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[MagmaMcFry]

Spoiler: SalmonGod of the Future (click to show/hide)

CONSTANT VIGILANCE!

[Knight of Fools]

And if the government weren't so big...


It's a plethora of problems, really. It's hard to point out a single issue and say, "That's the problem, right there!" It's more of a laundry list than a single cause issue, which is why the entire thing is so complicated. Its complication leads to a public disinterested in learning about it, which leads to apathy or acceptance of the first argument that comes up (Which is that of the big businesses screaming "pirates!"). The big government then cracks down on innocent bystanders and entrepreneurs at the slightest provocation.

Hopefully if it becomes an issue, the Supreme Court will shoot it down.

I wouldn't stock all my hopes in dreams in it, but, if that doesn't work, we can always bombard the companies that support ACTA with claims of copyright infringement. If the law allows them to shut stuff down with impunity, they same should apply to them. If that doesn't work, then we know we're in trouble.

In which case, I'll move to the moon, claim it as my own country and vote myself president.

[Knight of Fools]

As president of the moon, I approve of this plan.

[Angel Of Death]

Sorry, but the moon is my intellectual property. If anybody mentions it again, I'll sue them .

Anyway, are there any other stupid "waaah piracy" things out?

[UltraValican]

^^^^

ALREADY!? The 'Protect Children From Internet Pornographers' Act reveals itself once again. Now they're trying to do the exact same thing, but giving it a name they can use in attack ads if their opponents vote against it.

Fuck. This thing was primarily authored by Lamar Smith, the same guy who wrote SOPA.

There should be a constitutional law against naming bills.

Oh hai there!

[Sensei]

Pedobear is now the official anti-internet-regulation mascot.

[Criptfeind]

And now I'm all for regulation.

[Phantom of The Library]

Pedobear is now the official anti-internet-regulation mascot.

Okay, that's just wrong.

[NinjaBoot]

I say that Big Government is a disease because it is what is causing the majority of the economic problems in America today.

In short, it is due to Big Government having the influence to directly influence and affect Big Business that Big Business is even in the game of Lobbying Big Government in the first place.  This basically means that business will always try to influence government to give them tax breaks and government money, because government can influence businesses through tax breaks and government money.

Ergo, restrict government's ability to influence businesses, and you take away businesses need for influencing government decisions which benefit them. 

[Frumple]

i.e. cut out the middleman and let big business run roughshod over everything without even the facsimile of a buffer? Or is there something better planned than that involved?

E: Let's get this derail started in style ♫

[NinjaBoot]

i.e. cut out the middleman and let big business run roughshod over everything without even the facsimile of a buffer? Or is there something better planned than that involved?

E: Let's get this derail started in style ♫

No, actually enforce regulations currently in place.  That can be done without the behemoth that is the current size of government. 

Besides, businesses are running roughshod over everything because government is implicit (they are influenced by business) in what they are doing.  Why do you think the bailouts of companies actually happened? 

Anyways, as I have noted before, ACTA and pieces of legislation like ACTA are the result of businesses influencing government to protect their property and interests. 

[Frumple]

*scratches head vaguely* So, uh. Size of government doesn't actually matter in the case at hand, getting it to enforce regulations is the issue? That'd be a problem regardless as to th'size of government, especially with the amount of weight the big companies can throw around nowadays.

... which is to say that stuff like ACTA's not really a symptom of the "disease of big government", it's a symptom of corruption that's going to have to be dealt with regardless of the size of government. Separate, though related, issues yanno'.

[Montague]

The biggest offender here is the entertainment industry, which is advancing the worse of the anti-piracy/ pro-intellectual property proposals.

The government in this instance is just a tool being prodded one way or the other. They are beholden to lobbyists as well as their constituents.

The politicians most interested in protecting intellectual property as a matter of political philosophy are the same ones reluctant to impose regulations on internet service providers and stunt businesses reliant on the internet. Pro-business politicians see the bill as somewhat unpalatable because of this and the public outcry only makes their decision easier for them.

In short, there isn't really as much government/ political will to pass these things as you might think. It'd be better to focus the blame on the entertainment industry and it's special interest lobbyists, rather then assume it's government driven.

[Max White]

Has this thing become a "Government sucks and here is why" thing.

[NinjaBoot]

Has this thing become a "Government sucks and here is why" thing.

People need to be educated on the relationship between business and government, and how the two are essentially married in a twisted relationship. 

So when people talk about "corruption", they are really referring to "how things are normally done", which would be "the status quo".