Jonbo298
join:2004-01-12
Council Bluffs, IA
| Ugh...
I know it may not happen in my lifetime but I hope China gets what they deserve and actually allows people to express what they want without fear of death or whatnot.
But I can see why the ISP's have to bow to the pressure. Its either lose your money flow completely or bow into the pressure. Wait..that sounds familiar...our own politician's  |
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fuziwuzi
Not born yesterday
Premium
join:2005-07-01
Atlanta, GA
| said by Jonbo298  :I know it may not happen in my lifetime but I hope China gets what they deserve and actually allows people to express what they want without fear of death or whatnot. But I can see why the ISP's have to bow to the pressure. Its either lose your money flow completely or bow into the pressure. Wait..that sounds familiar...our own politician's Yes, though not by "force of law", the political pressure in our own country to conform is still very palpable. Just ask the Dixie Chicks. |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
 ·Comcast
| said by fuziwuzi :Yes, though not by "force of law", the political pressure in our own country to conform is still very palpable. Just ask the Dixie Chicks. Wow, post #2 and the USA already "sucks."
I might be out of it. Please tell me when the Dixie Chicks were killed, imprisoned, tortured or otherwise had their freedom deprived for expressing their views?
People choosing to boycott the Dixie Chicks is not the same as the government depriving you of your freedom for voicing opposition to government policy.
But this is still the USA, right? Are we no longer free to boycott businesses or acts that we don't like?
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Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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djrobx
join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA
 ·PHONE POWER
 ·AT&T U-Verse
·AT&T CallVantage
·Time Warner VOIP
·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to pnh102
Re: Ugh...
quote:
People choosing to boycott the Dixie Chicks is not the same as the government depriving you of your freedom for voicing opposition to government policy.
If it were people chosing the boycott the Dixie Chicks it wouldn't be a problem. But in their case, Clear Channel "silenced" them, which demonstrated the power Clear Channel really has on our purported "free speech". So I do see it as a very apropos analogy. |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| said by djrobx :If it were people chosing the boycott the Dixie Chicks it wouldn't be a problem. But in their case, Clear Channel "silenced" them, which demonstrated the power Clear Channel really has on our purported "free speech". So I do see it as a very apropos analogy. So what? Clear Channel is a private company owned by members of the public that can do whatever it wants to within the confines of the law. We wouldn't be much of a free country if the government told radio stations that they had to play certain musical acts.
And even with that, there was nothing stopping people from buying the Dixie Chicks' CDs, downloading their music online, or going to their concerts.
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Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO | I wouldn't waste your time defending the U.S. If Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Iranian President) can come to this country and deny WWII, can anyone honestly argue that we don't have free speech? |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| said by rradina :I wouldn't waste your time defending the U.S. If Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Iranian President) can come to this country and deny WWII, can anyone honestly argue that we don't have free speech? The only thing that disturbs me about Ahmadinejad's speech is that so many people at Columbia agreed with what he said... indicating this by "thunderous applause."
That is very sickening.
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Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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PDXPLT
join:2003-12-04
Banks, OR
| reply to fuziwuzi
The Dixies Chicks shot themselves in the foot. Their fan base was drawn almost entirely from folks wiht "Bush 2004" stickers in their pickup trucks; what did they expect?
And then there's the ascept of doing what they did in a foreign country. 'sorta like talking about your brother's drinking problem outside the family. If they had said what they did at a concert in San Antonio or Houston I would be the first to applaud them for speaking out. But saying it in London, where they knew they'd be guaranteed approval from the crowd, was nothing but cowardly. |
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PDXPLT
join:2003-12-04
Banks, OR
| reply to djrobx
said by djrobx : Clear Channel "silenced" them. Clear Channel justs cares about doing what it can to make as much money as possible. And with the audience they have on the country music stations, that means not playing the Dixie Chicks. It's all about the ratings, baby.
Look, Clear Channel owns the local Air America affiliate here. Their evening guy, who was too liberal even for Air America, spends three hours screaming into the microphone about what murderers and Nazi collaborators the Bush family are. Why does Clear Channel do this? Ratings and money. This particular viewpoint sells in Portland.
I don't see them pushing any right-wing conspiracy. |
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rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO
| reply to pnh102
Yes but I just consider the source. Most of these people are kids and against any kind of authority. They see this guy as someone who is with them because of mutual opposition.
When the kids earn enough money to have skin in the game, they'll be less likely to believe dreamy notions spewed by the world of intelligentsia and might even grow to love this country.
I thought it was hilarious how Bollinger attacked Ahmadinejad. I don't disagree with what he said but he was simply saving his own ass since the president's visit wasn't popular with a lot of those with "skin in the game". He a fine example of another slimy, greasy politician who is only motivated by self-preservation. |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
 ·AT&T Yahoo
·AT&T DSL Service
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest
| reply to PDXPLT
said by PDXPLT :If they had said what they did at a concert in San Antonio or Houston I would be the first to applaud them for speaking out. But saying it in London, where they knew they'd be guaranteed approval from the crowd, was nothing but cowardly. Not cowardly at all.
Just proves the sad state of affairs here. What people are forgetting, and in fact completely ignoring in their rush to justify the response to incidents like this is simple. The Dixie Chicks, spoke their minds... and they were crucified for it.
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"Regulatory capitalism is when companies invest in lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians, instead of plant, people, and customer service." - former FCC Chairman William Kennard (A real FCC Chairman, unlike the current Corporate Spokesperson in the job!) |
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FiL
Premium
join:2005-08-16
Silver Spring, MD | reply to rradina
They allow kids to take classes at Colombia University? Heh, ain't know that. |
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FiL
Premium
join:2005-08-16
Silver Spring, MD | reply to KrK
I agree with you. Seems this isn't the land of freedom and opportunity. Its turning into China, yet we lambaste them for tightening their grip on the peoples freedoms...
Either way, songs of protest will always exist! |
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S_engineer
join:2007-05-16
Chicago, IL
·Comcast
| reply to FiL
"They allow kids to take classes at Colombia University? Heh, ain't know that. "
Wow.....well in China, this many grammatical errors might get this person tortured!
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Burn a tire, but make sure you buy that carbon offset! |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·AT&T Yahoo
·AT&T DSL Service
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest
| reply to FiL
Don't get me wrong, this isn't a "bash the USA" etc post. What is going on in China sucks.... however I am concerned about what is going on here in the USA as well. It does appear that people seem a bit too willing to tolerate encroachment on freedom if they see it as lining up with their ideology...
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"Regulatory capitalism is when companies invest in lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians, instead of plant, people, and customer service." - former FCC Chairman William Kennard (A real FCC Chairman, unlike the current Corporate Spokesperson in the job!) |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| reply to KrK
said by KrK : The Dixie Chicks, spoke their minds... and they were crucified for it. So people shouldn't have the freedom to disagree with the Dixie Chicks?
Again, when did the government, or rather, Bush personally, since he's so evil, hell maybe Cheney or Karl Rove did it... when did any of these individuals have any of the Dixie Chicks killed or otherwise persecuted for expressing their views?
The Dixie Chicks are still recording, still selling records, and still bashing Bush. How is it that they are being crucified, even in a figurative sense?
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Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| reply to rradina
said by rradina :They see this guy as someone who is with them because of mutual opposition. No... these are ivy league students. They know exactly the kind person that Ahmedinejad is. They fully, and completely, embrace his anti-USA, anti-Semitic, Holocaust-denying views. Their "thunderous applause" to just about everything he said is irrefutable proof of this.
Unless there's some new fad out there... clapping when you disagree with someone. The students are truly disgraceful, repugnant individuals.
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Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK | I want to see these students. I'll bet the place was packed with people who may or may have not been students, and may or may not be US residents... |
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tbone2006
join:2006-07-22
Abilene, TX
| reply to PDXPLT
What was sad our local media actually showed people that worked at the tv station, like anchorman, breaking Dixie Chicks cd. I guess they never heard about the media being impartial. |
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