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Stop the E-Parasite Act

wwws.whitehouse.gov

41–50 of 89 posts

Re: Stop the E-Parasite Act

#41
post #8

While I definitely support the notion of this petition, it's time that people realize that things like these won't do shit, to put it bluntly. To stop this madness, we have to attack and bring down the people who cause this retardation - the content industries. They won't somehow come to their senses and stop pushing for insane laws and regulations. It's a very dangerous illusion that petty petitions will change anyt…

I think your best bet is to have the tech companies acquire the media companies and be done with it. Tech in general dwarfs the content industries that propagate this by several orders of magnitude. Media also drives a large proportion of sales in the tech industry.

Or tech can start lobbying in proportion to their size, they could put them to shame in no time flat.

If they actually acquire media although, would they do the right thing? I doubt it.

Re: Stop the E-Parasite Act

#42
Signed this petition, just like I filled out the EFF form a while back. If you want to be heard it is better to call your representatives as that way at least one of their staffers has to spend a couple of minutes getting you off the phone.

Re: Stop the E-Parasite Act

#44
post #8

While I definitely support the notion of this petition, it's time that people realize that things like these won't do shit, to put it bluntly. To stop this madness, we have to attack and bring down the people who cause this retardation - the content industries. They won't somehow come to their senses and stop pushing for insane laws and regulations. It's a very dangerous illusion that petty petitions will change anyt…

"It's time that people realize that things like these won't do shit, to put it bluntly."

That's simply false. They raise public awareness and support of any given issue. People say that the petitions to legalize marijuana have done nothing, but if that's true then why has public support for legalization gone from 36% to 50% in just five years? It's not magic, it's because every time there is a petition that the white house ignores it generates dozens or hundreds of news articles, which all push people's opinions in favor of reform.

Re: Stop the E-Parasite Act

#46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To stop this madness, we have to attack and bring down the people who cause this retardation - the content industries. The content industries don't cause this. They go to politicians and say "pretty please take away people's freedom to protect our profits". That's the only thing they have the power to do. Politicians are not helpless babies who have no choice but to give big content what it wants. They are intelligen…

How does Obama/Biden side with "big content"? Everyone has their preference to repub or dems, but this seems unfounded to me...

If this seems unfounded to you, it's because you are unfamiliar with Biden's record.

http://news.cnet.com/2010-1071-946732.html?tag=mncol;txt

http://www.politechbot.com/docs/congress.p2p.letter.081002.p...

http://news.cnet.com/Senators-aim-to-restrict-Net,-satellite...

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9920665-7.html?tag=mncol;t...

Please note that I was attempting to avoid partisanship by naming Orrin Hatch (R, Utah) as well.

Re: Stop the E-Parasite Act

#47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To stop this madness, we have to attack and bring down the people who cause this retardation - the content industries. The content industries don't cause this. They go to politicians and say "pretty please take away people's freedom to protect our profits". That's the only thing they have the power to do. Politicians are not helpless babies who have no choice but to give big content what it wants. They are intelligen…

How does Obama/Biden side with "big content"? Everyone has their preference to repub or dems, but this seems unfounded to me...

[deleted]

Re: Stop the E-Parasite Act

#48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To stop this madness, we have to attack and bring down the people who cause this retardation - the content industries. The content industries don't cause this. They go to politicians and say "pretty please take away people's freedom to protect our profits". That's the only thing they have the power to do. Politicians are not helpless babies who have no choice but to give big content what it wants. They are intelligen…

How does Obama/Biden side with "big content"? Everyone has their preference to repub or dems, but this seems unfounded to me...

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/01/riaa-lawyer-solicit...

Re: Stop the E-Parasite Act

#49
post #35
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The real solution might be to strip government of most of its power rather than try and change it.

If you were to take away power from the government, who would be left to defend the interests of the powerless? While it's true that government usually turns out to be an instrument used by the powerful to control the powerless, it is undeniable that the rule of law has occasionally functioned well enough to protect a minority from a majority. It offers a framework with at least the possibility of protecting the powe…

You are arguing against a straw man. Cheez wasn't advocating taking all power from the government, just "most".

Applying the principle of charity ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_charity ) to cheez's remarks, one would assume that preventing violence is not one of the powers he advocated taking from the government.

Re: Stop the E-Parasite Act

#50
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If, after several hundred years of trying, we haven't yet found the mythical race of "uncorruptible politician", it might be time for a plan B, like systemic changes to reduce the effects of corruption on the very-human politicians we do have (and are likely to continue having). That's essentially the campaign-finance-reform argument, that the problem isn't going to be solved by hoping that the next crop of politicia…

What makes it any more reasonable to suggest that it's possible to change the incentives than to suggest we can find uncorruptible politicians? I don't think that this systemic view aligns with the campaign-finance-reform argument argument at all; the people who want money out of politics regard money itself as the root cause of the problem, but neglects to address the real underlying incentives that money - merely a…

Well, here in the real world, there was a Citizen's United decision in 2009, and there was record-setting advertising spending from industry groups in 2010. In a midterm election.

Noone's claiming they have a perfect system, I'd be satisfied if we stopped sliding backwards.

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