Reform is possible within a democratic system if the people don't oppose it.
That's hard to get, but not as hard as getting the people to "want it".
Look at how Donald Trump is doing in the polls. If that's not an indication that people want a change - *ANY* *CHANGE* *AT* *ALL* (even if obviously idiotic), I don't know what would be.
"Worthless citizens" is needless hyperbole and provocation.
But, I agree with your point - voters chose the idiot politicians who hired the idiot school officials.
If you support our current form of democracy, then the voters who elected these people are clearly to blame, and deserve to pay the damages via taxes.
I look at it as illustrating the flaws in our democracy - voters don't vary that much, they are what they are. The point of a political system is to arrange things such that reasonable outcomes happen.
I've been a subscriber for about 30 years; some positions come and go, others stick around for a long time.
They've been steadily against the Drug War for all that time, and steadily for the British position on American guns (Americans shouldn't have any).
Other things they've flip-flopped on, depending mostly on who is editor-in-chief at the time.
The most recent-but-one editor was John Micklethwait (2006-2014), who IMHO was the worst in a long time. He took a lot of stupid positions - he's a real supporter of the status quo and powers-that-be, Wall Street Journal style.
But the new editor since 1/2015 Zanny Minton Beddoes is just great.
The Economist has a new editor-in-chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes. (http://www.economist.com/mediadirectory/zanny-minton-beddoes)
She got the job in January of this year. Since then she's made some big changes to the editorial stance of the paper (magazine, whatever) - all vastly for the better, in my opinion. This is the latest result.
(The editor-in-chief approves the opinion pieces at the front of the magazine.)
I'm really happy with her - she's right on a lot of things.
Lessig has done a lot of good things, and I admire his idealism and dedication.
But money in politics is there because politicians have the power to choose winners and losers, to rig markets, to implement regulations that protect incumbents, to choose who is taxed and who isn't, etc., etc., etc.
As long as politicians have those powers (as opposed to the far more limited powers intended by the founders), those with power and wealth will find ways to influence politicians - one way or another.
No law can prevent that - laws can only force the influence under the table, underground where it can't be seen.
Money in politics is the symptom. Too much power in the hands of politicians is the disease.
Those with skeletons in the closet ought to be more careful before provoking that baby-eating, racist, tax-dodging, radioactive monster-incubating Google company.
Google has been remarkably tolerant so far, but if they want to get the word out about something, they sure have a lot of eyeballs looking at lots of nice blank white space.
Those fascist, book-burning, commie torturers at Google are fully capable of defending themselves.
I know something about digital video encoding - given access to the original bitstream posted by the PD, it should be pretty easy to tell if it was edited or not.
And I'm sure somebody is doing that analysis right now.
Video aside, cops have been beating up people who don't show proper respect (esp. if someone "unimportant") for as long as there have been cops. I don't think it's anything new.
What is new is video cameras in everyone's pocket. Cops seem to be having a huge amount of trouble adapting to the new situation.
On the post: School, Police Chief Must Face Lawsuit Brought By Student Suspended For 10 Days For Tweeting 'Actually, Yes'
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The Tax Payers
That's hard to get, but not as hard as getting the people to "want it".
Look at how Donald Trump is doing in the polls. If that's not an indication that people want a change - *ANY* *CHANGE* *AT* *ALL* (even if obviously idiotic), I don't know what would be.
On the post: Could A Hedge Fund Manager Trying To Short Stocks Of Pharma Companies With Bad Patents Derail Patent Reform?
It's not fraud
Short sellers *borrow* stock from people who actually own it, and then sell it.
People with margin accounts sign a contract agreeing to let their stocks be borrowed this way.
It's all consensual and open.
On the post: School, Police Chief Must Face Lawsuit Brought By Student Suspended For 10 Days For Tweeting 'Actually, Yes'
Re: Re: Re: The Tax Payers
But, I agree with your point - voters chose the idiot politicians who hired the idiot school officials.
If you support our current form of democracy, then the voters who elected these people are clearly to blame, and deserve to pay the damages via taxes.
I look at it as illustrating the flaws in our democracy - voters don't vary that much, they are what they are. The point of a political system is to arrange things such that reasonable outcomes happen.
Our democracy needs major reform.
On the post: New Hampshire Law Banning Ballot Selfies Struck Down As Unconstitutional
Re: There is a problem here
On the post: Once Again The Economist Thinks Patents Are Hindering Innovation And Need Reform
Re: the paper doesn't have an official editorial stanc
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Economist_editorial_stance
I've been a subscriber for about 30 years; some positions come and go, others stick around for a long time.
They've been steadily against the Drug War for all that time, and steadily for the British position on American guns (Americans shouldn't have any).
Other things they've flip-flopped on, depending mostly on who is editor-in-chief at the time.
The most recent-but-one editor was John Micklethwait (2006-2014), who IMHO was the worst in a long time. He took a lot of stupid positions - he's a real supporter of the status quo and powers-that-be, Wall Street Journal style.
But the new editor since 1/2015 Zanny Minton Beddoes is just great.
On the post: Once Again The Economist Thinks Patents Are Hindering Innovation And Need Reform
Zanny Minton Beddoes
She got the job in January of this year. Since then she's made some big changes to the editorial stance of the paper (magazine, whatever) - all vastly for the better, in my opinion. This is the latest result.
(The editor-in-chief approves the opinion pieces at the front of the magazine.)
I'm really happy with her - she's right on a lot of things.
On the post: Larry Lessig Goes Even Bigger: May Run For President On The Single Issue Of Money In Politics
Treating the symptom instead of the disease
But money in politics is there because politicians have the power to choose winners and losers, to rig markets, to implement regulations that protect incumbents, to choose who is taxed and who isn't, etc., etc., etc.
As long as politicians have those powers (as opposed to the far more limited powers intended by the founders), those with power and wealth will find ways to influence politicians - one way or another.
No law can prevent that - laws can only force the influence under the table, underground where it can't be seen.
Money in politics is the symptom. Too much power in the hands of politicians is the disease.
On the post: Vimeo Should Take Some Of The Blame For Simply Accepting Massive Bogus DMCA Takedown Over The Word 'Pixels'
Re: take down every video
Then I send takedown notices to every streaming service asking them to takedown every video with the word "the" in the title.
Perhaps the ensuing chaos would make somebody in Washington finally sit up an take notice? Perhaps?
On the post: The Drug War Is Creating Problems Too Big To Fix
Re: Re: Re: never set foot in the states
On the post: The Drug War Is Creating Problems Too Big To Fix
Re: never set foot in the states
Just do like we 'mericans do.
Be white, look and sound respectable, and cringe in the face of authoritah.
You won't have any problem.
On the post: White House Finally Answers Snowden Pardon Petition: The Only Good Whistleblowing Is Punished Whistleblowing
Re: You are being very unfair here
On the post: White House Finally Answers Snowden Pardon Petition: The Only Good Whistleblowing Is Punished Whistleblowing
"This administration has prosecuted more whistleblowers than all other administrations combined."
On the post: Smoking Gun: MPAA Emails Reveal Plan To Run Anti-Google Smear Campaign Via Today Show And WSJ
Re: damn baby eater
Those with skeletons in the closet ought to be more careful before provoking that baby-eating, racist, tax-dodging, radioactive monster-incubating Google company.
Google has been remarkably tolerant so far, but if they want to get the word out about something, they sure have a lot of eyeballs looking at lots of nice blank white space.
Those fascist, book-burning, commie torturers at Google are fully capable of defending themselves.
Google can bite, if it wants to.
Keep that in mind.
On the post: Smoking Gun: MPAA Emails Reveal Plan To Run Anti-Google Smear Campaign Via Today Show And WSJ
Re: Re: Re: That's the way capitalism works.
It has nothing to do with capitalism. All societies suffer from corruption to some degree or other.
Ours just seems to be getting worse lately.
On the post: Police Cameras Are Valuable... But Not If They Can Alter The Videos
Should be able to tell
And I'm sure somebody is doing that analysis right now.
Video aside, cops have been beating up people who don't show proper respect (esp. if someone "unimportant") for as long as there have been cops. I don't think it's anything new.
What is new is video cameras in everyone's pocket. Cops seem to be having a huge amount of trouble adapting to the new situation.
acting
On the post: Another Reason Adopting 'Collect It All' Was A Bad Idea: China May Now Be Applying It To US Citizens' Personal Data
Re: what is more terrifying
A foreign power can't tax me, or shut down my business.
A foreign power can't prevent me from travelling.
My "own" government can do all these things, tho. And more.
On the post: JPEG Looking To Add DRM To Images... Supposedly To Protect Images From Gov't Surveillance
Re: Response to: Anonymous Coward on Jul 15th, 2015 @ 12:12pm
Oh..you mean professional photographers?
People whose income depends on particular laws always seem to oppose rule changes that would hurt their income.
Funny coincidence, that. For example, professional slave traders really opposed abolition.
The fact that interested parties have a given opinion doesn't mean much in terms of right or wrong.
On the post: DailyDirt: It's Not Just A Good Idea... It's Moore's Law
Re: what a crock of crap
Leaving you back where you started.
But Moore's Law isn't crap. It's just balanced by the anti-Moore's Law of Software Bloat.
On the post: Venture Capital Trade Association Hires Patent Troll Lawyers, Fights Against Patent Reform... Even As Most VCs Want Patent Reform
This is what happens when members don't pay attention
It's all too easy for the officers and BoD members to drive the organization in their own direction.
And they're difficult to kick out - the people doing the voting in each firm are often the same as the officers in the association.
The only way this will get better is if a huge number of members drop out (and stop paying their dues).
On the post: Judge Orders Lying, Cheating Government To Return $167,000 To The Man They Stole It From
Re: Re: Re:
Human beings, are.
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