Re: By the way: Bitcoin is not backed by any substance, nor actually traceable, can be remotely deleted, and subject to fraud.
Others have noted that any FIAT currency, like the US$ is also faith-based.
But with bitcoin, the ability to print more is removed. The decision structure is distributed, not subject to the whim of a fed or central banker.
And I'd add that a lot of people want to go back to the "gold standard", but the value of even gold is faith based. Think about it - what fn use is gold? You can't eat it or build a house with it, so the only reason it has value is that we all agree that it is valuable. Diamonds are the same - a fake scarcity and marketing campaign has given us the impression this carbon is inherently valuable. It's not.
Rural citizens clamoring for universal service have every reason to do so. But for the most part:
- the contrast between our pitiful urban broadband speeds haven't been that different from your pitiful rural speeds.
-The contrast between our 1-2 providers hasn't been that different from your 0-2 providers.
NOW, if city slickers got 1GB connections, and you still had your lame satellite connection...well, then, you'd have a real case to argue that you are relatively disadvantaged, and need some love from the FCC and Universal Service Fund. Rural areas will always get broadband enhancements AFTER the urban areas. It will be through demanding gov't intervention that economically unattractive regions get upgraded.
But also, if ruralites get to enjoy the open spaces, less traffic, fresh air, less noise from neighbors, less crime, less graffiti, less litter, etc....Well, you also get to enjoy fewer shops, fewer services, slower broadband, etc. Has it ever been any different for humanity?
Single buyer health care nations have far lower costs, because the "consumers" negotiate for the product in unity. One big entity (say Pharmac) against another big entity (say Merck).
In the great ole USA, each pharma company negotiates price as a monopoly provider with a take-it-or-leave-it price, one customer at at time. Often that customer's health is on the line, so they're not particularly powerful at the negotiating table...which is in fact not a table, but a price sticker they can pay or die. Our "free market" actually creates a very tilted power imbalance, and leaves a very distorted market.
The US model is where the customer is forced to hand over a blank check. The NZ model is where the customer gets a chair at a negotiation table.
"where we elect representatives to do things like make laws and negotiate treaties. Nothing in the process requires representatives to run anything by the general population before acting."
Do you understand that this is ALSO how things work in democratic nations like the UK or Canada, right? They also have Representative Democracies. You seem to think that the US is unique in that, and that all others have Direct Democracy, which they don't (although California comes close with their Prop system.)
The USA is a republic, and follows a democratic process of government.
My response: No, perhaps not, but they're a lot closer to the final text than whatever output would have been typed by a thousand monkeys. Drafts are not "random", and statistically have significant correlation to the final.
Most of you have probably been at workplace meetings where the need for some document, contract, guideline, marketing copy, or whatever is needed. The question comes up as to who will accept the task of writing it. Most people back away, not wanting the work. I learned long ago in business to volunteer myself or someone on my team to take the "first pass" at every document. I learned that there is huge power in doing so.
Your needs, your points of view, your strategies, your political imperatives can, thus, all be part of the original document.
It doesn't matter how many edits follow. Even if people don't agree with your imperatives, what usually happens, at worst for me, is a "toning down" of my wording. My initiatives still remain part of the document.
I've seen documents and policies from places I've worked at 15 years ago STILL forming the basis of current documentation. There is tremendous MOMENTUM in words. Those that write them have grabbed the power.
In the case of the TPP, it's big pharma, Hollywood, and other corporate interests that wrote the document. The impact of their power grab will harm the rest of us for decades if TPP passes. Killing the document is the only way to fix it.
But isn't this one of the big problems, "distribute this work"?
It's illegal, but "sorta OK" for one to break Sec 1201 in the privacy of their own home, on their own devices. No SWAT team is likely to crash down your door for messing with your own stuff.
But that SWAT attack becomes far more likely when you start to distribute your hacks, enhancements, APIs, code, and solutions to others. The Sec 1201 chilling effects on this role are massive, since these are the people enforcement will target.
But sharing that kind of innovation in an open environment is exactly how progress most often gets made. This way many hands can make light work. And sharing is how the code gets used, and advances the useful arts and sciences.
Instead of every user having to re-invent the wheel by making the same hack for each of their own devices, we need to be able to share the solutions that work. But we're not allowed.
For example: I'm not likely going to be bothered to write the original code to hack my DVD player so that I can play disks I legitimately purchased while living in the EU. But let's say you did hack it, and had the code available. In a free world, you could either share the code for me for free, but also I would be willing to pay you for it to solve my problem. In a Sec 1201 world, you could find yourself in a heap of trouble for providing (or worse, selling) hacks to TPM or DRM locks, and improvements to my hardware of software.
This is why the market for "unlocker" software is not USA based, is nomadic, is fraught with malware, etc. It has been pushed underground. If I, as a DVD Player owner, choose to use my DVD player as I choose, I either need to either deal with shady unlocker products, or hack the code myself (and still be in violation of the DRMA).
First of all, it pisses me off that Hitachi (or whoever) sold me a DVD player with solutions for the studios prioritized over solutions for me, the paying customer. Second, it pisses me off that I have to break the law to get the functionality I want (to play DVDs!), and third, it pisses me off that I can't just outsource that job to a reliable Independent Software Vendor.
"it's just a "successful companies must pay me because reasons" that happens to have American companies at its focus right now."
Your right about the cash grab on the successful companies, but you're wrong that it's not anti-American.
EU leaders are tired of US companies winning so many markets. They want more local winners, and impeding the foreign players is a move from the same old playbook that brought us tariffs, quotas, or other trade barriers.
Even if it's not done out of a negative feeling towards the USA, its certainly the case that EU leaders are unlikely to suffer a political price for "taxing" big US companies. This is like a city's government raising "occupancy taxes" on hotel rooms -- it's easy to screw the people who can't vote you out.
Bad news. Drachma has started annoying Mark, and is likely to exit the Kennelzone.
Buck only passed because they gave all his work and pay to Rupee, who worked twice as hard for half as much, but because of time zone issues, would only sniff RVs overnight.
Pound was renamed because of confusion when she was referred to as "the dog, Pound". They considered new names, and almost threw out "Scottie" but kept that name by a narrow vote.
In other bad news, Yen was washed away in a tsunami, Peso was put down by Donald Trump, Ruble was found planging polonium in RVs, Lira got distracted by doggie "Bunga bunga parties", and Franc was morally compromised by hiding the RV cash stash of neo-nazis for a cut.
The next dog they brought in was Rand. He was not named after the ZA currency, but rather Ayn. No good either, selfish prick kept all the stashes to himself, saying sharing it with the other officers would just support "parasites". He oughta know, flea-addled mutt.
With all the dogs gone, they took the radical decision to just let all the surf dudes in RVs keep their money. Crazy, no?
I agree. I think there is need for another word, like an "imperative" or utility. "Right" seems a bit strong.
If I go build myself a cabin in the mountains of the Alaska panhandle, and move there, is broadband Internet still my right?
We need more broadband, more accessible, and more competition among providers. O'reilly is a bad FCC commish, but I still don't see how Internet can even occupy the same ballpark as Free Speech.
That said, while not a RIGHT, it sure as heck is O'Reilly's JOB to get more broadband out there.
On the post: TSA Blows Off Inspector General's Suggestion Boarding Pass Information Be Encrypted
Re: Re: Oh great... REAL bullets!
I'll bet you have not spotted a breach. But your imagination and your indignation-engine got the best of you.
TSA sucks, but baseless accusations of scary doors with mcdonalds workers coming out just seem silly.
On the post: Silicon Valley Was Built On Permissionless Innovation; We Shouldn't Give That Up Just Because 'Bitcoin' Is Involved
Re: By the way: Bitcoin is not backed by any substance, nor actually traceable, can be remotely deleted, and subject to fraud.
But with bitcoin, the ability to print more is removed. The decision structure is distributed, not subject to the whim of a fed or central banker.
And I'd add that a lot of people want to go back to the "gold standard", but the value of even gold is faith based. Think about it - what fn use is gold? You can't eat it or build a house with it, so the only reason it has value is that we all agree that it is valuable. Diamonds are the same - a fake scarcity and marketing campaign has given us the impression this carbon is inherently valuable. It's not.
On the post: Silicon Valley Was Built On Permissionless Innovation; We Shouldn't Give That Up Just Because 'Bitcoin' Is Involved
Re: Half true. But you keep disregarding the property rights of others.
See, you've already been flagged, and I'm still able to read your crap.
So stop whining.
On the post: Google Fiber Has Accomplished More For Broadband Than Our National Broadband Plan Ever Did
Re: Fiber where?
You're mostly correct. But a little wrong.
Rural citizens clamoring for universal service have every reason to do so. But for the most part:
- the contrast between our pitiful urban broadband speeds haven't been that different from your pitiful rural speeds.
-The contrast between our 1-2 providers hasn't been that different from your 0-2 providers.
NOW, if city slickers got 1GB connections, and you still had your lame satellite connection...well, then, you'd have a real case to argue that you are relatively disadvantaged, and need some love from the FCC and Universal Service Fund. Rural areas will always get broadband enhancements AFTER the urban areas. It will be through demanding gov't intervention that economically unattractive regions get upgraded.
But also, if ruralites get to enjoy the open spaces, less traffic, fresh air, less noise from neighbors, less crime, less graffiti, less litter, etc....Well, you also get to enjoy fewer shops, fewer services, slower broadband, etc. Has it ever been any different for humanity?
On the post: Leaked TPP Chapter Shows How It's A Massive Gift To Big Pharma And Against Public Health
Re: Momentum
On the post: Leaked TPP Chapter Shows How It's A Massive Gift To Big Pharma And Against Public Health
Re: Re: Democracy lost
On the post: Leaked TPP Chapter Shows How It's A Massive Gift To Big Pharma And Against Public Health
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
In the great ole USA, each pharma company negotiates price as a monopoly provider with a take-it-or-leave-it price, one customer at at time. Often that customer's health is on the line, so they're not particularly powerful at the negotiating table...which is in fact not a table, but a price sticker they can pay or die. Our "free market" actually creates a very tilted power imbalance, and leaves a very distorted market.
The US model is where the customer is forced to hand over a blank check. The NZ model is where the customer gets a chair at a negotiation table.
On the post: Leaked TPP Chapter Shows How It's A Massive Gift To Big Pharma And Against Public Health
Re: Re:
Do you understand that this is ALSO how things work in democratic nations like the UK or Canada, right? They also have Representative Democracies. You seem to think that the US is unique in that, and that all others have Direct Democracy, which they don't (although California comes close with their Prop system.)
The USA is a republic, and follows a democratic process of government.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy#Republic
On the post: Leaked TPP Chapter Shows How It's A Massive Gift To Big Pharma And Against Public Health
Momentum
"draft texts are not "final."
My response: No, perhaps not, but they're a lot closer to the final text than whatever output would have been typed by a thousand monkeys. Drafts are not "random", and statistically have significant correlation to the final.
Most of you have probably been at workplace meetings where the need for some document, contract, guideline, marketing copy, or whatever is needed. The question comes up as to who will accept the task of writing it. Most people back away, not wanting the work. I learned long ago in business to volunteer myself or someone on my team to take the "first pass" at every document. I learned that there is huge power in doing so.
Your needs, your points of view, your strategies, your political imperatives can, thus, all be part of the original document.
It doesn't matter how many edits follow. Even if people don't agree with your imperatives, what usually happens, at worst for me, is a "toning down" of my wording. My initiatives still remain part of the document.
I've seen documents and policies from places I've worked at 15 years ago STILL forming the basis of current documentation. There is tremendous MOMENTUM in words. Those that write them have grabbed the power.
In the case of the TPP, it's big pharma, Hollywood, and other corporate interests that wrote the document. The impact of their power grab will harm the rest of us for decades if TPP passes. Killing the document is the only way to fix it.
On the post: Let's Encrypt Releases Transparency Report -- All Zeroes Across The Board
Re: Re: A better (tech) option
On the post: How Section 1201 Of The Copyright Statute Threatens Innovation
Re:
It's illegal, but "sorta OK" for one to break Sec 1201 in the privacy of their own home, on their own devices. No SWAT team is likely to crash down your door for messing with your own stuff.
But that SWAT attack becomes far more likely when you start to distribute your hacks, enhancements, APIs, code, and solutions to others. The Sec 1201 chilling effects on this role are massive, since these are the people enforcement will target.
But sharing that kind of innovation in an open environment is exactly how progress most often gets made. This way many hands can make light work. And sharing is how the code gets used, and advances the useful arts and sciences.
Instead of every user having to re-invent the wheel by making the same hack for each of their own devices, we need to be able to share the solutions that work. But we're not allowed.
For example: I'm not likely going to be bothered to write the original code to hack my DVD player so that I can play disks I legitimately purchased while living in the EU. But let's say you did hack it, and had the code available. In a free world, you could either share the code for me for free, but also I would be willing to pay you for it to solve my problem. In a Sec 1201 world, you could find yourself in a heap of trouble for providing (or worse, selling) hacks to TPM or DRM locks, and improvements to my hardware of software.
This is why the market for "unlocker" software is not USA based, is nomadic, is fraught with malware, etc. It has been pushed underground. If I, as a DVD Player owner, choose to use my DVD player as I choose, I either need to either deal with shady unlocker products, or hack the code myself (and still be in violation of the DRMA).
First of all, it pisses me off that Hitachi (or whoever) sold me a DVD player with solutions for the studios prioritized over solutions for me, the paying customer. Second, it pisses me off that I have to break the law to get the functionality I want (to play DVDs!), and third, it pisses me off that I can't just outsource that job to a reliable Independent Software Vendor.
On the post: What's Behind The Attack On EU's Outdoor Photography? The Usual Copyright Maximalism And Anti-Americanism
Re: Re: Re:
On the post: What's Behind The Attack On EU's Outdoor Photography? The Usual Copyright Maximalism And Anti-Americanism
Re: Re:
Your right about the cash grab on the successful companies, but you're wrong that it's not anti-American.
EU leaders are tired of US companies winning so many markets. They want more local winners, and impeding the foreign players is a move from the same old playbook that brought us tariffs, quotas, or other trade barriers.
Even if it's not done out of a negative feeling towards the USA, its certainly the case that EU leaders are unlikely to suffer a political price for "taxing" big US companies. This is like a city's government raising "occupancy taxes" on hotel rooms -- it's easy to screw the people who can't vote you out.
On the post: What's Behind The Attack On EU's Outdoor Photography? The Usual Copyright Maximalism And Anti-Americanism
Re:
The country MOST responsible for pushing IP maximalism in trade treaties is no other than the USA.
Does it ever come back to haunt us? Yes, this is a case in point.
On the post: What's Behind The Attack On EU's Outdoor Photography? The Usual Copyright Maximalism And Anti-Americanism
Re: Don't be an idiot.
There are beliefs, and then there is science:
http://conservationresearch.blogspot.com/2010/04/article-measurement-of-light.html
Not the thrust of your argument, I know. I'm just clarifying.
On the post: Judge Orders Lying, Cheating Government To Return $167,000 To The Man They Stole It From
Re: Re: Euros
Buck only passed because they gave all his work and pay to Rupee, who worked twice as hard for half as much, but because of time zone issues, would only sniff RVs overnight.
Pound was renamed because of confusion when she was referred to as "the dog, Pound". They considered new names, and almost threw out "Scottie" but kept that name by a narrow vote.
In other bad news, Yen was washed away in a tsunami, Peso was put down by Donald Trump, Ruble was found planging polonium in RVs, Lira got distracted by doggie "Bunga bunga parties", and Franc was morally compromised by hiding the RV cash stash of neo-nazis for a cut.
The next dog they brought in was Rand. He was not named after the ZA currency, but rather Ayn. No good either, selfish prick kept all the stashes to himself, saying sharing it with the other officers would just support "parasites". He oughta know, flea-addled mutt.
With all the dogs gone, they took the radical decision to just let all the surf dudes in RVs keep their money. Crazy, no?
On the post: Researcher Headed To Australian Supreme Court In Attempt To Hold Google Responsible For Posts At Ripoff Reports [Updated]
Roadsigns and Windmills
On the post: Researcher Headed To Australian Supreme Court In Attempt To Hold Google Responsible For Posts At Ripoff Reports [Updated]
Re: She's a South Australian and you expect any better?
On the post: FCC Commissioner Legally Tasked With Bringing Broadband To All Americans Doesn't Think Broadband's All That Important
Re:
If I go build myself a cabin in the mountains of the Alaska panhandle, and move there, is broadband Internet still my right?
We need more broadband, more accessible, and more competition among providers. O'reilly is a bad FCC commish, but I still don't see how Internet can even occupy the same ballpark as Free Speech.
That said, while not a RIGHT, it sure as heck is O'Reilly's JOB to get more broadband out there.
On the post: Judge Orders Lying, Cheating Government To Return $167,000 To The Man They Stole It From
Re: What about 2 years worth of lost interest/profits?
TSLA went from 33 to 267 over the period. Gorman could've driven home in a P85D AND had 7x his money.
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