The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its fellow, the Protect IP Act (PIPA) are two bills currently being debated in congress and halls of internet wisdom. Their stated purpose is to curb online infringement upon intellectual property. Pending these bills, sites like Megaupload have been shut down.
Because, obviously, online piracy is so much more important than a balanced budget and dealing with an escalating sense of dissatisfaction with our foreign policy. Definitely more important.
There is a lot of fear that these bills would potentially shut down sites like Youtube, Wikipedia, and Tumblr, along with lesser-known sites like Fanfiction.net. In effect, the bill would take out legitimate sites just so Hollywood can make a bit more dough, and leave a bunch of people out in the cold as they find their online lives empty. (Doesn't that sound pathetic?)
On Wednesday, Wikipedia led a blackout protest that shut their sites and several others down for the day--I know my Tumblr blog was blacked out for the day--and a massive caller campaign began, people sending letters and calling their representatives and senators. (It's satisfying to note that the Congressional support for the bill has since dropped. Apparently they're realizing that if they pass it, the next civil war will be led by teenagers who have never seen the light of day.)
Just one more way the government wants to dictate to us. Silly people--thinking they can act like China and get away with it.
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14 comments:
This Congress has done so before. You laughed when I spoke of the communist influence in our country. Are you laughing, now? This has nothing to do with communism, right?
Milieu control is a very strong device of totalitarian governments, even over very brief periods of time. Maybe next year's general election?
This is a product of statism. It's about power and the monopoly that Hollywood holds over entertainment.
And don't you mean this year's general election? ;)
Ow! that hurts. Yeah, it would be this year, huh?
A broad understanding of the term statism might fit.
Hollywood power is not the purpose of SOPA and PIPA. In either bill Hollywood hasn't been given the sole "button."
Communism establishes citizens as informants. These un-deputized informants are required to push the "button" (report) on any suspected violator, or any suspected association to a violator, of the laws of the government. That is what makes these bills communist, rather than merely statist.
It creates a community of distrust. Your neighbor will report you to the government, before you can report him. The "blackouts" are instant: You are guilty until proven innocent.
Communist societies did make use of that tactic, yes, but so did fascist communities. And our benevolent near-fascist government has been urging people to report on their neighbors for quite awhile.
I think that America is heading towards a new fusion of statism. It will combine the righteous cause mindset of fascism with the pure brutality of communism, yet with the veneer of a velvet glove that has made corporatist systems so effective.
That should have said "fascist societies."
My brain was not present when I wrote that, apparently.
I think it is safe to declare victory over SOPA and PIPA for now.
The enemy has withdrawn, and we have command of the battlefield.
You use "corporatist" in a way I am unfamiliar with. I thought I knew what the word meant, but you give me great pause.
What do you mean by "corporatist systems"? Or if I do understand the word, correctly, what is an alternative to them?
I know much more about SOPA than I do PIPA. It is certainly good that SOPA has been defeated (at least it seems so for now). I need to research PIPA more but from what I have read on that legislation it is more targeted at places like China where people are committing crimes of piracy. I definitely agree that Congress should be focusing on more pressing issues.
Son- for now, at least. Have you heard anything about ACTA? It's about ten times worse. -.-
Tragedy- I use it to express the way corporations have gotten hold of our government. There's probably an actual word for that, I'm just too lazy to find it.
Teresa- yeah. Thankfully, it doesn't look like they'll get passed anytime soon.
Aye, I've heard of ACTA, but I haven't read its particulars.
You used "corporatism" correctly, by the way. It is the merger of government and corporations - I think it was Mussolini who said economic fascism is properly called "corporatism."
SOPA looks pretty much like it is dead! As tone deaf as the politicos in Washington are, they saw the gathering storm on this one!
I love this site! I support Mitt. http://colomittromneypres2012.blogspot.com/
"Mitt" as in gun-grabbing, flip-flopping, conservative-when-he's-not-liberal, Obamneycare Romney?
Yeah, he's an interesting guy. O.O
Troy, you've not read much of my blog, have you?
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