are we turning into a communist country?

#1 Uh oh, I sense a big future for this thread. My question is, are we turning into a plutocracy?

#2 I think we're turning into an Idiocy.

I'm just hoping I didn't understand that article correctly... because that's very, very bad.

#3 yes concerning they are making us have to get copyrights for only free software sheesh i am very pissed.

#4 This made me scream at the monitor for a good 10 minutes. Which says alot about this subject. This sort of thing done by our politicians disgusts me and makes me scared at what else will be taken away next. Freedoms just keep going left and right. And now with pushing from MPAA and RIAA I'm sure it will pass. This is a huge blow to the open source movement and the industry in general which signals atleast some sort of economic reprecussion from this. It's seem to me, that this is in fact very "communist like".

#5 glups....

#6 I think, I HOPE, this is one of those stupid bills that are passed knowing that the courts will strike it down/render it useless. A good deal of the legislation here in America is passed and worded very vaugely, with the expectation that it will be intrepreted/limited by the bureacracy and courts. Politicians just pass those bilsl so they can say they did something. Hopefully, this is one of those bills.

If it isnt, there will be some massive problems. There is no way the law will work. Anyone who codes can tell you that.

Their logic for creating it was to prevent people from copy copyrighted materials. Hell, I can copy a book (copyrighted material) with a pencil and some paper. So pencils and paper should be illegal? The logic is atrocious. Hopefully, some moderately intelligent judge will see that and strike down the law.

If it ends up becoming a reality, I will either buy a gun and say, "Screw you. You can pry my code from my cold, dead fingers." or just move to canada/UK/any other place that is moderately cool to live.

#7 First off, unless you're a voter, this is YOUR fault. The country is not turning communist, the country is turning apathetic and allowing only the idiots to vote.
Secondly, it's not up to the courts to decide the validity of laws, because the judges are simply another politician put in place by the same people who voted in the lawmakers themselves. It's up to YOU, the jury member to decide the validity of laws. Unless you are in the minority and know what Im speaking of, I suggest you immediately research jury nullification laws. The fathers put them in place for just this reason, yet the establishment is trying desperately to make sure you don't know of them. Hell, most elected judges aren't even aware of these laws. They are no longer taught in law school.

#8 I, myself being a programmer for 5 years am very distraught at the idea of this how will people learn many self taught programmer's are learning from free code distributed by many willing programmer's trying to help those in need. What still confuses me why does the movie/sound/animation companies support this such as "Disney"? Many people need open source and alot of opensource websites will turn to selling instead of having the code being sent for free. There is a loophole in it though you can produce code but it cannot' be transmitted to any other pc over a network. which in itself is rather stupid. There is no point in this Bill.

Maybe this will pass but MY GOD please let it just be some kind of a sick joke! I hate stupid Bill's that have no good meaning for the people. I thought our government was made by, and for the people.

#9 its just a bill.

http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1107-867708.html


http://newsforge.com/newsforge/02/03/27/196246.shtml?tid=4

#10 This is just wrong.. what will they think of next? "Land of the free" is something that seems to become less Important to politics. I really don't know what to say, I am in awe of the ignorance presented here. Internet freedom is one of the things that I most enjoy and its under attack everyday. If we all just sit by and say "That will never amount to anything." concerning issues like this, I fear that little by little we will lose our rights to many things. It's time to write a letter to my rep. I encourage you all to do the same.

As to answer the subject of this post. While I don't know if communist is the right word, It sure has the right feel.

#11 I myself am trying to get into the software business and gaming business. I know that this is nothing more than a nuisiance from people who don't even know about software. Why is the MPAA and RIAA even involved. They still think that they can make cd's that are completely rip proof (heh, good luck). I think they need to look at how much they are making (millions, billions) and see how mp3's actually help their business. I'm sick of the bickering and what not. This bill is just too stupid to pass, perhaps there is some way to stop it. Voters aren't as dumb as some think. I just think they need to be educated in things like this. And yeah it would like a plutocracy when big companies that are very rich influence things such as this.

#12 The problems usually don't come from the candidates who are promising "racial reform" or other racist, greedy, or negative things.

The problem is the lobbyists and the secrets that candidates hold. Very few are honest in their intentions or opinions, and an this country is growing more cynical each day (thank god) I don't waste my votes, and most people don't.

People who say "I voted for the other guy" aren't any more innocent than the person who did vote for them. With something as serious as this, we can't pass the buck. We have to take credit for our own actions and inaction, and support for restricting lobbyists and campaign finance reform among other things to give the rights back to the people and away from some greedy company or the government.

The world won't be any less corrupt until the rules change, and the problem is circular. Can't fix the rules until we get honorable politicians. Can't get honorable politicians until we fix the rules...

#13 I for one am not surprized and I expect such a thing from this government. One of the problems is the people who are making the decisions are making decisions on technology they don't even understand.

No matter what is the problem is though. The solution is to fight in any legal way possible. The government makes up of just a few people compared to the population of this country. I don't know why they think they have to right to control our lives in this maner.

Hitler would be proud.

If the justice system in this country works the way it was intended, this should be something we can keep from happening. Remember as well just because a bill is passed doesn't mean it can't be taken down.

#14 To john's question are we turning into a plutocracy: Well in some terms yes such as Microsoft which is a huge monopoly which they paid to get out of trouble. Many corperations with animations / movie development and music are strongly urging this for some un apparent reason which is very complex even for some of the most well educated people. The problem i see where this is going is that many people say its the voters fault yes some of its true but how can we have a say in it if some stuff like when Bush announced the creation of a "Shadow Government" has been formed how could we of voted on this and how would our votes be tallied if this was even allowed, plus not to mention they could of just said either way the tallies were in their favor if they just wanted to. The goverment's main concern is probably money which they get alot from people like Bill Gates and other people. Although i am not too sure i just have some gut feeling. They are making absurb charges against people who dis obey the bill if it is passed. With the money they will charge against people, people could of bought probably 3 or well beyond more computers. I do believe "The people" are loosing controll over the government in many ways, but it is still uncertain.

#15 I am not even going to read the thread, all i can say is you need to serve in the military and quit worring about what we may turn into, try serving in a tyhird world country and you will see that it is far from the truth. I myself am in the Marine Corps and have been for over 6 years now. I use to think the same until i served over seas. Most people live sheltered lives and only know of life outside the U.S. by tv, well it is much worse than tv we have it good and it is only getting better. If this is the only thing you have to worry about then i feel for you and wish you had done time in the service and see the "real" world. Don't worry about the little stuff.

#16 I say if they pass this bill that we ignore it anyway. They have laws against hackers but they get away with it. They pass this bill, then I know at least Steve Schmith won't listen to their sorry asses.

Chad, I agree with you. However, since this isn't a third world country, I don't want the government dictating all of my code. It's not theirs to control. It's MINE.

By the way, I have lived in Europe and I've been to the Balkans. It's not a pretty place, and I'm damn grateful I live in America. But I don't believe that the government, being a democracy and all, should have the power to do this. It's stated in the constitution that the government is supposed to support individuality, not big businesses (*cough* that's SOCIALISM). And this is coming from a conservative moderate republican (myself). I am NOT a liberal. Even non-liberals would think this is ridiculous; that's because it is.

#17 In reply to Chad Hunt:

Excuse me when i say this be all that you can be? HAH taking our possibilities of a life is more like it. Programmers are needed in military since they use "Hacker's" to crack code and ive actually talked to a few of them so dont go talking to me about this be all you can be and 6 years thing. both of my cousins are in the marines and i worry every day about whether they will live through the next day...

The whole point of being a democracy is...to be a democracy and if we want to truly pride ourselves as Americans we'd fully live up to it

the possibilities of getting a job are getting slimmer and if i could join the army i would yet it wouldnt change my mind even after 20' years... i do have pitty for you... you think people loosing jobs and government making people probably loose more jobs is a little concern?? I have been a programmer and a pretty decent one in that fact but i dont pride myself on little things if you say by worrying about little things about keeping jobs is just some un-important matter well my freind welcome to the damned. I do mean with all certainty that people loosing jobs because companys are going bankrupt this bill wont help that matter. Going over seas to fight a war against a taliban who is dieng himself from a disease which is suspected he has which means he has weak muscle tissue and it is said in an article hed probably die before we even get to him. I dont think this is a small matter either...

and to prove a fact about that article about the talkiban i had to use it for research i dont think they'd be making up an article for us to do research on which was published by the "New-York Times"

#18 Sorry, didn't mean to ruffle your feathers but i did not read the link at the top. All i see was the topic a got upset, i am all for the programers and doing what you have to do to get by in the world. SEMPER FI

#19 This reminds me of a recent law enacted in cuba stating that all PC's, Printers, cell phones and anything else that is pretty much "Inteligent" is illegal.

#20 There is no doubt other people have it worse in other countrys. But isn't the whole point of having a free society, to have all these things--not take them away?