Category: Politics

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From Ars Technica: Internet wins: SOPA and PIPA both shelved


Just hours after Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) announced he was delaying a vote on the PROTECT IP Act, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), the sponsor of the Stop Online Piracy Act, followed suit and announced he would be delaying consideration of the companion legislation.

“I have heard from the critics and I take seriously their concerns regarding proposed legislation to address the problem of online piracy,” Smith said. “It is clear that we need to revisit the approach on how best to address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions and products.”

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from Ars Technica

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From Morning Edition: As Citizens United Turns 2, SuperPACs Draw Protests

As Colbert has revealed the flaws and abuses in SuperPACs and in politics, this is a welcome progression… my 2 cents.

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Saturday is the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, a key element in establishing the big-dollar superPACs now influencing the presidential campaign. It’s also primary day in South Carolina, where a superPAC backing Newt Gingrich has been blasting away at Mitt Romney.

from Morning Edition

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From NPR News: Stephen Colbert Wants You To Know: That’s Definitely Not His SuperPAC

As funny as Colbert is, his parody and punts reveal a LOT of truth on how corrupt politicians can be…  Read on… and watch the clips…

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Stephen Colbert had a superPAC. Jon Stewart has it now. But they’re totally not coordinating with each other — or so they explain when parodying campaign finance laws as part of Colbert’s latest operation.

from NPR News

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From Google Reader: China wants microbloggers to register with the government, hand over real identity

My thoughts?! Boo, I say, boo!!!
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Weibo

Thought that Facebook’s and Google+’s requirements that you use your real name were draconian? Just be thankful you’re not a weibo addict in China. The government is planning to expand a program that demands users register their real names and disclose their identity. Wang Chen, China’s top internet regulation official, said the eventual goal would be to get all 250 million microbloggers registered, starting first with any new users signing up. The obvious privacy and free speech issues that could arise from such a move shouldn’t need to be explained — especially considering the country’s track record of censorship and politically motivated arrests. Sadly, unlike SOPA, putting an end to this troubling law isn’t as simple as putting up a black banner or emailing your congressman.

 

from Engadget

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So Many Dictators Around the World

MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images

AP News

In case you’ve been living in a cage past month, there’s been a protest and uprising in countries like Tunisia, Egpyt, and now Yemen.  What I hadn’t realized due to my own ignorance is that those countries, in addition to other countries, have been under a totalitarian ruling for several decades.

What makes it even worse is that many of those are backed by our own government!  How the hell did that happen?!  In short, it’s because of our “interest”.  We don’t want to pay for $5/gallon gasoline price.  We have patrolled a bit too much out of our own interest.

There are so many countries that suffer under dictator rule.  I thought only Cuba and North Korea were dictatorial countries (except for Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s rule).  Not so.

If you google to see how many are under dictatorship, it’s 11.  77 countries are under “pseudo democracy“.  People are beyond miserable around the world.  Sure there is some sense of “stability” under dictatorship.  But would you call that freedom?  Would you call that democracy?  I immediately think of 1984 by George Orwell where freedom no longer exists and communist/totalitarian ruling.

When we trade comfort and our selfish needs at the cost of freedom and people, we are no longer fit to be human.  I am waking up from my own Matrix.  I must resist too much comfort and fight for others’ freedom.  Down with dictators!!!