|
StuartMW
Premium Member
2012-Dec-28 10:23 am
China requires Internet users to register namesquote: China's government tightened Internet controls Friday with approval of a law that requires users to register their names after a flood of online complaints about official abuses rattled Communist Party leaders.
» news.yahoo.com/china-req ··· nce.html |
|
FFH5 Premium Member join:2002-03-03 Tavistock NJ |
FFH5
Premium Member
2012-Dec-28 10:38 am
said by StuartMW:quote: China's government tightened Internet controls Friday with approval of a law that requires users to register their names after a flood of online complaints about official abuses rattled Communist Party leaders.
» news.yahoo.com/china-req ··· nce.html Many other countries would love to pass similar laws. Anonymity allows people to say things they wouldn't say if people knew who they were. |
|
|
KearnstdSpace Elf Premium Member join:2002-01-22 Mullica Hill, NJ |
Kearnstd
Premium Member
2012-Dec-28 11:24 am
There are people that want the US to enact such laws. They claim its to stop the cyberbullying.
Really its the corporate sponsors of our congress critters want to know who is speaking out against lobbying. |
|
|
StuartMW
Premium Member
2012-Dec-28 12:37 pm
said by Kearnstd:There are people that want the US to enact such laws. Well you can be sure that if a successful terrorist act occurs on US soil and it's shown (or even alleged) that the internet played some part Congress will push for more controls. The "just keep me safe" crowd will be all for it. It's as inevitable as the sun rising. |
|
KearnstdSpace Elf Premium Member join:2002-01-22 Mullica Hill, NJ |
Kearnstd
Premium Member
2012-Dec-28 1:10 pm
said by StuartMW:said by Kearnstd:There are people that want the US to enact such laws. Well you can be sure that if a successful terrorist act occurs on US soil and it's shown (or even alleged) that the internet played some part Congress will push for more controls. The "just keep me safe" crowd will be all for it. It's as inevitable as the sun rising. Congress will toss in preventing Child Pornography too, This will prevent media outlets from hating on it because well "Its for the Children." I mean I bet in the US Capital building they have a poster that simply has "Want to get a bill passed easy? Just add the following two talking points. 1. Prevent Terrorism, 2. For the Children. And watch the sheep ignore their rights disappear." |
|
1 recommendation |
to StuartMW
To enact laws prohibiting anonymity, they would have to get around McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission 514 U.S. 334 (1995) Protections for anonymous speech are vital to democratic discourse. Allowing dissenters to shield their identities frees them to express critical minority views . . . Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority. . . . It thus exemplifies the purpose behind the Bill of Rights and of the First Amendment in particular: to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation . . . at the hand of an intolerant society. |
|
|
to Kearnstd
Yup. The "It's for the Children" line is being played right now by Congress and the media. If a few people are blown up they'll drop that and use the "Protect us from terrorists" line.
As I said it's very predictable. |
|
StuartMW |
to Frodo
Well any law enacted by Congress can be undone by another Congress. |
|
norbert26 Premium Member join:2010-08-10 Warwick, RI |
said by StuartMW:Well any law enacted by Congress can be undone by another Congress. once enacted its very hard to drop it look at the patriot acts . |
|
2 recommendations |
StuartMW
Premium Member
2012-Dec-28 1:42 pm
It is hard to repeal laws that give the gummint power. It is relatively easy to repeal those that restrict gummint power. The Patriot Act is an example of the former.
Gummints everywhere at every time crave power. Give it to them and it's unlikely they'll relinquish it. At least not without a fight. |
|
|
JustBurnt to StuartMW
Anon
2012-Dec-31 7:05 am
to StuartMW
Your provider knows who you are and if served with papers from the applicable court will tell whomever asks. |
|
BlackbirdBuilt for Speed Premium Member join:2005-01-14 Fort Wayne, IN |
Blackbird
Premium Member
2012-Dec-31 10:22 am
said by JustBurnt :Your provider knows who you are and if served with papers from the applicable court will tell whomever asks. Which is why an independent judiciary and social/governmental adherence to the rule of Constitutional law is so critical... |
|
|
StuartMW
Premium Member
2012-Dec-31 10:25 am
Ah yes. Separation of powers and all that. A pretty good idea that our Founding Fathers had. |
|
BlackbirdBuilt for Speed Premium Member join:2005-01-14 Fort Wayne, IN
1 recommendation |
Blackbird
Premium Member
2012-Dec-31 11:03 am
said by StuartMW:Ah yes. Separation of powers and all that. A pretty good idea that our Founding Fathers had. It was a stroke of genius. If each branch of government (legislative, judicial, executive) is empowered to jealously guard their turf against encroachment by other branches, each branch's individual powers remain bounded. The time to worry is when all branches get on the same page, and all too often "internal security" or "external threats" become rationales for doing so. That's when the full force of government risks being turned against the citizenry and their rights. The 'People's Republic' of China is a prime example of a nation lacking an independent judiciary, tasked and enabled with bounding the powers of the other elements of government. In the end, the people's rights suffer great damage... |
|
KearnstdSpace Elf Premium Member join:2002-01-22 Mullica Hill, NJ |
Kearnstd
Premium Member
2012-Dec-31 12:48 pm
said by Blackbird:said by StuartMW:Ah yes. Separation of powers and all that. A pretty good idea that our Founding Fathers had. It was a stroke of genius. If each branch of government (legislative, judicial, executive) is empowered to jealously guard their turf against encroachment by other branches, each branch's individual powers remain bounded. The time to worry is when all branches get on the same page, and all too often "internal security" or "external threats" become rationales for doing so. That's when the full force of government risks being turned against the citizenry and their rights. The 'People's Republic' of China is a prime example of a nation lacking an independent judiciary, tasked and enabled with bounding the powers of the other elements of government. In the end, the people's rights suffer great damage... And they can herd the sheeple into allowing such to happen in this country by claiming its to prevent "Terrorism" and to "Protect the Children". Sadly too many people do not know Terrorism, Terrorists, and The Children are all just bullet points to sell whatever they want to the people. |
|
|
StuartMW
Premium Member
2012-Dec-31 12:53 pm
said by Kearnstd:Sadly too many people do not know Terrorism, Terrorists, and The Children are all just bullet points to sell whatever they want to the people. I hope the mention of "The Children" and "bullet points" was inadvertent Otherwise we'll have to call the PC Police |
|
KearnstdSpace Elf Premium Member join:2002-01-22 Mullica Hill, NJ |
Kearnstd
Premium Member
2012-Dec-31 1:49 pm
said by StuartMW:said by Kearnstd:Sadly too many people do not know Terrorism, Terrorists, and The Children are all just bullet points to sell whatever they want to the people. I hope the mention of "The Children" and "bullet points" was inadvertent Otherwise we'll have to call the PC Police I could have said power points but the PC Police are easier to fend off than the MS Copyright Police. |
|
|
StuartMW
Premium Member
2012-Dec-31 1:56 pm
Yeah. One has guns and one has lawyers. Not sure which is worse |
|
StuartMW |
to Blackbird
said by Blackbird:Which is why an independent judiciary and social/governmental adherence to the rule of Constitutional law is so critical... Lets Give Up on the Constitutionquote: AS the nation teeters at the edge of fiscal chaos, observers are reaching the conclusion that the American system of government is broken. But almost no one blames the culprit: our insistence on obedience to the Constitution, with all its archaic, idiosyncratic and downright evil provisions.
|
|
BlackbirdBuilt for Speed Premium Member join:2005-01-14 Fort Wayne, IN
1 recommendation |
said by StuartMW:said by Blackbird:Which is why an independent judiciary and social/governmental adherence to the rule of Constitutional law is so critical... Lets Give Up on the Constitutionquote: AS the nation teeters at the edge of fiscal chaos, observers are reaching the conclusion that the American system of government is broken. But almost no one blames the culprit: our insistence on obedience to the Constitution, with all its archaic, idiosyncratic and downright evil provisions.
Sadly, that's the path of reasoning that eventually leads to dictatorship, either by a strongman or of "the proletariat". But then, just as it was in the days of the Founders, not everyone "gets it" that the biggest and most enduring threat to any individual and his freedom will be his own government and the power-seekers that gravitate to it. As it always has been, the cry is "Crisis! Crisis! Dump the Constitutional restraints. This time it's different, and the Founders never anticipated it!" |
|
|
StuartMW
Premium Member
2012-Dec-31 4:21 pm
Actually I find this interesting from an academic point of view. To my knowledge there's no (legal) way to "abolish" The Constitution. It can be amended however. For example the 18th Amendment ( Prohibition) was undone by the 21st Amendment. The 18th is still there it's just ineffective. To "abolish" The Constitution you'd have to pass an Amendment basically saying "All of the above is null and void". You'd still have a Constitution it'd just be effectively empty. However passing Amendments isn't easy quote: To Propose Amendments
• In the U.S. Congress, both the House of Representatives and the Senate approve by a two-thirds supermajority vote, a joint resolution amending the Constitution. Amendments so approved do not require the signature of the President of the United States and are sent directly to the states for ratification.
• Two-thirds of the state legislatures ask Congress to call a national convention to propose amendments. (This method has never been used.)
To Ratify Amendments
• Three-fourths of the state legislatures approve it, or
• Ratifying conventions in three-fourths of the states approve it. This method has been used only once -- to ratify the 21st Amendment -- repealing Prohibition.
I doubt that'd be possible in the short term but I can see it happening in my lifetime Of course another course is to have a civil war and/or a takeover that dissolves the United States. I can imagine that too |
|
sivranVive Vivaldi Premium Member join:2003-09-15 Irving, TX |
sivran
Premium Member
2012-Dec-31 6:22 pm
An amendment is highly unlikely unless one or the other party gains a supermajority in both houses. This congress, in this political climate, has done even less than Truman's "Do-Nothing" Congress. |
|
OZO Premium Member join:2003-01-17 1 edit |
to StuartMW
Why those, who want a dictatorship, need an amendment? Create big depression with unemployment up to 30%, then burn a reichstag and voila, there will be a new "Constitution+", better than ever, no amendments needed... The key word, as it was already mentioned is this thread, is - Crisis! So, if you don't want that scenario to be repeated again by some "strongman", watch for government actions, leading to a "Crisis", or big depression, or (using contemporary words) "financial cliff"... Then make sure, that a fire department is always in place and ready to extinguish the potential fire. By the way, they already have promised, that the first priority in the next year will be ... as you may guess, not the recovery from bad economy, but a new law (of course all for the children sake) to remove from public those "tools", that may help to extinguish the fire and to keep "strongmen" in place, where they belong... |
|