Tag Archives: Politics

SOPA, PIPA Internet censorship and other crappy things.

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http://sopastrike.com/

Tomorrow, Wednesday, January 18th, my site, along with thousands of others will be going dark in protest of the legislation the US is attempting to pass. They claim it’s to stop copyright infringement. The reality is, it’s just censorship. Of all the times I’ve seen screaming about censorship on the internet over the years, this is the time to scream, kids. Private companies can censor you on their playground if they want. THIS is the U.S. Federal government censoring you… THIS is the one that is illegal!

As an American Citizen, I am furious at this attempt, and rock solid in my belief that this legislation is not only unnecessary, but ineffectual, unconstitutional, and based on the false premise that internet “piracy” is harmful to the U.S. and world economies.

As a citizen of the Internet for more than fifteen years, I am furious. The Internet cannot be under the jurisdiction of any one nation and remain the free marketplace of ideas, art, information and social interaction it wants to be. For years, we have tut-tutted at China and other nations for censoring the internet… and now the US wants to do the same, with the major difference being that vast numbers of services that are now part of the infrastructure of the internet itself are based in US Jurisdictions.

This is the problem. We need to get the Internet out of the jurisdiction of any one nation.

Perhaps Google should consider moving its corporate headquarters to Antarctica? Or maybe buy a small island in the Pacific?  Queen Elizabeth, will you sell St. Barts to the Internet if we put enough money in your paypal account? Or maybe we could buy out Haiti and the Dominican Republic together, or Nigeria… free the web, stop hunger and bring peace to a nation, in a single blow!

I don’t know.

But what I do know is that nobody should have the right to decide for everybody. Go dark.

http://sopastrike.com/ 

 

I am *so* Amused.

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OK, first a little background.

Toronto and Hamilton are two longtime rival-cities. One, an old manufacturing city, that has been slowly crumbling into disrepair, the other an upstart attempting to ape the cultural and financial capitals of the world.

Currently, Hamilton is fighting to gain an NHL franchise. A worthy enough goal for a city attempting major recovery as the manufacturing sector dies all over North America. But a particular columnist from Toronto has decided to comment on this movement with the following words:

Dear Hamilton: You misunderstood.

When I called your city a “dump,” I meant it would be a worthy place for Toronto to send our garbage during the looming public-sector workers’ strike.

I mean, who’d notice, thereabouts?

Of course, this leaves me repressing giggles. Oh, Toronto, you are so goddamed cute in your big-girl pants, thinking you’re some kind of player in the grand scheme of things.

Now, I wont claim Hamilton isnt a city in crisis. There are some major issues that both are and remain to be addressed here. But Toronto’s egotism knows no bounds if it’s denizens really think this way.  Maybe it’s my New Yorker ego coming into play, but to me, TORONTO is the real joke. Hamilton is what it is, and doesnt make claims otherwise. Oh but Toronto seems to think it’s the Paris of the north. Which of course has me giggling again.

Paris, London, Rome, Tokyo… and yes dammit New York .  One could possibly include St Petersburg, Luxembourg, L.A. and Vienna.  These are cities rich in culture, history, art. Notice Toronto isnt in that list.

I admit to not spending much time in TO. To be honest, there hasnt been a reason for me to do so. To my eye, Toronto is just another second rate city, but this one has such pretensions of grandeur as to make it laughable.  Pot, meet kettle.

Silly little Toronto. Keep your arrogant yuppies, annoying hipsters and your “I’m the best” mentality. You remind me of my little sister during her most obnoxious pubescent stage, full of bravado and ignorance while slavishly aping whatever fashion will make you popular. Hang on to that darling little ego.

We’ll call you when we need a second stringer to fill in.