Posted on 01/18/2012 5:22:35 PM PST by Kaslin
Free Speech: In the name of stopping online piracy of copyrighted material, some propose giving the federal government power to shut down websites without due process and control the greatest mode of free speech ever invented.
Call them "sons of net neutrality," for while the Software Online Piracy Act (SOPA) working its way through the House of Representatives and its Senate companion, the Protect IP Act (PIPA), are shrouded in seemingly worthy goals, they would grant government power it should not have and arguably pose a threat to our First Amendment rights.
Online piracy is a real problem, and the goal of protecting copyrighted material from unlawful copying and dissemination is something we support, just as we support free and unfettered access to the Internet.
But, as in the case of net neutrality, the ends do not justify the means.
Under net neutrality, a concept pushed by President Obama's Federal Communications Commission, the FCC proposed taking for itself the power to regulate how Internet providers manage their networks and how they serve their customers.
The FCC would decide how and what information could flow through the Internet, all in the name of providing access to the alleged victims of corporate greed.
The Internet, perhaps as much as the first printing press, has freed the minds of men from the tyranny of those gatekeepers who know that if you can control what people say and know, you can control the people themselves.
Some suggest SOPA and PIPA are the equivalent of smashing the Gutenberg press, often called the "Internet of its day."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.investors.com ...
I tell ya, it’s gotta be horrible if both the Right and Left agree.
Preparing the way for the Thought Police.
Really not much way to escape this sucking vortex except to become a “nonperson”.
Another good point.
WSJ’s editorial today was fully in support of SOPA. IBD’s editorial page is generally more conservative than WSJ’s, but it’s rare to see the two diametrically opposed.
Maybe Hollywood should produce hideous movies with: gratuitous blasphemy, a constant stream of vulgarity, needless nudity, misplaced violence, weak plots, lousy characters, celebration of dishonor, the blurring of the thesis and antithesis, old tv show remakes, and fake documentaries ... so that people will not want watch let alone download such tripe.
Oh wait, never mind they tried that already.
First Amendment ping
“hideous movies...such tripe.”
Well said.
according to redit most senators turning against the bill are republicans:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/pipa-support-collapses-with-13-new-opponents-in-senate.ars
Seriously no republican has anything to gain from supporting PIPA or SOPA. The industry pushing for this are overwhelmingly backers of the democratic party, and will not only back democrats regardless, but will be inclined to uses their new found powers to shut down conservative speech.
Any republican that support this great expansion of federal power is either an idiot or is trying to kill the Conservative movement, by both hypocritical and arming its enemy’s with the means to shut down speech by that which they do best(false accusations).
And all it would take was a complaint lodged by an anonymous complainant with whatever federal agency would be appointed the overseer of this legislation.
First, Second and the rest... Bill of Rights MAJOR bump.
Freedom of speech, bill of rights Bump! I’d like to see someone running for Peesident come down hard against SOPA. Like Santorum. He ain’t gonna get that Glee Hollywood $ anyway.
Thank you for posting that link. Both my liberal democrat Senators of Oregon are on the no side. Thank you Wyden and Merkley.
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