Please sign a petition to protest the latest threat to the internet: CISPA

Congress is trying to pass yet another web-monitoring bill. Here's what Avaaz.org has to say about it:

"Right now, the US Congress is sneaking in a new law that gives them big brother spy powers over the entire web -- and they're hoping the world won't notice. We helped stop their Net attack last time, let's do it again.

Over 100 Members of Congress are backing a bill (CISPA) that would give private companies and the US government the right to spy on any of us at any time for as long as they want without a warrant. This is the third time the US Congress has tried to attack our Internet freedom. But we helped beat SOPA, and PIPA -- and now we can beat this new Big Brother law.

Our global outcry has played a leading role in protecting the Internet from governments eager to monitor and control what we do online. Let's stand together once again -- and beat this law for good."

Please sign their petition to oppose CISPA

If you have some extra time after that, consider signing some other anti-CISPA petitions on Change.org

(and while you're at it, why not sign some anti-ACTA petitions as well)

 

Sounds like a superfluous effort to me.
Even if the petition had fifty millions votes, it achieves nothing. Same as if I have started an internet jihad against software pirates - I will be laughable at best. Start real life protests and pester your politicians about it, no amount of internet rage would help.

Also my country didn't sign that fascist ACTA, so I believe that we won't support even this piece of law I can wipe my arse with.

 

I don't know what country you are from so I can't comment on that. But in the U.S. we have had a lot of success with grassroots movements like this. To oppose something, you need to make people aware of it first, and this is a start. I admit that it's a small start, but as the saying goes, from small acorns, large oaks can grow.

But yes, there's more that can be done, such as using more powerful tools to get the message out. But to tell someone that their actions are useless is equivalent to being on the opposition.

Even IF Bohandas was trying to stop Cispa single-handedly, this would still be a start. So we should applaud what he's doing.

 

Actually, I hadn't heard of Avaaz until this so I had to look them up first (though I have signed petitions on Change.Org that have been successful). And they look legit to me, so I signed their petition.

By comparison, what's happening on Change.Org as far as Cispa is concerned seems less than inspiring. Still, I signed the petitions there as well.

What people sometimes forget is that those making and backing these laws have to think about reelection. That's one of the strengths of living in a democracy, and that's the leverage that movements like this have.

 

Not doing your best = not trying hard enough.

If you want to make a protest, try this way. At 2:23 read the last paragraph.
As I have said before, organize real-life protests, website blackouts like there were before, advertise on major websites and start some actual effort.

And I am from Slovak Republic.

 

This is one main reason why I don't fear these events ever passing.
The other is that lovable Checks and Balances system which prevents Congress from doing stupid things like this.

The third, is what America's Constitution states, which is in the event that government gets too corrupted, and out of control, the people have the right to revolt and make it better, which in practice, wouldn't really be much better, but still. I do love that part, yes, we can kick out the government, but thankfully, we've never gotten to the point where we have to worry about it.

If push comes to shove, the third on this list is what will happen if CISPA passes.

 

You don't live in the South, do you?

 

I'm not sure what that has to do with anything...
I live in North Carolina. I was born in Kansas.
Neither one is South.

I'm not suggesting we rise up now and kick the Mongrel dogs of the Empire out of Morrowind forever.
I also share a lot in common with both sides of the political Spectrum. I believe that means I'm independent...

I'm just not a person that will stand government intrusion.
We have stopped SOPA. We will stop this.

I think you probably thought I was some crazy person.

 

I was referring to the South in the sense of former Confederate States of America. People born and raised that area are very, very aware of the fact that yes, in fact there was a time when a lot of people were worried about kicking out a government they didn't like. Of course, the American Civil War is a topic for another thread, but my main point was, actually Americans have tried violent revolution at least once in our history.

 

I think what Lorellian is implying is that the concept that the constitution gives people the right to take up arms in order to resolve disputes with the government was settled once and for all back in 1865. Though some people (notably in the south) tend to have a completely different opinion on that..

 

NINJA SKILLS!

Also, I wasn't exactly trying to say that the constitution doesn't give the right of revolution. I just feel that, if the constitution is respected and used properly, violent revolution will not be necessary. I certainly don't feel it was justified when the people of the South did it in the 1860s.

 

Sorry.
And thank you for explaining, Lorrelian.

 

I live in Texas. I can tell you that people here support our government but also would shoot said government if it tried to do anything clearly wrong and illegal. But as Daynab said, this is not the place for that conversation.

I am a patriot. I rebel by way of my voice. Not strength of arms. The only exception I would make is if arms were brought to bear against myself or those I care for. 'Nuff said.

If my voice must be censured by our government through arms, then there would be a bad choice to be made. I will not ponder that subject here. I doubt our government will try something to push for another civil war.

If my voice is not censured and my rights not withheld, there is no reason whatsoever to rebel.

Any argument that cannot be won without fighting physically is a poor argument to be involved in. Period.

I vote and I protest and I petition. That is my voice.

 

Back on topic lol -- Cispa is bad, signing petitions is not bad. That's my viewpoint. (oh, and temporarily off-topic -- shooting people is bad mm-kay?)

BTW, signing petitions HAS worked in the past for some things -- the big question that politicians will pay attention to is how many people have signed that petition. Other actions do attract attention as well, but sometimes it can be the wrong kind of attention. Sometimes not. I'm not going to give examples because that would be way off topic, but I'm sure many of us can think of some. It all depends on how its handled. If you own a multi-national corporation and want to arrange a work stoppage in protest, then bravo for you. But before something like that can happen, you have to HEAR about the movement and believe that there are people that support you. And Petitions are a step in that direction.

 

Reviving the thread because of somewhat related news:

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/06/acta-on-life-support-as-key-eu-committee-rejects-it/

The amount of common sense has baffled me.

 

ACTA should die in a fire. I am glad that the EU has sense enough to kill it with fire.

 

There it is, ACTA is definitely rejected by the EU.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18704192

"A total of 478 MEPs voted against the deal, with 39 in favour. There were 165 abstentions."

That sounds like a total defeat for ACTA in Europe. And it happened on 4th of July, such a nice date.