Re: [LUG] Routing around damage

[Simon Avery <digdilem@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 20 March 2014 21:20, Gordon Henderson <gordon+lug@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Thu, 20 Mar 2014, Brad Rogers wrote:

On Thu, 20 Mar 2014 20:29:07 +0000
Simon Avery <digdilem@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hello Simon,

ISP = Internet Service Provider.

Not a police force, not a guardian of my moral welfare, not a nanny,

The law is moving towards disagreeing with that.  Govt. seems to be
pushing for ISPs to police the internet, so the police don't have to.
Worryingly, many people seem to approve.

You might find it's not the government, but the copyright holders - who then lobby the government, so it looks like the government who does the damage, but really, they're just the puppets of those who have the most money and strongest lobbying power.

Well, yes and no. The lobbyists are where the pressure to change and enforce laws come from, and copyright holders are by no means the only ones - but government is where the decision is made, compromises reached and then laws made.

Nothing undemocratic in it at all - the members of this lug are free to lobby individually or as a group if they so wish. In practice, whether you get listened to does seem to depend on the size of your contribution^W influence. Whilst I'm very sure bribery exists, there are other, legal ways, to encourage your government to do something that benefits you and which may not be in the wider interest. Such has always been the case throughout history (research Tax laws to see where people have bent laws to benefit themselves for one) and I'm certain always will be.

Come the revolution, brother...

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