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Anyone else worried about SOPA?

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http://lifehacker.com/5860205/all-about-sopa-the-bill-thats-going-to-cripple-your-internet
All About SOPA, the Bill That Wants to Cripple Your Internet
Any one else been worried about this bill passing and then what?
Maybe i just worry too much but this bill and its just bugging me.
It is time for all the old people to retire in our government or something.

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  • crazyfingers
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    crazyfingers polycounter lvl 10
    I want the government to either get its shit together and right itself in a big way (not very likely) or continue down this path of total detachment of the will of the people, screwing over the public so much that a revolution is inevitable.

    So in regards to SOPA, i say bring it on, and all kinds of terrible horse shit with it, just keep feeding the fires.

    What worries me is we'll continue eeking by in this state of deteriorating mediocrity.
  • chrismaddox3d
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    chrismaddox3d polycounter lvl 17
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUD2EiK1_NU"]Anonymous - A Message to Congress on SOPA - YouTube[/ame]
    Gotta love these youtube videos from Anonymous and i see there are many
  • Ben Apuna
    I'm a little worried about it.

    Unfortunately I don't have millions/billions to bribe my politicians with :(
  • MadnessImport
    Of course, Every anonymous derp will arise from the cut to try and fight the higher power instead of doing it the fair and square way.

    Im extremely worried about this though it feels like The world will turn out like those one scenes in movies where people are wearing extremely tight and silver/white spandex and Google has taken over, those spandex suits will be Google branded and youll see advertisements with women on huge screens talking about keeping a smile on or if you in need of employment Google your application to the nearest Google! Crimes are a thing of the past because there new and highly improved police force will beat the Dovahkiin outa you if they THINK you've done wrong, people try there hardest to not stare as bad as they want to at a padestrian getting his face mashed into the pavement by the Gfeds and a law has been passed that the public be beaten to or have there brain privileges revoked for indulging in a public discipline or if the Gfeds THINK there looking at the guy in pain. He who seen it got the Sh**... i mean got the Google beat outa him!

    All companies are owned by Google all food services are owned by Google, Microsoft is now GooGoSoft Industries, no more breeding or relationship bondings without written permission to Google co. need a flight? Catch a Gplane, need a drive? Catch the Gtrain, thinking about turning this into a perverted joke about Gstrings well Google's Gfeds are coming for you for light forms of sexual harassment. They even have a country and planet of there own! All because the Internet got some more security applied and they were given a nice time to strike, since Google is considered educational its our only portal to a mindless freedom, thinking about searching up some X rated content with the safe search of? Naaa Gfeds set it to newborn safe search and it only searches up Rated NB 1-4months old if you change it to say just safe search or off there coming for you EVEN THOUGH they give you the option unless of course you have a good reasonw hich will probably be rejected by Google Co! Ohh and all Music will be googles theme song which is actually a instrumental/Dubstep mix of the wii's default Dashboard music. you've heard it for so long you just imagine its something els in your mind.

    I bet this bill wont pass though if ^ That happens sooner than a zombie Apocalypse or a Animal kingdom uprising then the masses will rage harder than ever before

    /Im not crazy i just daydream alot
  • PaulP
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    PaulP polycounter lvl 9
    Lovin the rant MadnessImport! I keep thinking of the future being like some cyber punk sci-fi movie if this carries through.

    The scary thing is that this bill will most likely go through, because the few voices of the big corperations outway everything else as far as most politicians are concerned.
  • chrismaddox3d
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    chrismaddox3d polycounter lvl 17
    If it passes most likely to be riots on and off line.
    Wonder if some group will bring down the Government or hack them again?
    No matter i know in China were stuff is blocked there are ways to getting to it.
    Does anyone know what day this will pass or not?
    I can feel a uprising coming like a Zombie Apocalypse of sorts,lol
  • Justin Meisse
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    Justin Meisse polycounter lvl 19
    I can feel a uprising coming like a Zombie Apocalypse of sorts,lol

    That's good 'ole American apocathink - our culture, media, religion etc.. is infused with the idea there's going to be an apocalypse/rapture type event - and we all look forward to it with some sort of sick joy.

    I'm not worried about it because the rapture/singularity/zombie apocalypse/complete economic meltdown will happen before it passes.
  • Bigjohn
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    Bigjohn polycounter lvl 11
    Just another step down the road our country has been taking of assuming people are guilty until proven innocent. It seems to be all the rage nowadays. Nobody is even talking about Guantanamo and its ilk anymore. "Terrorists" being guilty until proven innocent is pretty much accepted now. Then it seems like "Pirates" are up for the same treatment, sans the waterboarding probably, of being guilty by nature.
  • Dylan Brady
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    Dylan Brady polycounter lvl 9
    it looks like its coming down to the wire, it could pass this week at a house judiciary committee. and if it does it will likely go though
    http://americancensorship.org/
    start calling your representative cause this cant happen
  • Ace-Angel
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    Ace-Angel polycounter lvl 12
    Seriously, instead of people complaining about this stuff, do something about it instead!
  • Bibendum
    Ben Apuna wrote: »
    I'm a little worried about it.

    Unfortunately I don't have millions/billions to bribe my politicians with :(
    You should donate to the EFF as they've been fighting crap like this for years and although it's not likely this particular bill will pass, it's just one in a number that are currently pending and undoubtedly just one in a long line of bills to come.

    Worth noting also that the EFF is one of the charities in the Humble Indie Bundle, so another reason to buy.

    https://www.eff.org/

    Also obviously call your rep.
  • Alberto Rdrgz
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    Alberto Rdrgz polycounter lvl 15
    The bill does scare me, but it's politics as usual. It's going to turn the internet into the TV model, which is what they want. Nothing free!
  • MainManiac
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    MainManiac polycounter lvl 11
    Are you serious?

    every year a bill like this is proposed, its not going to happen.
  • aajohnny
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    aajohnny polycounter lvl 14
    frell wrote: »
    Are you serious?

    every year a bill like this is proposed, its not going to happen.

    Still a chance of being passed... bills usually pass when people think like this.
  • Bibendum
    The reason why there is so much outcry over this particular bill is because people with opposing arguments were shut out of the hearing. Congress only heard points from people in favor of the bill, or those who helped draft it in the first place. Opposition groups didn't have much choice to get their arguments heard short of trying to get as many people as they possibly could to contact their representatives.

    This practice of only hearing favorable points about a bill sets a very poor and dangerous precedent moving forward.
  • TomDunne
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    TomDunne polycounter lvl 18
    I'm not worried. Even if it passed through Congress, the President has already said he'll veto it. Checks and balances 4TW, etc.

    http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/192349-obama-threatens-to-veto-resolution-repealing-net-neutrality-rules
  • aajohnny
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    aajohnny polycounter lvl 14
    TomDunne wrote: »
    I'm not worried. Even if it passed through Congress, the President has already said he'll veto it. Checks and balances 4TW, etc.

    http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/192349-obama-threatens-to-veto-resolution-repealing-net-neutrality-rules


    The president says he'll do a lot of things... and never does them.
  • Ace-Angel
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    Ace-Angel polycounter lvl 12
    ^Exactly.

    Look around, half of the reason we're in this mess of a world is due to apathy and instead focusing on issues which no one in their right mind would even do.

    Do you think Fish Companies and Logging Companies are stupid enough to let their respective resources run out? Of course not, because they rely on that, they're greedy, not stupid.

    While a bill which tries to restrict the internet on a very large scale so that it can be monetized? Yes it can pass, and being apathetic about it will only speed up the process, so that 10 years the line, those very same smucks who said "Meh, it will never pass, forget about it" will start another "we're the 99%" movement when they realize all the couch sitting they did 10 years ago didn't help one bit and it's their fault in the first place for being so lenient with IMPORTANT stuff that have become ingrained as parts of out lives.

    Sorry, sorry, a little bit of a rant, I know, but frankly, I'm sick of this apathetic and extremely trolly attitude people in nowdays society, there isn't a single day I don't see a person acting all 'cool' about something which needs out attention, while heeding the call of a lunatic about some assanine useless issue which isn't even important by any standard.

    PS: Almost every year, Yahoo, publishes an article with basically say when applying for jobs, don't act all 'cool' and 'meh' about it, show interest. You know there is something very wrong on the social scale of things when a defunkt site like Yahoo makes a big deal even out of this new age attitude of issues.
  • Mark Dygert
    I would be worried if congress ever stopped being a monumental pain in the ass. I'm pretty sure its one of the signs of the coming apocalypse!
  • CrazyMatt
    It's Evolution baby yeah! lol... just kiddin'

    I don't like the idea of this bill one bit. Especially if it means I can't watch some talented people on YouTube do covers of musicians work that I am highly fond of!

    Especially when it comes to videos like these!
    > [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7gIpuIVE3k"]Garbage Day! (high quality) - YouTube[/ame]

    > [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuZeU-SjgJQ&feature=endscreen&NR=1"]WORST NAME EVER!!!! - YouTube[/ame]
  • TomDunne
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    TomDunne polycounter lvl 18
    Ace-Angel wrote: »
    ^Exactly.

    Look around, half of the reason we're in this mess of a world is due to apathy and instead focusing on issues which no one in their right mind would even do.

    Do you think Fish Companies and Logging Companies are stupid enough to let their respective resources run out? Of course not, because they rely on that, they're greedy, not stupid.

    While a bill which tries to restrict the internet on a very large scale so that it can be monetized? Yes it can pass, and being apathetic about it will only speed up the process, so that 10 years the line, those very same smucks who said "Meh, it will never pass, forget about it" will start another "we're the 99%" movement when they realize all the couch sitting they did 10 years ago didn't help one bit and it's their fault in the first place for being so lenient with IMPORTANT stuff that have become ingrained as parts of out lives.

    Sorry, sorry, a little bit of a rant, I know, but frankly, I'm sick of this apathetic and extremely trolly attitude people in nowdays society, there isn't a single day I don't see a person acting all 'cool' about something which needs out attention, while heeding the call of a lunatic about some assanine useless issue which isn't even important by any standard.

    PS: Almost every year, Yahoo, publishes an article with basically say when applying for jobs, don't act all 'cool' and 'meh' about it, show interest. You know there is something very wrong on the social scale of things when a defunkt site like Yahoo makes a big deal even out of this new age attitude of issues.

    Err... This rant isn't pointed in my direction, is it?
  • Ace-Angel
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    Ace-Angel polycounter lvl 12
    Well, no, it was more of a general rant on things in this topic, not aimed at any individual per say.
  • xvampire
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    xvampire polycounter lvl 14
    if that happen we should hide youtube and awesomethread for members only ... :( ...
  • Ben Apuna
    Bibendum wrote: »
    You should donate to the EFF as they've been fighting crap like this for years and although it's not likely this particular bill will pass, it's just one in a number that are currently pending and undoubtedly just one in a long line of bills to come.

    Worth noting also that the EFF is one of the charities in the Humble Indie Bundle, so another reason to buy.

    https://www.eff.org/

    Also obviously call your rep.

    Yup, I have donated to them. Not a lot, hopefully it helps.

    EDIT:

    Not surprised about this :(

    Shockingly Unshocking: Two Congressional Staffers Who Helped Write SOPA/PIPA Become Entertainment Industry Lobbyists.
  • McGreed
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    McGreed polycounter lvl 15
    Yeah, there is also http://demandprogress.org/ , who is against all this bullshit. And sorry if I offend anyone with this, but you gotta to be pretty daft to think that there is no chance that this might go though.

    It's like the pedophiles internet filter they came up with, they all said "Oh no, of course not, this will only be used for this, the censorship and filtering will never be used for anything else then hunt down those evil pedophiles."

    And now, I and others from back then, can proudly, but sadly, say "Told you so!". :(
  • Bibendum
    And sorry if I offend anyone with this, but you gotta to be pretty daft to think that there is no chance that this might go though.
    To quote Rep. Darrell Issa: "I don't believe this bill has any chance on the house floor."

    This bill has widespread opposition in both parties and the supporters have already started watering it down in anticipation for its impending demise. What remains to be seen is whether or not they'll pass a "compromised" version of it, or if it will just be outright aborted which is still the most likely scenario.
  • ZacD
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    ZacD ngon master
    protect-ip is less aggressive than sopa, and could pass.

    Also

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvQFnSnhg7U"]Premonition - YouTube[/ame]
  • Justin Meisse
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    Justin Meisse polycounter lvl 19
    so I actually called my congressman to lodge a complaint - forwarding a pre-made complaint via email doesn't seem like it has much effect.
  • Jesse Moody
  • Jesse Moody
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    Jesse Moody polycounter lvl 18
  • CrazyMatt
    The problem here is that the bills are being debated and created by OLD people...

    Needless to be said any further, this is a ridiculous thing to put into action.
  • Jesse Moody
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    Jesse Moody polycounter lvl 18
    My question is if this is targeted at any website with infringing content could we as artists with portfolio site with video of our games, models, etc be charged? Could our portfolio site be taken down without any cease and desist or letter if this is the case?

    Sorry there is so much to this and a lot of it is insanity but I'm trying to figure it out.
  • Dylan Brady
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    Dylan Brady polycounter lvl 9
    totally agree Matt, we need some people who actually know what happening in this space called the internet dictating the laws.

    @ Jesse: AFAIK yes. we could get our portfolios taken down
  • Jesse Moody
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    Jesse Moody polycounter lvl 18
    Bonebrew22 wrote: »
    @ Jesse: AFAIK yes. we could get our portfolios taken down


    Yeah that is insane. That I could then be charged as a criminal or sued? Am I going to far in assuming this? I've been listening to these guys all day and still don't understand a thing other then most of these guys have no idea what they are doing.
  • Steve Schulze
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    Steve Schulze polycounter lvl 18
    I thought this was pretty informative as someone in another country who has had very little exposure to this whole business.
    http://spoonyexperiment.com/
    The top video (Trip to LA, Stop SOPA) discusses the crew from from Channel Awesome (That Guy With the Glasses et al) going to Washington to meet with various senator staffers to discuss their objection to SOPA and the other similar bills. It covers the what it all means in terms that I could understand and I don't really know anything about US politics. Not especially detailed information, but a decent primer.

    The SOPA bit only runs for about 25 minutes after which he rambles off about other things that happened on the trip.
  • aajohnny
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    aajohnny polycounter lvl 14
    So that means we basically can't have a portfolio? I want to know how this effects artists.
  • Alemja
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    Alemja hero character
    I wouldn't go as far as to say you CAN'T have one but if you have fan-art or screens from existing games you may have worked on COULD have the chance of getting pulled down. That's the problem, it's so vague that work we do could be called copyright infringement even if it's just a simple misunderstanding, but you'll have no say in it.
  • aajohnny
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    aajohnny polycounter lvl 14
    It's confusing because what about the concept art or reference images off of google to actually model stuff? Well hopefully the house will not accept this garbage.
  • Jesse Moody
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    Jesse Moody polycounter lvl 18
    It's not about just pulling down the images... They basically have the right to BLOCK all access to your site and give you no reason or way to fix it. Just take it down and block all access if THEY deem it not ok.

    It was interesting because they were talking about how people in other countries break our laws all the time but they are never enforced but that people from other countries could file claims of infringement in our country and have US citizens prosecuted / courts money wasted on the case when they are not even US citizens, companies or anything.

    It's pretty scary stuff because it can have so many implications and consequences. I don't quite think they (GOVT) have OUR (normal consumers / net users) best interests in mind at all and this is a HUGE push from the corporations to gain more power.
  • HonkyPunch
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    HonkyPunch polycounter lvl 18
    it really seems like everyone involved in the whole process either doesn't understand or doesn't give a fuck, and it's kind of sickening.
    this, plus NDAA being pushed through, PLUS watching the Republican Debates has done little for my faith in this country's political system.
  • Mark Dygert
    After watching about 30min of the committee discussion yesterday, the methods they are deciding to write into law to "shut down sites" aren't really shutting down the site you can still get to it they just strip it from the DNS listings. As one committee member put it yesterday "there is a crack house in neighborhood and you're not doing anything to shut it down you're just taking the street signs down and hoping no one finds it".

    So not only will the sites still be accessible by typing in the IP address, but you can switch your browser to use an alternate DNS lookup and still get to the site normally. PLUS they aren't even considering or are barely aware of other ways to get around their pathetic DNS take down. Methods that Zoe Lofgren pointed out, the US government has helped create for other countries with restrictive internet access. Hypocritical and not to mention damaging to our global stance on free speech. We will have joined China and Iran in internet filtering, congratulations hypocrites!

    All their law is going to do is give copyright lawyers more tools to harass the general public while the actual criminals easily side step the law that is already 5 years out of date.

    I'm glad congress is working on a solution, its just that they're so ham-handed about it and desperately out of touch that they couldn't be effective if they tried and right now they really aren't even trying...
  • Jesse Moody
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    Jesse Moody polycounter lvl 18
    Mark I listened to the same parts yesterday and yeah it would be easy to get around all this and I'm concerned with the overall bullshit that goes along with this like the loss of free speech, more govt control, etc.

    What is there to prevent someone using clips from say Alex Jones, with the Occupy movement, other news clips and putting it out there and being labeled as a "Terrorist" by the govt and being detained? Haven't some Occupy movements already been labeled as Terrorist groups?

    People aren't going to stop pirating because of this. These people need to understand that. Pirate bay went through shit and they tried to stop more sites like it but is it gone? Nope. Sounds like some people yesterday had a clue and the rest had no idea what the hell was going on.
  • Envart
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    Envart polycounter lvl 6
    They'll try to regulate the net any way they can. They know exactly what they're doing and you don't need to be Cassanda to see where it leads.
  • Mark Dygert
    Well here's the thing, I think something needs to be done about all of the illegal drug sites, the pirate sites, the virus sites that do nothing but turn visitors into members of the bot army, and sites that undercut our industry and others like it. I don't think its right that someone can steal your work and pass it around while you go uncompensated and then go out of business.

    There is probably some room for congress to step in smartly and do some pretty low cost legislation that helps everyone out, doesn't trample on internet freedom, freedom of speech and isn't a windfall for copyright trolls. They really aren't on that track nor have they ever been so they should probably bow out until they can actually do something good.

    We loaned our civil liberties to the government so they could "fight terror", everyone was freaked out, something had to be done America made a hasty deal that is shouldn't have made. But it was a loan not a sale and the terms of the loan are due. We want our civil liberties back, this hack and slash legislation doesn't restore them, it strips them away further.
  • Accipiter
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    Accipiter triangle
    TomDunne wrote: »
    I'm not worried. Even if it passed through Congress, the President has already said he'll veto it. Checks and balances 4TW, etc.

    http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/192349-obama-threatens-to-veto-resolution-repealing-net-neutrality-rules

    Serious?!
    I don't understand why people think like this. This blinding thought process isn't letting you see the bigger picture and will allow crap like this to be passed.
    Do you really think the President does things for the people? Not anymore buddy. It's all about protecting his investments.

    He also said he was going to veto the NDAA but apparently that has gone through.
    Serious man, you've got to wake up.

    Also, this (which has nothing to do with what I was talking about above):
    SOPA votes derailed by politician's tweets.

    And this:
    Engineers of Internet warn against bill.
  • Mark Dygert
    Accipiter wrote: »
    Serious?!
    He also said he was going to veto the NDAA but apparently that has gone through.
    Serious man, you've got to wake up.
    You have to look at why he said he would veto it, it would muddy the waters between the military and Department of Justice. If they cleared up that little bit he was fine with signing it. So he was never some big defender of peoples rights. He just wanted them to dot a legal i and cross a judiciary t before he signed.

    POTUS (In a loud voice): "I, the president of the United States of America, do solemnly announce that I will veto this bill!"
    [queue thunderous applause from supporters]
    POTUS (In a hushed voice):"if you bring it back to me tonight after the press has gone home and if you change this word here, I'll sign it"
  • greevar
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    greevar polycounter lvl 6
    ZacD wrote: »
    protect-ip is less aggressive than sopa, and could pass.

    Also

    Premonition - YouTube

    That video is full of so much bullshit and lies. Only an idiot would pay money for an unauthorized DVD when they could download it themselves for free. The connection to drugs, violent crime, and child labor are completely non-sequitur and without logical basis. Those are just trumped-up lies to appeal to the public's sense of outrage.

    "Just a few dollars..." Yeah, right. If I'm going to infringe on copyright, I'll do it without giving some street corner fence my money.

    SOPA and PROTECT-IP are only going to make people lose more respect for copyright laws. It will only serve to turn everyone on the internet into "criminals". These bills or anything like them must die.
  • xvampire
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    xvampire polycounter lvl 14
    ^ dont say you never heard that

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tpg4R_W2-Q"]Dongmen, Shenzhen: Pirated DVD Store - YouTube[/ame]

    and yes, many foreigner go there to shop lots of them. as real as it get
  • Alberto Rdrgz
  • Polygoblin
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    Polygoblin polycounter
    Fishy fishy fishy. I understand the argument against piracy and copyright infringement, but I have lost all confidence in my government's ability to target actual criminals without leaving the process open to massive corruption and abuse. In fact, as I've learned alot about the USA in the past three months, I'd speak to the contrary. Everything points to a constant need for more political and economic power, grouped with another outrageous strategy to squash dissent. You know, the usual
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