Broadcast flag back in congress

[silkshadow]

Thanks Opus4, it is an important issue to this and every freedom loving community out there. It doesn't boil down to a Dem/Rep/Green issue at all IMO. Its a who is the most corrupt bastard in Governemnt issue. My money in currently on the FCC. BTW, thanks for the clarity Jason!

The fact is that the US is the battleground between personal rights and freedom versus corporate greed and power. Once the corporations win that battle, as they are currently doing, then they will focus their attention outward, probably starting with Western Europe. It hurts alot that the current Administration is so pro-corporate. Thats not a dig as some believe that is good (trickel down economics anyone?). However, whether corporate wealth is a good thing or bad, there is another issue which is seperate from this. That is personal freedom and that is eroding in the US faster than an eye can blink. With everyone so focused on the war in Iraq and other 'hot button' issues (I am still reeling from the "hot coffee" GTA stupidity), things like the Patriot act just slip by without anyone doing anything. I cannot believe that there are Americans who want their rights stripped from them one by one. Whether Republican, Democrat or Green all should believe in personal freedom to some extent or has everone frogotten their High School American History?

[salsbst]

My opinion, which I meant to imply above, is that there is zero hope of defeating the BF while corporations are allowed to run our government, and that the only way to change that is to defeat the two major parties and put a cap on *all* donations, including to issue-based organizations, at 1/52 of the poverty level of income (a week's pay for the poor), and to prevent any legal entity that is not also a person from donating.

Whether Republican, Democrat or Green all should believe in personal freedom to some extent or has everone frogotten their High School American History?

I heard of a study that found a majority of U.S. high school students think the government should have a significant role in determining the content of news articles.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by DFA

Hmmm. I did not know that was the tactic. So, it's not a matter of introducing and passing the BF itself through congress but rather having congress endow the FCC with the necessary authority to put the BF in place as originally attempted. Is that it? How would that be fought since not being able to meet the BF head on?

DFA

The good old fashioned way... let your politicians know (Congressman and House Representatives)! Far too often, after we elect our folks to the political arena, we fail to let them know our thoughts! We let them rely instead on polls and PAC's to get their information. Call them! Write them! Send them and e-mail! Heck... visit them!

I mentioned PAC's previoulsy (Political Action Committee) which are otherwise known as special interest groups... the EFF is our own PAC (of sorts...)! Let them voice our opinions as they can! However, as a PAC/SIG, the EFF must be monitored as well. Sometimes the voices that they speak for get overrun just like everything else...

I posted it before, but it is still relevant... Voice your opinion!

https://secure.eff.org/site/Advocacy...rAction&id=129

-Jason

[Jason]

Originally Posted by salsbst

My opinion, which I meant to imply above, is that there is zero hope of defeating the BF while corporations are allowed to run our government, and that the only way to change that is to defeat the two major parties and put a cap on *all* donations, including to issue-based organizations, at 1/52 of the poverty level of income (a week's pay for the poor), and to prevent any legal entity that is not also a person from donating.

Wow!

If I can paraphrase... (at least at the expense of starting a flame war...)

"We are all screwed, because once elected, all of our politicians are on the 'take' and there is no recourse to hold our officials accountable to the public. The ONLY way to fix things is to restructure the current funding/spending of these same officials"

ON!

I may be a 'tad' off base (heck... even out of line...) with the above, but I refuse to agree to the fact that my voice/opinion does not matter. As one person, I may never get heard, but as a group of like minded individuals, there is strength in numbers. I think that people who exude a defeatist attitude can only hold themselves responsible when their own opinions are downplayed.
OFF...

This is not meant to form a buffer between anyone (sal...) and myself, but rather to further the point that we hold (however small...) our own future in our hands. If we fail to act because we think that our voices don't matter and no one will listen, then we get what we deserve. There ARE others who believe as, at least I think that they do, I do, in that the BF is a 'BAD' thing, designed to protect the interests of 'big business' at the expense of personal priviledge. If I can rally a few individuals who think this way (isn't that partially what this thread is about??) to contact their Congressman and Representatives and let them know how they feel, then these long diatribes are worth their weight in gold.

-Jason

[insomniac]

optimist vs. realist

Ill take the pestimist approach myself. We are screwed. Watch history repeat itself. The only time things get addressed is after a major breakdown and consequence is too steep.

Examples of this are not necessary, yes?

[salsbst]

Originally Posted by Jason

Wow!

If I can paraphrase... (at least at the expense of starting a flame war...)

"We are all screwed, because once elected, all of our politicians are on the 'take' and there is no recourse to hold our officials accountable to the public. The ONLY way to fix things is to restructure the current funding/spending of these same officials"

I didn't say *all* are, but that's general the gist of my opinion. I don't blame the politicians, BTW -- just the flawed system.

ON!

I may be a 'tad' off base (heck... even out of line...) with the above, but I refuse to agree to the fact that my voice/opinion does not matter. As one person, I may never get heard, but as a group of like minded individuals, there is strength in numbers. I think that people who exude a defeatist attitude can only hold themselves responsible when their own opinions are downplayed.
OFF...

This is not meant to form a buffer between anyone (sal...) and myself, but rather to further the point that we hold (however small...) our own future in our hands. If we fail to act because we think that our voices don't matter and no one will listen, then we get what we deserve. There ARE others who believe as, at least I think that they do, I do, in that the BF is a 'BAD' thing, designed to protect the interests of 'big business' at the expense of personal priviledge. If I can rally a few individuals who think this way (isn't that partially what this thread is about??) to contact their Congressman and Representatives and let them know how they feel, then these long diatribes are worth their weight in gold.

-Jason

I'm not in this for a flame war, either. My only objection to what you wrote is the label of defeatist attitude. I am not defeated and I do not believe I am taking a defeatist attitude. A defeatist would not take every opportunity that he has to explain how he believes the system might be fixed.

Believe me, I wish I had at least one voting representative in Congress. If I did, I would write to him/her/them about this and some other issues -- not with the expectation that it would have efficacy, but because it is part of good citizenship, as is contribution to and encouragement of political debate.

[src666]

The problem isn't that we are absolutely powerless to make a difference, because we aren't. The problem is that we are absolutely powerless to _stop them_ from doing what they want anyway.

We can keep "raising our voices in protest" whenever we get wind of one of their schemes, but we can't prevent them from finding a way to sneak it in at the last minute under the cover of darkness when no one is looking. If you don't believe me, look at artists, composers and musicians who work for a corporation. 4 words were added to a conference comittee report (i.e. a bill just before it becomes law) that turned all of their work into "work for hire" unless otherwise stated in a contract, meaning that they have no rights to it. Before this, it was the other way around - it took a contract to sign away your creative rights. This sentence was added by a _staffer_, not a legislator. That's right, someone's gofer added a provision to a bill that eviscerated the rights of creative workers.

If they want the broadcast flag in, they will get it in, one way or another. Our only hope is to make them afraid to try it, and that takes a constant effort, not just a surge of activity whenever we hear about their plans.

BTW - if you don't believe me about the "work for hire", it has been widely documented. Here is one link: http://www.austinchronicle.com/issue...c_feature.html

[Jason]

This 'thing' will just not die...

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?s...01218&from=rss

-Jason

[Jesse]

So does this all mean I need to get a couple of HD capture cards and maybe a spare pvr150 or two before this could take effect? Will the flag just be ignored if my hardware pre-dates it?

TIA

Jesse