The list is growing – not only Wikipedia, Reddit and Boing Boing, will be pulling the plug and going “dark” tomorrow (January 18), reportedly – Mozilla, Word Press and TwitPic will be upping the ante in the fight against the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), and the Protect Intellectual Property Act – as well.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation and, OpenSUSE will join the confrontation. As will Google, which apparently has plans to join the protest by linking to anti-SOPA information on Google’s American home page.
Arrayed against Internet Freedom (your freedom – my freedom), already in battle order, and pushing this proposed legislating forward are – the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the AFL-CIO, the Country Music Association, and the Motion Picture Association of America.
The latest position taken by these parasitic one percent control freaks is – the failure to pass this repressive legislation will cost America – jobs. Strikes me as the same old bullshit fallacy – cut corporate taxes to create jobs.
While this legislation, on the face of it, may appear to driven by insatiable corporate greed, and it is; the net effect is – this legislation represents de facto Internet censorship.
Frankly, I find it appalling that some some technically undereducated Congressman/Senator, from Hole-in-the Ground, Arkansas, could have any impact on the viability of the WORLD Wide Web.
Not to worry – should this insanity pass muster in the US Congress – you can expect to see parallel Webs in response to one more example of US legislative bullying. Bullying, which to this point, has been directed primarily at its own citizens.
Human nature being what it is, I suspect there will be an inadequate response, from the public at large, in DEMANDING this corrosive legislation be consigned to the garbage – where it undoubtedly belongs.
If you cherish the freedom that the Internet affords you, please pick up the telephone – tell your Congressman/Senator that you do not support this regressive legislation.
As Wikipedia’s Jimmy Wales advises – “Do it now! Give your friends the number too!”
WordPress.com Home Page – January 17, 2012.
hi bill
this is a mess. they are not protecting anything. i see it as a means to control the net, and information. 30 years ago a econ
professor, told me we(freeworld) would become what Russia was.
with the fall of the soviet block, we would become them. we were “good” and they were the “bad guy”. you can’t have good without the bad. he said just watch and you would know, when all of this was coming about. your civil rights would no longer exist. our gov’t would openly control everything. and we would let it happen! it starts with the small things, and grows.
tom jefferson write about it years ago. some of the things he said ages ago, are coming true today.
We’re on the same train on this one Ken – you and I.
It really is all about control, isn’t it? Your econ prof wasn’t just spinning a fanciful tale – we’re just about where he suggested we’d get to. And, as you point out – “it starts with the small things, and grows.”
Jefferson was right in so much of what he said, concerning rights and freedoms. Particularly – “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.”
Reviewing the last ten years or so, it seems “people of good conscience” have fallen asleep at the switch. Sad.
Great comment – thanks for advancing the cause.
Best,
Bill
Hey Bill,
Funny how governments always think they know what’s best for us, isn’t it. Governments are great at bullying their own population, to achieve what they want. The internet is no exception. Although this legislation is currently proposed in America, should it pass watch other countries, including Australia, jump on the bandwagon.
Down here, we are fast becoming the “nanny” state, slowly but surely. Do this, don’t do that, penalties should you transgress, blah blah blah.
Politicians make me sick to my stomach, crawl back under your rocks and leave us alone.
I feel better now lol
Cheers
Hey Mal,
On the money, as always!
Been listening to talk around here all day – most of which revolves around the lack of balls shown by the Canadian govt. The consensus being – IF the govt had any moxie, they would already be on record as opposing this utterly despicable attempt at ultra control.
But, that misses the point – the Fascists (Conservatives) who currently control Parliament are, I’m convinced, absolutely in favour of this type of legislation. It plays directly into their control freak nature.
This government, who were elected with 37% of the popular vote (in other words, better than 60% of the split votes cast, were against them), govern as if they had a divine mandate to do so. The ghost of Charles the First is hanging around the halls of Parliament I expect.
I’ll repeat what I’ve said in the past – there’s a revolt on the way. History is a simple circle – endlessly repeating – current government (world wide), just don’t get it.
Another great comment that pushes the issue forward – thanks for that.
Best,
Bill
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