Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 29 Aug 2019 @ 1:35pm
Under what authority?
What he is asking for is for the Federal government to step into the affairs of state, city and smaller municipalities for their failure to collect local taxes.
Amendment 10 - Powers of the States and People
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
Which tells us that the requested legislation is not Constitutional and he has no business bringing this up at the Federal level.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 29 Aug 2019 @ 8:31am
Re: Re:
Make sure the private-for-profit prisons are closed before the government controlled ones. Oh, and overhaul the Bureau of Prisons at all levels of government.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 29 Aug 2019 @ 6:53am
Re: The monetary paradigm within which we swim!
I would be more worried about proprietary code becoming a part of any protocol. All protocols should be proprietary free and have only open patents as a part of their schema. That we have allowed private entities to include their 'stuff' in protocols in the past is a shame, and not a reason to allow it in the future, or to continue to allow payments made for what is essentially public functionality.
More directly to your point, no part of the banking industry should be coerced into denying services to individuals or organizations or corporations just because some talking head politician says 'um, them bad', nor should they be allowed to (think Paypal as an example). Banks, even the central banks, are private entities and should not be involved the political shenanigans that our elected and bureaucratic infrastructure espouses unless there are actual laws and/or court proceedings making those shenanigans legitimate.
The rest will work itself out as the nature of the Internet and business does by routing around things that don't work.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 29 Aug 2019 @ 6:18am
Re:
Yes, and it seems to me that the manufacturers of the field drug tests are ripe for a very serious law suit, negligence and/or false advertising and/or conspiracy to sell products known to not work. At the very least, each of the manufacturers should be forced to show their products work in repeatable, double blind, public testing, or refund all the money spent on their worthless products.
As for the drug dogs, there is a right to face one's accusers in court, but somehow no one is allowed to actually test the efficacy of individual drug dogs, which should be done with their handlers absent.
I would say a class action lawsuit, but then all the 'winnings' go to the lawyers involved rather than those who were harmed and should be made whole.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 28 Aug 2019 @ 2:28pm
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
For me, it goes deeper than that. The 'party leaders' who OK which person will stand for office (after they express willingness or are nominated) are likely even more stinky than those who actually run.
I am for a no party system. This was heavily debated by the Founding Fathers, and the party system won. I think this was a mistake, and we are paying for it now. Since it was a choice then, and there is nothing in the Constitution requiring political parties (that I know of) it is still a choice, though one those in power will not take well.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 28 Aug 2019 @ 12:49pm
Re: Re: Re: Question for Mike about the paper:
If Samuel copied and pasted the content of the essay, then the EU might have some issues, but posting a link along with some insightful commentary that would make readers interested in clicking on that link, I think not.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 28 Aug 2019 @ 8:36am
Re: OR: Backpage admits was child prostitution on its site.
Things aren't illegal necessarily, until they are proven to be illegal, in a court of law. Personal ads, per se, aren't illegal. Personal ads that mention compensation in exchange for sex or underage sex are illegal, and these are the ones that Backpage brought to the attention of the Innocence Lost Task Force and others and then removed from their site.
And yes, Backpage was in business, the business of selling classified advertising, so why wouldn't they continue until stopped? Your arguments have no legs.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 28 Aug 2019 @ 8:15am
Re: Re: The way NOT to coverup butt hurt
Depends upon the type of butt hurt. For some organic types of butt hurt, Preparation H works wonders. For emotional butt hurt, years of counseling with an appropriate therapist is called for. But you are right, The Streisand Effect rarely cures anything (I do suppose that it has been used for positive results when strategically deployed, but that's an assumption and we know how well those work out).
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 28 Aug 2019 @ 8:02am
The way NOT to coverup butt hurt
I didn't realize that ANDREW K. BONNER, JR was losing his case until I read the letter where it mentions that the case was being dismissed. It certainly appears that the suit was about butt hurt, and the request for sealing all the documents was an attempt to cover up additional butt hurt. I hope that Mr. Bonner learns the lesson that covering up butt hurt by covering up butt hurt isn't the way to cover up butt hurt.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 28 Aug 2019 @ 7:55am
What to do?
"Do Citizens Have A Right To See The Algorithms Used By Publicly-Funded Software?"
They should, but getting around the way authoritarian governments with undo amounts of self interest isn't going to be easy. Merely exposing those self interests won't be sufficient as those in authority tend to have thick skins, and a lot of denial. The question is, what will it take?
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 28 Aug 2019 @ 7:36am
Re: 'On what grounds?'
Wouldn't that depend upon allegations made by the prosecution? If the prosecution brings up, say that Backpage was allowing xxx, then the defense would have the right to bring witnesses and/or evidence to refute that. They may have to be careful about how they go about presenting those witnesses (don't mention the memo, just ask about behavior) but I cannot see any reason to not allow them.
I know 'sealing' this document, possibly because it refutes the entire prosecution, doesn't make any sense to you or me (and likely a whole lot of others) but that doesn't take into account the agenda, and since we know that the government changed horses in the middle of the race we have to question not only what that agenda is, but where it was instigated from.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 28 Aug 2019 @ 7:18am
Headhunters
When headhunters go looking for heads to shrink, I think they have very limited criteria for determining whether a particular individual is a good candidate. Has head, go hunting.
Which brings up the question as to who caused the government to change course and go from cooperating with Backpage to vilifying Backpage? Clues may be found with the utterances of those proposing and propagating FOSTA, but I doubt they would be conclusive, which doesn't mean that some powerful politician didn't put a bug (or future political incentive) under some DOJ prosecutors ass to get the ball rolling.
What is apparently suspect now is how the prosecution is going, and what tidbits are left on the trail for appeal. Not being a lawyer I have no way to determine if 'sealing' this memo is one of those tidbits, but it certainly does nothing to enhance the DOJ's image as an organization with justice in mind. I have heard lawyers say that they don't do justice, they do law, but, in the end justice is supposed to be the outcome. If lawyers don't do justice, but only law, who speaks for justice?
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 27 Aug 2019 @ 5:31pm
Re: Re: Re: Trade or new cold war.
The problem is that our failure rate at creating democracies is impressive. Since WWII we have stuck our noses in many places across the world and have yet to create anything worthwhile. Not that I think the current administration has any pretense toward 'fixing' China, I do think a different approach might be prudent, and showing them how the right kind of capitalism along with the right kind of democracy is a better way to go.
Our current systems of both capitalism and democracy have some serious issues, so to some extent we need to clean house and stop the do as I say, not as I do rhetoric. But if we do fix ourselves, and set the good example, I think it would go a long way to convincing populations across the world that it is the right way to go, regardless of their current regimes.
Your methodology uses the threat of force rather than a show of success, and that is a part of our failed approaches in the past.
Anonymous Anonymous Coward (profile), 27 Aug 2019 @ 4:54pm
Re: Re: Details are important
Good one, however, corporations have no legal need to follow due process. They might have a moral, and because of that PR reasons to do so, but they are not required to.
In employment at will states, and under many contracts, someone may be fired for any reason or no reason at all. Check it out.
In right to work states a reason is needed, and there is some procedure that needs to lead up to that firing, but the concept of due process, as it applies to the government from the Constitution, isn't it.
On the post: Judge Wants To Know Who's Behind Devin Nunes' Cow's And Mom's Twitter Account
Re: Spartacus!
I am Devin Nunes' Cow's maternal great aunt, twice removed, and have pertinent information on which planet Devin Nunes' Cow lives.
On the post: Former Hotel Exec Gets Elected To Congress, Decides First Order Of Business Is To Destroy Airbnb
Under what authority?
What he is asking for is for the Federal government to step into the affairs of state, city and smaller municipalities for their failure to collect local taxes.
Which tells us that the requested legislation is not Constitutional and he has no business bringing this up at the Federal level.
On the post: Man Spends Three Months In Jail Because A Drug Dog And A Field Test Said His Honey Was Methamphetamines
Re: Re:
Make sure the private-for-profit prisons are closed before the government controlled ones. Oh, and overhaul the Bureau of Prisons at all levels of government.
On the post: Protocols, Not Platforms: A Technological Approach to Free Speech
Re: The monetary paradigm within which we swim!
I would be more worried about proprietary code becoming a part of any protocol. All protocols should be proprietary free and have only open patents as a part of their schema. That we have allowed private entities to include their 'stuff' in protocols in the past is a shame, and not a reason to allow it in the future, or to continue to allow payments made for what is essentially public functionality.
More directly to your point, no part of the banking industry should be coerced into denying services to individuals or organizations or corporations just because some talking head politician says 'um, them bad', nor should they be allowed to (think Paypal as an example). Banks, even the central banks, are private entities and should not be involved the political shenanigans that our elected and bureaucratic infrastructure espouses unless there are actual laws and/or court proceedings making those shenanigans legitimate.
The rest will work itself out as the nature of the Internet and business does by routing around things that don't work.
On the post: Man Spends Three Months In Jail Because A Drug Dog And A Field Test Said His Honey Was Methamphetamines
Re:
Yes, and it seems to me that the manufacturers of the field drug tests are ripe for a very serious law suit, negligence and/or false advertising and/or conspiracy to sell products known to not work. At the very least, each of the manufacturers should be forced to show their products work in repeatable, double blind, public testing, or refund all the money spent on their worthless products.
As for the drug dogs, there is a right to face one's accusers in court, but somehow no one is allowed to actually test the efficacy of individual drug dogs, which should be done with their handlers absent.
I would say a class action lawsuit, but then all the 'winnings' go to the lawyers involved rather than those who were harmed and should be made whole.
On the post: New Government Documents Reveal That Backpage Was Actively Helping Law Enforcement Track Down Traffickers
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
For me, it goes deeper than that. The 'party leaders' who OK which person will stand for office (after they express willingness or are nominated) are likely even more stinky than those who actually run.
I am for a no party system. This was heavily debated by the Founding Fathers, and the party system won. I think this was a mistake, and we are paying for it now. Since it was a choice then, and there is nothing in the Constitution requiring political parties (that I know of) it is still a choice, though one those in power will not take well.
On the post: Protocols, Not Platforms: A Technological Approach to Free Speech
Re:
Pray tell, where did this defense take place? Links, quotes, and other citations please.
On the post: Guy Sues Facebook For Violating Basically All The Laws, For Shutting Down His Account And For Everything Else Bad Facebook Has Ever Done
That's a lot of laws to break
I am still surprised that speeding and failure to wear a seat belt weren't mentioned.
On the post: Protocols, Not Platforms: A Technological Approach to Free Speech
Re: Re: Re: Question for Mike about the paper:
If Samuel copied and pasted the content of the essay, then the EU might have some issues, but posting a link along with some insightful commentary that would make readers interested in clicking on that link, I think not.
Or were you thinking of some different EU rules?
On the post: New Government Documents Reveal That Backpage Was Actively Helping Law Enforcement Track Down Traffickers
Re: Re: Re: Re:
Right. Murder and terrorism is so much better than the ballot box.
On the post: Protocols, Not Platforms: A Technological Approach to Free Speech
Re: Question for Mike about the paper:
Distribute the link, then no worries.
On the post: New Government Documents Reveal That Backpage Was Actively Helping Law Enforcement Track Down Traffickers
Re: Re: Headhunters
Only if they hear all the pertinent facts and issues. Doing law seems to get in the way of that, at times.
On the post: New Government Documents Reveal That Backpage Was Actively Helping Law Enforcement Track Down Traffickers
Re: OR: Backpage admits was child prostitution on its site.
Things aren't illegal necessarily, until they are proven to be illegal, in a court of law. Personal ads, per se, aren't illegal. Personal ads that mention compensation in exchange for sex or underage sex are illegal, and these are the ones that Backpage brought to the attention of the Innocence Lost Task Force and others and then removed from their site.
And yes, Backpage was in business, the business of selling classified advertising, so why wouldn't they continue until stopped? Your arguments have no legs.
On the post: Court Rejects Plaintiff's Attempt To Seal His Entire Lawsuit Against A Website That Publishes Court Documents
Re: Re: The way NOT to coverup butt hurt
Depends upon the type of butt hurt. For some organic types of butt hurt, Preparation H works wonders. For emotional butt hurt, years of counseling with an appropriate therapist is called for. But you are right, The Streisand Effect rarely cures anything (I do suppose that it has been used for positive results when strategically deployed, but that's an assumption and we know how well those work out).
On the post: Court Rejects Plaintiff's Attempt To Seal His Entire Lawsuit Against A Website That Publishes Court Documents
The way NOT to coverup butt hurt
I didn't realize that ANDREW K. BONNER, JR was losing his case until I read the letter where it mentions that the case was being dismissed. It certainly appears that the suit was about butt hurt, and the request for sealing all the documents was an attempt to cover up additional butt hurt. I hope that Mr. Bonner learns the lesson that covering up butt hurt by covering up butt hurt isn't the way to cover up butt hurt.
On the post: Do Citizens Have A Right To See The Algorithms Used By Publicly-Funded Software?
What to do?
They should, but getting around the way authoritarian governments with undo amounts of self interest isn't going to be easy. Merely exposing those self interests won't be sufficient as those in authority tend to have thick skins, and a lot of denial. The question is, what will it take?
On the post: New Government Documents Reveal That Backpage Was Actively Helping Law Enforcement Track Down Traffickers
Re: 'On what grounds?'
Wouldn't that depend upon allegations made by the prosecution? If the prosecution brings up, say that Backpage was allowing xxx, then the defense would have the right to bring witnesses and/or evidence to refute that. They may have to be careful about how they go about presenting those witnesses (don't mention the memo, just ask about behavior) but I cannot see any reason to not allow them.
I know 'sealing' this document, possibly because it refutes the entire prosecution, doesn't make any sense to you or me (and likely a whole lot of others) but that doesn't take into account the agenda, and since we know that the government changed horses in the middle of the race we have to question not only what that agenda is, but where it was instigated from.
On the post: New Government Documents Reveal That Backpage Was Actively Helping Law Enforcement Track Down Traffickers
Headhunters
When headhunters go looking for heads to shrink, I think they have very limited criteria for determining whether a particular individual is a good candidate. Has head, go hunting.
Which brings up the question as to who caused the government to change course and go from cooperating with Backpage to vilifying Backpage? Clues may be found with the utterances of those proposing and propagating FOSTA, but I doubt they would be conclusive, which doesn't mean that some powerful politician didn't put a bug (or future political incentive) under some DOJ prosecutors ass to get the ball rolling.
What is apparently suspect now is how the prosecution is going, and what tidbits are left on the trail for appeal. Not being a lawyer I have no way to determine if 'sealing' this memo is one of those tidbits, but it certainly does nothing to enhance the DOJ's image as an organization with justice in mind. I have heard lawyers say that they don't do justice, they do law, but, in the end justice is supposed to be the outcome. If lawyers don't do justice, but only law, who speaks for justice?
On the post: Trump Decides The State Should Run US Businesses, Orders Them To Stop Doing Business With China
Re: Re: Re: Trade or new cold war.
The problem is that our failure rate at creating democracies is impressive. Since WWII we have stuck our noses in many places across the world and have yet to create anything worthwhile. Not that I think the current administration has any pretense toward 'fixing' China, I do think a different approach might be prudent, and showing them how the right kind of capitalism along with the right kind of democracy is a better way to go.
Our current systems of both capitalism and democracy have some serious issues, so to some extent we need to clean house and stop the do as I say, not as I do rhetoric. But if we do fix ourselves, and set the good example, I think it would go a long way to convincing populations across the world that it is the right way to go, regardless of their current regimes.
Your methodology uses the threat of force rather than a show of success, and that is a part of our failed approaches in the past.
On the post: Top MPAA Lawyer, Mastermind Behind Its Plan To Attack The Internet, Arrested On Blackmail And Sexual Assault Charges
Re: Re: Details are important
Good one, however, corporations have no legal need to follow due process. They might have a moral, and because of that PR reasons to do so, but they are not required to.
In employment at will states, and under many contracts, someone may be fired for any reason or no reason at all. Check it out.
In right to work states a reason is needed, and there is some procedure that needs to lead up to that firing, but the concept of due process, as it applies to the government from the Constitution, isn't it.
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