US lawmakers target the web

US lawmakers target the web

US policymakers are proposing a series of measures that could be "destructive" to the internet-based economy, according to a new report.
"While legislative attitudes in previous sessions of Congress were 'hands-off' in nature, the year 2001 saw policymakers shed their prior reluctance to consider regulating the net or cyberspace," wrote Wayne Crews and Adam Thierer, directors of technology and telecoms studies at the Cato Institute, a public policy research foundation.

The pair warned that legislators might adopt the telecoms paradigm of endless regulatory and legislative meddling for the technology sector.

"It appears that the tech sector may be pigeonholed into that paradigm simply because it offers a familiar set of rules and a bank of regulatory agencies that can be activated on demand," the authors wrote.

Crews and Thierer compiled a list of what they believe to be the 12 most misguided technology and telecoms legislative proposals of the 107th US Congress.

At the top of the "Terrible 12" is a bill that proposes another break-up of the US telecoms systems if they fail to meet certain performance standards.

The report also attacked a pair of bills that would facilitate greater antitrust scrutiny of baby Bell companies. Another bill cited in the report is a proposal to regulate electronic advertising and marketing activities.

Also included in the dozen are bills that seek to prohibit online gambling and regulate unsolicited email, and another that proposes the creation of a potentially meddlesome tax credit regime to spur broadband deployment.

The report mentioned legislation that would force the major record labels to license digital music to all webcasters under the same terms, and a bill that would authorise a multi-state cartel that could impose taxes on the internet.

The 12 bills have been dubbed "destructive" because they aim to increase government involvement in the technology or telecoms sector; threaten the civil liberties of US citizens; or promote regulatory decision making over the voluntary action of industry players, the report said.

http://www.vnunet.com/News/1128932

Jesus, I can't believe I'm spending money for them to debate this.

Yeah, it's pretty sad eh? Want to talk about spending money? Check out the other article I posted about Bush and Tech spending: http://www.antionline.com/showthread...hreadid=217772

I wonder if these leaders even understand how the internet works? They are probably using web tv from their giant mansions that our taxes pay for.

Then why don't you vote them out of office? Or lobby someone who is old enough to vote them out of office. You're not stuck with these people.

Just a question. I mean if you're 18, you should vote your conscience.

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Originally posted by KorpDeath
Then why don't you vote them out of office? Or lobby someone who is old enough to vote them out of office. You're not stuck with these people.

Just a question. I mean if you're 18, you should vote your conscience.

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True but a vote for the lesser evil is still a vote for evil

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Originally posted by dspeidel


True but a vote for the lesser evil is still a vote for evil

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Then I guess we need to change the way people think. And there are many people who run for office who aren't evil, you just don't hear about those people cause they aren't having to appear in front of Congress on some scandal.

Well the electoral college limits our vote anyways.
Popular vote isn't any better. Picture Florida times 50.
I think the electoral college should be broken down into congressional divisions like Nebraska and Maine are. Then our votes would count more.
I live in Bush country so there is no way in hell anyone else has a chance.

I do vote. But I do agree with dspeidel on the lesser of two evils. I just think that our system is really messed up. Check out what this guy is going through just to question income tax laws: http://www.givemeliberty.org All he wants is the government to answer some questions and they keep giving him and his organization the run around.

However, I still vote, because if I didn't vote, then I couldn't complain. :)

Write your congressmen and let them know how you feel, too.

Sometimes, just sometimes, you'll get them to respond if your letter is thoughtful and intelligent.

good replies all. Voting and writing elected reps are part of our system and and good part for although it may seem not to do much sometimes, there are many others who have no right or ability to complain 'round this globe of ours.

Good post jared_c, this is the kind of thing that needs to be talked about, so here goes:

Is this the European Council’s response to the US not accepting the EC’s regulation of the Internet. This is pure propaganda. Things like this haven’t been printed since the cold war.

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US lawmakers target the web
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At the top of the "Terrible 12" is a bill that proposes another break-up of the US telecoms systems if they fail to meet certain performance standards.

Headline says TARGET THE WEB.

And again: “greater antitrust scrutiny of baby Bell companies” TARGET THE WEB?

As for “creation of a potentially meddlesome tax credit regime to spur broadband deployment.”

HUH?? Now this can really screw up the web. We should definitely not encourage broad band. What were we thinking?

“The 12 bills have been dubbed "destructive"”? why? because where not bowing down to the EC. Screw the EC.

The act of “mentioning” legislation does not “threaten the civil liberties of US citizens” it enforces them. Any legislation will have to go threw us first, and were becoming more diligent by the day. We are not rabble to be roused by cheap shots into supporting the EC.

And there’s
“or promote regulatory decision making over the voluntary action of industry players” better we regulate it than the European council.

THEN…following the link at the bottom of the page, this fascist zine goes on to say “Bush threw in the Gauntlet” because he will not agree to the European councils demand to abide by its privacy standards. Bush CAN NOT agree to these standards, because we the American people don’t want a government takeover of the Internet and that’s the only way the EC’s demands can be met. If that’s what they call a challenge, bring it on.

We’ll argue here, amongst ourselves, about the way we’re going to regulate spammers and cookie monsters until all sides are happy and we’re sure our freedoms have not been compromised. We’ll be the ones who finally say what happens with our personal information. No European ‘Big Brother’ is in power here. If they don’t like it, cut the dammed cables and move the satellites somewhere else. Who ****en need’s em!

Have a nice day :-)

<ranting mode>

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“The 12 bills have been dubbed "destructive"”? why? because where not bowing down to the EC. Screw the EC.

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Right on Ted! The EC is wrong in this - as it is wrong in many things.

Politicians who dont make it in their own country (Neil Kinnock for one) ie loose a general election, then go over seas to Europe and end up deciding on the future of all European countries. The EC as a whole is full of bureacrates who want to make legislation for their own ends. Bad politicians making a bad job of being politicians. It was only a few years ago that the whole European Council resigned because of massive allegations of corruption on a huge scale. I for one hope that the UK never becomes party to the hoodlums of Europe. Though it is increasingly happening all the time, we are :( The Euro can go bury itself in a deep hole too.

Only way out of this as said by gold eagle and jared_c is to write letters and make sure your vote counts. I make sure mine does every year.

:)


</ranting mode>

Are we reading the same articles Tedob1? Just wondering..
First of al it´s "US throws down the gauntlet over e-privacy" that´s a bit different from "Bush threw in the Gauntlet” isn´t it? If you want to quote anything atleast get it right. On what do you base "this fascist zine"? And where is the government takeover?
The EC (that would be we over here) don´t want american companies to do whatever they want with consumer data. If we are such a big brother how come we have the choice to delete or change the info while on your side it´s legal to collect and re-sell this info. And you can try al you want to get them to delete it, if you think they will think again.
You want us to adapt to your ways when in the states. If you come here show us the same courtesy.
And where is the big brother thinking? Protecting the privacy of the people living in the EC or the country that runs Echelon?

Nice day to you too

My apologies Pooh, in my fervor, I misquoted the title.
Same article, different perspective.

It was, as you state "US throws down the gauntlet over e-privacy".
On the bottom of that page is a link
“ Bush battles EU privacy law “

My memory played a trick on me and put 2 and two together.

To refresh your memory, I am dead against the collection and sale of personal information, as I believe most of us here (in the us) are but the only way this can be stopped promptly is to bypass our judicial process. That IS a government takeover.

But to say we were challenging the EC is a slight bit of Yellow Journalism. Or to put it more bluntly, a gross misrepresentation of the truth.

fascism
often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation (EU) and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader (EC), severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.

When I refer to the EU or EC, which is its controlling body, I don’t believe im referring to france England and so on, or the individuals in it. Im talking about the few who rule that want the whole world under their jurisdiction. What else do you call a global economy run by a few.

Maybe YOU don’t call it “Big Brother” now, and I really pray you never do, but its too close to it for my liking.

There are three big parts (powerwise) governing. The parliament, (not unlike your senate) the european council and the european commission.

The parliament. Each country has a set number of chairs depending on various criteria (size and so on) Al members are elected every five years.
The council. Here the ministers from every country meet.
The commission. The members here are apointed by the member states after aproval from the parliament.
There are more representatives in this ruling body per citizen than the american one.


For the fascist part, yup the description is right but you are refering to a "fascist zine", vnunet.com is a UK technology news zine.
As for EC being a fascist regime. Well that one takes a bit of fighting with the demons. I´ve been opposed towards it since it was first brought up that Sweden should join.

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What else do you call a global economy run by a few

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Well you got me there but if it was run by one I´d call it america.

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To refresh your memory, I am dead against the collection and sale of personal information, as I believe most of us here (in the us) are but the only way this can be stopped promptly is to bypass our judicial process. That IS a government takeover.

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Yes I must agree with you, IF the EC were trying to make american companies do something specific with information obatained in the US concerning US citizens. This in not the case however, the information concerns EC citizens and american companies has by no means ANY whatsoever legal rights to do what they want with it.
Or as an "old" american proverb goes.
"Over my dead body" And you can quote me on that ;)

btw, I already do refer to the EU/EC as big brother.

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Originally posted by jared_c


However, I still vote, because if I didn't vote, then I couldn't complain. :)

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The ones who DO vote are the ones to blame.
I don't get the logic of these people who've been voting
for the last 50 years (they voted for every crook, lamer, and
moron who ever held office), and then they piously
blame non-voters, who in good conscience, refuse to
give moral support to a fraudulent systym.

The way to really have an impact is to join the growing
ranks of militant non-voters, because if they have an election
and no one shows up, the system will be forced to admit
that it has no moral basis.

And don't think "campaign finance reform" will do any good.
It will just pour millions of taxpayer dollars into the Democratic
and Republican parties, while outlawing independent candidates.
:cool:

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US lawmakers target the web

US policymakers are proposing a series of measures that could be "destructive" to the internet-based economy, according to a new report.
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Did , or did not vnunet.com publish this article without even mentioning who the report was from, (and the 2 other pages were talking about) there by making it appear that the US was not only opposed too internet privacy but was enacting legislation to destroy internet trade, if we didn’t get our way? And isn’t the “internet-based economy “ eluded too here, in fact the EU? Not very technical.

The fact is that the united states can not join because of our lack of privacy protection, period. I mean what is the rush.

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Yes I must agree with you, IF the EC were trying to make american companies do something specific with information obatained in the US concerning US citizens. This in not the case
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This is exactly the case here, were talking about internet trade.


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the information concerns EC citizens and american companies has by no means ANY whatsoever legal rights to do what they want with it.
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Pooh were on the same side here

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Or as an "old" american proverb goes.
"Over my dead body" And you can quote me on that
***********

And id be beside you if it came to that


The whole article is a device being used to heat up the subject, make the American people feel were being the bad guys, and the rest of the world think were the bad guys, which is something we don’t want to be, or be seen as. Thinking like this, we’ll push for strong government measures to control the internet (aiding the tyrannical forces already at work here). We then will be able to join this, so cool, virtual community, strengthening the EC’s hold on the world.

The US might have been in control of the world economy for a brief period of time, as history goes. The United Kingdom and others before that. Its no longer a national thing. A small group of powerful people from no nation in particular, are fast rising to assume full control. The EU is just a step.

It seems that all over the place there are certain groups that want to take over in one form or another.

I don't think it is just an American or European problem. I think it goes beyond land mass and is something we all have to combat in the best form possible.

Is there some Asians on AO who would like to weigh in on this for an enlarged perspective?

I should claify this a bit more, every newspaper, magazine, radio and tv station here in the US, is pressured to realease information as seen by the government from time to time, those that don't, get shut down for one reason or another.
all im trying to say is, if your going to read an article, read what it says. Not what its writer would like you to think.

Well they did publish the names of the authors and the intitute for whom they write for. (Cato Institute, a right wing american organisation) And yeah the article is very basic, I´d like to see more direct quotes from the report but still it´s a net paper.

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This is exactly the case here, were talking about internet trade.

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Yes, internet trade but based on information about EC/EU citizens. As I stated before, we do as you do when in america. Play by ours when here. (not intended for you tedob1 but for other american readers)
What I mean by this? I have (amongst others) an hotmail account that is currently being sold at www.marketingmasters.com (with 25 million other e-mail addresses) without my consent. But since it´s an american based site I have nothing to say about it. Or that swedish neo-nazi groups use american server to publish their hate pages (some of them un-lawful here) and no-one is able to do anything. Because they are protected by US law. But since the EC citizen personal info spreading is regulated by law, respect that.

And now for one of the highlights in the antipoint earned archive. (from this thread)

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Don't come to an American based site and diss us you *******..be thankful we saved your sorry asses

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Time to read up kid, not a single american soldier set foot on swedish soil. (or russian or british for that matter) :booty:

Interesting debate. As a general point, I think one of the problems here is that the vast majority of politicians (in Europe & the USA) know next to nothing about the net, or computers in general, and tend to believe what they are told by their advisors. For example Tony Blair barely knows how to switch a PC on, let alone how to use it. This can lead to highly entertaining moments when his hand written notes are miss transcribed :)
This should begin to change as younger politicians get elected.
I've written to my local political representative about several matters over here, and he has agreed with me on almost every point. Mind you, that is because he has worked in the IT sector in the past, as I have done for the last 20 years or so.

It gets a lot more tricky when you consider the issue as to what information sites should be able to display. The laws in each country are very different - to take an example, any site that showed pictures where a woman was displaying too much leg would be illegal in Saudi Arabia - hardly a porn site by western standards. I'm sure everyone would agree that pro nazi propoganda is offensive, but does that mean it should be banned? And how would you do that anyway? Oh, and btw I don't think that Europe respects the privacy of their citizens (not in the UK anyway) - otherwise why did the UK goverment pass a bill authorising interception of any email without requiring a court order to do so?

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Originally posted by Pooh-Bear
Time to read up kid, not a single american soldier set foot on swedish soil. (or russian or british for that matter) :booty:

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That's because so-called "neutral" Sweden was on the German side.
:cool:

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Well you got me there but if it was run by one I´d call it america.

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I'd say you're mistaken there as America isn't run by a "few". The US government is a huge entity and yes, there's probably a small table where a select few made big shot calls but the american people as a whole is an assload bigger and technically, the government is supposed to work "for the people".

As I see it, the internet "freedom" that we have is severely misguided. They're worried about bandwidth and whatnot yet we have kiddie-porn being displayed rampantly (I got an email this morning from www.russianrape.com saying I signed up for it...wtf, I sent an email back saying "I don't know where you got my email from but don't ever send me this **** again. You have been warned."). They need to get their hands out of issues they know nothing about because I guarantee that 99% of Congress has no idea how the computer works, much less the internet.

Yeah, that´s right rcgreen. But the comment was for the person that assigned the points. The swedish government did a ton of dirty stuff during the war and we are not proud of it. But the fact remains, sweden was never attacked. :)
And vorlin, ok maybe not one but in was in the context of EC being a fascist regime and I was pointing out that the US might not be so different. That was one of my main reasons for voting against Sweded joining it, the many similarities with USA. (and with that I don´t diss US, I just felt fine the way it was)