"The whole business is based on getting the US to overreact and overspend and get it caught in a quagmire that causes additional problems"
I've said this before. Back on November 24, 2002 Osama bin Laden promised to destroy the economy of the west. It’s eight years later and it appears his threat was carried out. But yet, no one is talking about this angle.
Terrorism is about more than blowing things up. It's about covertly destroying systems and infrastructure. We're treating this war against terrorism as if its being fought solely in airports. It's not.
The problem with this issue is that the vast majority of people in the US do not fly on a regular basis. At most, the vast majority of people fly once or twice a year, during peak times when the TSA is more concerned with herding than groping.
So you have a minority of people who jet-set around the world complaining about the process, and to the rest of Americans, they're coming off as whinny babies.
I'm not saying they are whinny babies. I think standing up for our rights is important. I'm just saying that most people don't see this as an issue because for them, it is not an issue.
I'm sorry to repeat myself. I bring this up every time there's a Metallica story.
Metallica owes is entire success to fans infringing copyright. Back in the early 80s radio did not play their brand of metal and neither did MTV.
Alt bands such as Metallica built fan bases when their fans shared cassettes with friends. Those new fans shared more cassettes... and so on and so on.
Metallica's first independent album, Kill 'Em All, reached 120 on the US Billboard chart. Without any radio, television, mainstream press, or any videos. Heck, it reached number 12 in Finland and 28 in Sweden.
Kill 'Em All did so incredibly well because fans had been sharing Metallica's demo tapes since 1981. Before even being signed to an independent label, Metallica were huge in the alt metal movement. All because its fans shared its music.
Which makes Metallica's attack on Napster users so incredibly ironic.
But Garry Trudeau is right. None of those comics have tenure. They cannot coast while newspapers continue to print their less than funny comics. (Think Garfield or Marmaduke.)
If any of those comics you listed started being less than really funny, people would stop reading, and they'd disappear.
But Garry Trudeau is wrong that such tenure is needed. Why should comic strip authors be given lifetime employment? Why should less than funny strips be published? Let the readers decide not the syndicates.
"he’s violated federal law and federal regulations which states once you enter and start the process you have to complete it."
According to the article linked above the agents told him,
he could either submit, or leave the airport and not fly. Tyner chose the latter option and was escorted to the American Airlines ticket counter to get a refund.
Let me get this straight, he violated federal law for following the orders of the agents. He violated federal law because he allowed himself to be escorted out by armed agents. Wow, so much for the land of the free.
"Your Google/AT&T analogy doesn't work since both of those companies are legit"
Every time someone suggests prior restraint on speech, it is argued that the law will only go after speech that should be illegal and it will never be used to hinder perfectly legal speech. My question, how can you tell the difference between legitimate and illegitimate websites?
I'll be interested to hear your explanation as to how Google or an ISP is legitimate while a search site such as the Pirate Bay is not.
Question for discussion, was Youtube illegitimate because it hosts infringing files? Is Youtube now legitimate solely because it's owned by Google?
Continuing on the Youtube discussion. Youtube actually hosts infringing content. The Pirate Bay hosts nothing but is merely a search engine with links to torrents. Why is the Pirate Bay less legitimate than Youtube?
"Best method is probably to take out the copyright."
Well, yeah. Of course. I completely agree.
But I live in reality not in a dream world. Heck, even my modest and rational proposal, let middlemen protect their own rents, will never happen. Starting a movement to eliminate copyright stands about as much chance as starting a movement to make the earth rotate slower so we'd have more hours in a day.
When your entire business model is merely milking rents from your government granted monopoly, it's quite easy to depend on the government to enforce your model.
It'd be great to live in a world where all IP litigation was civil. The government would grant the monopoly but leave it up to the rent collectors to enforce. (Why should the government both grant and pay to protect the monopoly?! If the middlemen do not feel its worth protecting themselves, why should the government bother?)
But the copyright middlemen in the US give too much money to too many political campaigns to be ignored by the legislative and executive branches. Thus, they get what they want. If Disney wants an armed police forced to protect the collection of their rents, they'll get an armed police force. I'm imagining a future where Disney and Viacom combine and demand a nuclear deterrent. They'll get it.
Our coming war with China will not be based on economics or politics, but on the RIAA and the MPAA's attempt to eliminate piracy in Asia. Hong Kong will probably become a nuclear wasteland.
I didn't say it was ethical. I said it was our duty. Our economy depends on intelligent people making intelligent monetary choices. When ignorant people spend money, we end up with products such as the Snuggie and KFC's Double Down. Thus, it's our duty to ensure the ignorant have no money to spend.
"Then lets all just run side businesses as pimps prostituting 9 year old girls and assembly lines of children putting together cheap consumer crap for .12 cents an hour, I mean, what's the difference?"
The difference? Because the "victim" in this case was scammed willingly. I see nothing willing about child slavery. I have kids. When I put them to work they want to quit immediately.
If you can't see the difference between an idiot willingly giving away 6 million dollars and child slavery, I can't really help you much.
Anyone who manages to scam 6 million bucks for a computer repair deserves to keep whatever he got. I've said it a million times, completely ignorant people shouldn't have money. Its our duty to take it from them every chance we get.
On the post: How The US Response Turns 'Failed' Terrorist Attacks Into Successes
I've said this before. Back on November 24, 2002 Osama bin Laden promised to destroy the economy of the west. It’s eight years later and it appears his threat was carried out. But yet, no one is talking about this angle.
Terrorism is about more than blowing things up. It's about covertly destroying systems and infrastructure. We're treating this war against terrorism as if its being fought solely in airports. It's not.
On the post: Mainstream Press Seems To Think Fighting For Civil Liberties Is Childish
Re: Re:
No, it's simply not an issue for most people. They don't fly, they don't get scanned, they don't get grouped, so it's not an issue to them.
On the post: Mainstream Press Seems To Think Fighting For Civil Liberties Is Childish
So you have a minority of people who jet-set around the world complaining about the process, and to the rest of Americans, they're coming off as whinny babies.
I'm not saying they are whinny babies. I think standing up for our rights is important. I'm just saying that most people don't see this as an issue because for them, it is not an issue.
On the post: Lars Ulrich: Underestimated File Sharing.. But Proud We Sued
Metallica owes is entire success to fans infringing copyright. Back in the early 80s radio did not play their brand of metal and neither did MTV.
Alt bands such as Metallica built fan bases when their fans shared cassettes with friends. Those new fans shared more cassettes... and so on and so on.
Metallica's first independent album, Kill 'Em All, reached 120 on the US Billboard chart. Without any radio, television, mainstream press, or any videos. Heck, it reached number 12 in Finland and 28 in Sweden.
Kill 'Em All did so incredibly well because fans had been sharing Metallica's demo tapes since 1981. Before even being signed to an independent label, Metallica were huge in the alt metal movement. All because its fans shared its music.
Which makes Metallica's attack on Napster users so incredibly ironic.
On the post: The End Of Taking Business Models For Granted
Re: Webcomics that stagnate?
If any of those comics you listed started being less than really funny, people would stop reading, and they'd disappear.
But Garry Trudeau is wrong that such tenure is needed. Why should comic strip authors be given lifetime employment? Why should less than funny strips be published? Let the readers decide not the syndicates.
On the post: US Risks Not Getting FIFA World Cup... Because It Won't Give FIFA Special Copyright Powers
Wow. Your laws are not good enough, we want our own laws now!
I'm glad the government isn't bending over on this. Unforgettably they do bend over for the Olympics Committee.
On the post: Doctor Sues Patients Over Bad Yelp Reviews
Since when does the First Amendment trump the right of someone to earn a profit?
On the post: Righthaven Desperately Wants Out Of Lawsuit It Filed, As It Fears Having To Pay EFF's Legal Fees
On the post: TSA Defending Its Groin Grabbing Or Naked Image Security Techniques
According to the article linked above the agents told him,
Let me get this straight, he violated federal law for following the orders of the agents. He violated federal law because he allowed himself to be escorted out by armed agents. Wow, so much for the land of the free.
On the post: Hollywood's Strategy For The Future: Pretending The Government Can Save Them
Re: Re: Re:
But the Pirate Bay is not hosting a single bit of infringing content. Exactly how is the Pirate Bay supposed to comply?
Google has to bend over and capitulate because it is actually hosting the content, just as an ISP does when it hosts an infringer's website.
On the post: Hollywood's Strategy For The Future: Pretending The Government Can Save Them
Re:
Every time someone suggests prior restraint on speech, it is argued that the law will only go after speech that should be illegal and it will never be used to hinder perfectly legal speech. My question, how can you tell the difference between legitimate and illegitimate websites?
I'll be interested to hear your explanation as to how Google or an ISP is legitimate while a search site such as the Pirate Bay is not.
Question for discussion, was Youtube illegitimate because it hosts infringing files? Is Youtube now legitimate solely because it's owned by Google?
Continuing on the Youtube discussion. Youtube actually hosts infringing content. The Pirate Bay hosts nothing but is merely a search engine with links to torrents. Why is the Pirate Bay less legitimate than Youtube?
On the post: Hollywood's Strategy For The Future: Pretending The Government Can Save Them
Re: Re:
Well, yeah. Of course. I completely agree.
But I live in reality not in a dream world. Heck, even my modest and rational proposal, let middlemen protect their own rents, will never happen. Starting a movement to eliminate copyright stands about as much chance as starting a movement to make the earth rotate slower so we'd have more hours in a day.
On the post: Hollywood's Strategy For The Future: Pretending The Government Can Save Them
It'd be great to live in a world where all IP litigation was civil. The government would grant the monopoly but leave it up to the rent collectors to enforce. (Why should the government both grant and pay to protect the monopoly?! If the middlemen do not feel its worth protecting themselves, why should the government bother?)
But the copyright middlemen in the US give too much money to too many political campaigns to be ignored by the legislative and executive branches. Thus, they get what they want. If Disney wants an armed police forced to protect the collection of their rents, they'll get an armed police force. I'm imagining a future where Disney and Viacom combine and demand a nuclear deterrent. They'll get it.
Our coming war with China will not be based on economics or politics, but on the RIAA and the MPAA's attempt to eliminate piracy in Asia. Hong Kong will probably become a nuclear wasteland.
On the post: Monster Cable Gets Classifieds Search Engine Taken Down With Bogus DMCA Notice
On the post: Forget Information Overload: What If The Real Problem Is Information Underload
Forget building new prisons. What if we're already in a prison? A universe sized prison?
On the post: Computer Techs Turn Normal Virus Removal Into Multi-Million Dollar Scam
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
On the post: Computer Techs Turn Normal Virus Removal Into Multi-Million Dollar Scam
Re: Re: Re: Re:
The difference? Because the "victim" in this case was scammed willingly. I see nothing willing about child slavery. I have kids. When I put them to work they want to quit immediately.
If you can't see the difference between an idiot willingly giving away 6 million dollars and child slavery, I can't really help you much.
On the post: Computer Techs Turn Normal Virus Removal Into Multi-Million Dollar Scam
On the post: Why Ridiculous Statutory Rates For File Sharing Are Inappropriate
Re: Re:
Thanks!
On the post: Why Ridiculous Statutory Rates For File Sharing Are Inappropriate
Re:
At most the copyright holder lost a sale. A possible sale. One lost sale is worth $62,500.
To contrast, having two physical CDs stolen is only worth 30 bucks.
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