White House Response to “Make Unlocking Cell Phones Legal” • Hacker News Board

Re: White House Response to “Make Unlocking Cell Phones Legal”

#21

Post by iy56 » Mon, Mar 04, 2013, 6:57 PM UTC

brown9-2 wrote: post #16

sneak wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate to break it to you, but their response was effectively: "we agree with you but we respect the process that brought us to this fucked-up state and look forward to continuing to work with congress". Petitions don't have any effect other than getting a response that's designed to get you to stop complaining from a false sense of achievement. In that sense, they work perfectly.

What outcome would you have been happier with? The executive branch cannot pass legislation.

Refuse to enforce this clause of the DMCA and pardon anyone imprisoned because of it.

Re: White House Response to “Make Unlocking Cell Phones Legal”

#22

Post by jvrossb » Mon, Mar 04, 2013, 6:59 PM UTC

sneak wrote: post #15

Cushman wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If he just got off the phone with the White House, I'd imagine he has a pretty good idea of what their response was. Your cynicism is a big part of the reason it's so hard to change things around here.

No it's not. I emigrated from the US after it became clear they weren't going to reinstate the rule of law. Your military-industrial complex is the reason that it's so hard to change things around... there. This is why you have bullshit laws like the DMCA in the first place.

Where did you emigrate to?

Re: White House Response to “Make Unlocking Cell Phones Legal”

#23

Post by brown9-2 » Mon, Mar 04, 2013, 6:59 PM UTC

MichaelGG wrote: post #20

JagMicker wrote: post #13

For those TL;DR'ers out there, here's a summary: The White House understands the petition and claims to agree. However, they aren't going to do anything about it other than wait for the "legislature" to address the issue. You might as well petition the corporate owners of the major cell. carriers, as they are probably the only ones who will do anything about this.

To be fair though, isn't that how the US government is supposed to work? It's not like the President can just arbitrarily change laws.

Yes, and a large amount of people who propose petitions on change.org seem to not understand this.

Re: White House Response to “Make Unlocking Cell Phones Legal”

#24

Post by mmanfrin » Mon, Mar 04, 2013, 6:59 PM UTC

sneak wrote: post #6

sinak wrote: post #2

Hey guys, petition starter here. Just wanted to thank anyone who signed for their support. I just got off the phone with the White House and they're really enthusiastic about getting this fixed. We also discussed fixing Section 1201 of the DMCA permanently, and they've agreed to continue the conversation on that. When I originally posted this to HN at http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5112020 there were a lot of ve…

I hate to break it to you, but their response was effectively: "we agree with you but we respect the process that brought us to this fucked-up state and look forward to continuing to work with congress". Petitions don't have any effect other than getting a response that's designed to get you to stop complaining from a false sense of achievement. In that sense, they work perfectly.

Just last week they mandated publicly-funded research should be publicly available within a year -- thanks to a petition.

Quit being such a damn naysaying cynic.

Re: White House Response to “Make Unlocking Cell Phones Legal”

#25

Post by drharris » Mon, Mar 04, 2013, 6:59 PM UTC

MichaelGG wrote: post #20

JagMicker wrote: post #13

For those TL;DR'ers out there, here's a summary: The White House understands the petition and claims to agree. However, they aren't going to do anything about it other than wait for the "legislature" to address the issue. You might as well petition the corporate owners of the major cell. carriers, as they are probably the only ones who will do anything about this.

To be fair though, isn't that how the US government is supposed to work? It's not like the President can just arbitrarily change laws.

Um, that hasn't stopped the past few administrations from doing exactly that.

Re: White House Response to “Make Unlocking Cell Phones Legal”

#26

Post by Cushman » Mon, Mar 04, 2013, 7:00 PM UTC

sneak wrote: post #15

Cushman wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If he just got off the phone with the White House, I'd imagine he has a pretty good idea of what their response was. Your cynicism is a big part of the reason it's so hard to change things around here.

No it's not. I emigrated from the US after it became clear they weren't going to reinstate the rule of law. Your military-industrial complex is the reason that it's so hard to change things around... there. This is why you have bullshit laws like the DMCA in the first place.

It's not? Normal people abdicating the political process is exactly what hinders change in democracies.

We just completed our one-hundred-thirteenth peaceful transition of power at the will of the people. The entrenched powers-that-be are only entrenched because we, as an electorate, keep voting for them. If everybody showed up to the polls, they'd be out in two years— but hey, why bother?

Re: White House Response to “Make Unlocking Cell Phones Legal”

#27

Post by SworDsy » Mon, Mar 04, 2013, 7:00 PM UTC

JamesCRR wrote: post #3

As a Brit, I'm pretty stunned by the efficacy of the We The People Platform here. Good work democracy.

it may or may not work in the short term but there's nothing like an outside perspective to make you appreciate what you have. its true that the legislative branch has to pass this, but at the very least the political climate changes (slightly, around this issue after a public statement) and the people involved feel empowered which both have at least the potential to recreate the situation

Re: White House Response to “Make Unlocking Cell Phones Legal”

#28

Post by kyllo » Mon, Mar 04, 2013, 7:00 PM UTC

brown9-2 wrote: post #16

sneak wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate to break it to you, but their response was effectively: "we agree with you but we respect the process that brought us to this fucked-up state and look forward to continuing to work with congress". Petitions don't have any effect other than getting a response that's designed to get you to stop complaining from a false sense of achievement. In that sense, they work perfectly.

What outcome would you have been happier with? The executive branch cannot pass legislation.

It can't pass legislation, but it can issue an executive order. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_order

However, an exec order for cell phone unlocking would be a tremendous waste of political capital.

Re: White House Response to “Make Unlocking Cell Phones Legal”

#29

Post by nohat » Mon, Mar 04, 2013, 7:01 PM UTC

sneak wrote: post #15

Cushman wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If he just got off the phone with the White House, I'd imagine he has a pretty good idea of what their response was. Your cynicism is a big part of the reason it's so hard to change things around here.

No it's not. I emigrated from the US after it became clear they weren't going to reinstate the rule of law. Your military-industrial complex is the reason that it's so hard to change things around... there. This is why you have bullshit laws like the DMCA in the first place.

How exactly is the military industrial complex related to DMCA? If you really mean special interests, then say that instead of recycling the 'military industrial complex' catch phrase.

Re: White House Response to “Make Unlocking Cell Phones Legal”

#30

Post by brown9-2 » Mon, Mar 04, 2013, 7:01 PM UTC

HarryHirsch wrote: post #4

What's this fuss about petitions? Last time I checked, the form of government in the US was a republic, that is the offices of government are appointed by and derive their legitimacy from the people as a whole. We as a people should not have to petition the White House to grow sense and pass sensible laws, in the way one petitions a monarch. This is the wrong way of combating the laws that come out of Congress thanks…

This is the wrong way of combating the laws that come out of Congress thanks to lobbyist influence. It encourages the wrong mindset.

I agree with this and I think you are being downvoted unfairly.

The "wrong mindset" is one in which you complain to the President/White House/Executive Branch any time "the government" does something you disagree with. The scope of what they can change when it comes to domestic law is very small.

When "the government" does something you don't like, the far better person to petition is your Congressman and Congress as a whole, the branch of government which passed this law (and all laws) in the first place.