76-79?
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botchtowersociety
According to wikipedia, the senate passed it by a wide margin. It seems that trampling our rights is a bipartisan exercise.
It gets worse. Bills under consideration to stop online piracy will grant wide censorship powers.
It is both parties destroying our rights.
Our police state isn't being built overnight. Our government grows slowly, and intrudes a little bit here, a little nibble there--but it continues to increasingly infringe at the margins.
We are like frogs in a pot of water that is slowly being heated to boiling point.
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NewChapter
Any update on that online piracy bill? It goes pretty far and I'm hoping it's defeated.
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botchtowersociety
There is a bill in each chamber--PIPA in the Senate, SOPA in the House.
Issa and Wyden have introduced a bill (OPEN) in the House in opposition to the other two that tries to protect IP without censoring.
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NewChapter
I still haven't decided if certain portions of the law are valid, but it does go too far. It is fair for someone who owns copyright not to want others to profit from advertising based on that property. Yet this law also would hold everyone, including those that simply post a video, responsible.
I had some copyright material stolen from me on the web and then reproduced. I simply wrote a letter, explained the copyright law, and received a really good response. It was completely unintentional, so I worked out an agreement with them, giving them some limited access to the design with the understanding that I get credit. I don't know. It was easily resolved. But I guess at this point, copyright owners have totally lost control of their property and that is not good either. Why do we always go to such extremes? Why can't we ever find moderate solutions anymore?
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botchtowersociety
The funny thing is that this bill will do nothing to stop piracy while giving new censorship powers at the same time. Absolutely nothing. They can strike all the DNS entries they want, there are and will be alternative DNS systems. You can't stop the signal.
I had some copyright material stolen from me on the web and then reproduced.
I get pirated frequently by plagiarists--or my work gets distributed without paying. I welcome it.
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NewChapter
That's fine if you welcome it. I had some unique designs that had never been attempted. I had a certain financial stake in the matter. I'm not an ogre and gave limited permission---however it was still my choice as it was my property. But I thought the current system protected me quite well.
NC
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botchtowersociety
There is a very good argument to be made for cutting the Gordian Knot and getting rid of all patent and copyright "protections." Ideas and information aren't property like physical things are.
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NewChapter
So if someone writes a book or a song, they become public property?