Re: [OT] The record industry, RIAA and US law
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Celejar wrote:
> On Thu, 10 May 2007 09:46:23 +0200
> Joe Hart <j.hart@orange.nl> wrote:
>
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>> Celejar wrote:
>> [snip]
>>>>> Why is the RIAA still able to get away with their fear tactics?
>>>>> Because they know who to bribe. Centralized power creates a "target
>>>>> of opportunity" for corruption. Europe is learning this the hard way
>>>>> now, too.
>>>>>
>>>> Yes, I agree with you. One of the reasons I am no longer in the United
>>>> States, although it isn't the main reason. I live in a country that
>>>> still maintains some bit of freedom, although that is eroding thanks to
>>>> the EU. I voted no to the EU Constitution, as did the majority of the
>>> I don't know much about the Netherlands' laws, but you are stating that
>>> there's substantially more freedom there than in the USA. Can you give
>>> examples? Whose gun control laws are stricter? Which country has
>>> stronger protections for freedom of speech? As I said, I don't know
>>> much about the Netherlands' legal climate, but I'm surprised to hear
>>> that it's a much freer country. I have heard that they're more tolerant
>>> WRT moral issues, such as euthanasia, drugs and prostitution. Is that
>>> what you mean? What about economic freedom? One way or another, I'm
>>> genuinely curious to see a comparison of the two countries' respective
>>> freedoms.
>>>
>> Guns. Very hard to get here. Only the police (and major criminals)
>> have them. Economics? About the same I would say. Legal climate,
>> about the same, although, there is a major difference in these areas:
>>
>> Suspects are not tried by a jury of their peers. They are tried by a
>> panel of judges that are very well versed in the law. People are not
>> sentenced to death, although IMO, some should be. Penalties for
>> committing crime are much lighter here, and the jails (from what I have
>> heard) are much better. To be honest I don't have a lot of experience
>> with jail in either country.
>>
>> As for freedom, the Dutch idea is basically, do whatever you want, as
>> long as you don't hurt anyone else. Yes, you do need to wear seat belts
>> in cars and helmets on motorcycles. Why? Because the authorities are
>> the ones who clean up the mess. So the law is there to protect you, but
>> it also protects them from having to deal with the horrors of mangled
>> people.
>>
>> Joe
>
> So where's the greater additional freedom in the Netherlands? Are you
> referring to its greater tolerance of what we Puritans would
> call vice or sin (euthanasia, drugs, prostitution, pornography), or do
> you mean its rejection of what you're pleased to call our McCarthyism?
See my other post.
As to the McCarthyism, I am referring to the sweep of terrorist laws
that strip away the rights of the individual in view of "the greater
good". If someone calls you a terrorist, you have little recourse when
the police search your house and comb through all your records to try to
substantiate the claim. The problem is, the probable cause is not being
used in those cases. Just by being branded a terrorist is enough to
cause major grief, no matter how true the statement is.
This is exactly the same as McCarthy and his branding people communist
who clearly had no affiliation with them in retrospect. It didn't stop
those people from having ruined careers.
The problem is also here in Europe. The thought police are quite
active. Because by catching the potential terrorists, the government
can save lives. Therefore, monitoring and even censoring are effective
tools against terrorism. The problem is the practice of constant
monitoring erodes privacy.
Joe
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