I hope they don't pull a "1913" and pass the bill on Christmas day like they did with the federal reserve act, legislation which caused the great depression and the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis and leaves us about 15 digits in debt here today. sopa is kind of like that. Replacing free market currency/internet with regulated currency/internet.
SOPA Hearings Delayed, 140,000 Americans watched the hearings
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Re: SOPA Hearings Delayed, 140,000 Americans watched the hearings
#12During that time we should compile a list of all representatives that support this bill and any/all donations and from whom those donations came from to support this bill. When the money trail is out in the open, I think both the representatives and the donors may be more timid about pushing forward against an unpopular bill like this.
I thought I'd throw this in here, too. These are the sponsors of SOPA and PIPA, and how much they received for it:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111203/00494716961/some-d...
Re: SOPA Hearings Delayed, 140,000 Americans watched the hearings
#13Is there a list of representatives that support this bill anywhere? Just so voters know which people and political parties to never vote for again.
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Re: SOPA Hearings Delayed, 140,000 Americans watched the hearings
#14Is there a list of representatives that support this bill anywhere? Just so voters know which people and political parties to never vote for again.
I prefer not to decide to withdraw my vote until they cast theirs. And even then, I honestly would rather not withdraw my vote until I've discussed the matter with the relevant congressperson and found out what their reasoning was. If they can make a reasoned argument, I will reconsider. Merely disagreeing with my congressperson is not enough for me to withdraw my vote, because it's a given that I will disagree with…
> If they are not willing to listen to reason, my support is out the window immediately.
I think supporting SOPA proves that they are not willing to listen to reason.
Re: SOPA Hearings Delayed, 140,000 Americans watched the hearings
#15Looks like while the SOPA was delayed in USA, ACTA was just signed in EU: http://bit.ly/sVF07v
More on ACTA:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/nov/11/acta-trade-...
Re: SOPA Hearings Delayed, 140,000 Americans watched the hearings
#16I live in Poland and I watched almost the whole hearing because I care.
(Although we have a bigger problem in the EU right now - ACTA is about to be signed by the Commission, Parliament vote pending in a couple of weeks.)
Big thumbs up for Congressmen Issa (R-CA), Polis (D-CO), Lofgren (D-CA) and Chaffetz (R-UT) for their performance. Remember those names if you vote in their districts.
Re: SOPA Hearings Delayed, 140,000 Americans watched the hearings
#17Lamar Smith needs to be sent a very clear message, in the form of a landslide defeat in the next election to someone along the lines of Darrell Issa. What would it take to make that happen? How do we (the tech community) recruit someone that has the poise and fundraising ability to win an election? What do we do once we find someone?
Smith seems to be Public Enemy #1 on this issue, and I believe he represents a part of Texas with some tech presence (Austin). There may be others who are good targets as well...if the message is "support this anti-technology bill and you'll lose your job", maybe other Congresspeople will think twice about supporting MPAA-written legislation.
(Or maybe they won't. But we won't know unless we try.)
Re: SOPA Hearings Delayed, 140,000 Americans watched the hearings
#18Looks like while the SOPA was delayed in USA, ACTA was just signed in EU: http://bit.ly/sVF07v More on ACTA: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/nov/11/acta-trade-... https://www.eff.org/issues/acta http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBWLVbcjq50
I don't think it was actually signed yet, but they've agreed on signing it. So yeah, it's a foregone conclusion, a matter of days - if not hours - before the Commission signs it.
The Parliament is a separate matter. I think they're just going into holiday recess, then in January they'll vote Schultz as the new Speaker and then they'll vote on ACTA.
There's still a chance to stop it, especially since the Parliament is more skeptical. Contact your representatives in the EU Parliament and threaten to vote for someone else in the next election if they support this oppressive Act!!!
Re: SOPA Hearings Delayed, 140,000 Americans watched the hearings
#19As a European, just let me say, oh great, now I have to run a Tor relay/bridge for the entire United States, and I'm not sure my basic adsl or my poor little mac mini can cope with that...
" ...and routes around it! "Re: SOPA Hearings Delayed, 140,000 Americans watched the hearings
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
I prefer not to decide to withdraw my vote until they cast theirs. And even then, I honestly would rather not withdraw my vote until I've discussed the matter with the relevant congressperson and found out what their reasoning was. If they can make a reasoned argument, I will reconsider. Merely disagreeing with my congressperson is not enough for me to withdraw my vote, because it's a given that I will disagree with…
> If they are not willing to listen to reason, my support is out the window immediately. I think supporting SOPA proves that they are not willing to listen to reason.
There's no evidence why that would be sufficient proof. They may have different values than you and still consider things reasonable within their framework of values. Then you have to decide whether disagreeing with you on this particular value balance is enough to lose your vote in the context of their other values.