Kiame

That would have been genius - what an amazing business move. But think about how much record companies would have lost. It's pathetic that record/newspaper/film/tv companies just will not let the industry move away from them. Business is supposed to be about adapting to new industries, but these corporations want the industry to adapt to their business. Really frustrating.

Nope. It's actually got less to do with the USA and more to do with the profit that media companies make. They want more profit everywhere - so they shut down websites and prevent them from operating everywhere. They do this by targeting US operated sites so the owners themselves can't continue to run the site. That's what is so annoying about the whole issues - these corporations are using the US government to make decisions internally, when in reality it effects everyone outside of the US too. But don't worry about PIPA. ACTA is far worse and that is an international legislation that most of Europe are getting ready to sign. In short: We're fucked unless people keep reacting like they did to SOPA. That's our only chance. If people start to simmer down and get over it then they'll strike.

I'm not mad at all. I was mocking you - not raging at you. There's a difference.

It's also pretty rare to see an atheist turn into a fundamentalist Muslim.... It's also pretty rare to see a pineapple turn into a watermelon.... What other things are pretty rare? Hmm Giraffe to hippo transition is pretty rare.

March it is then. Wow, that's a long way away.

Once again, you do your trademark "ignore everything else and only respond to 1 line" move. Anyway, you view government be this single entity that does everything and everything effects it. This is not true. There are many branches of government and many of them have very little to do with one another. I think it's funny that you won't accept the fact that every piece of anti-piracy legislation that has been either passed or voted for has been solely paid for and lobbied for by the entertainment industry. You just ignore this and act like all branches of the government want to destroy the internet - which is total bullshit. The White House has made numerous official statements saying they don't support it and the majority of congress don't support it either. Corporations aren't bribing "THE GOVERNMENT!" corporations are "sponsoring" members of congress with multi millions of dollars to co-sign anti piracy legislation. It's simple really. Every member of congress who voted for SOPA was sponsored and funded by a traditional media company. And you just can't see the connection here. It's not rocket science buddy. Oh wait, you just posted this: So it seems you do agree with me now. cool.

ETIAW is my favourite.

Does Australia have the same economic inequality as the USA does? I wasn't aware it was that bad down there I thought the middle class was well and truly alive in Aus.

I think it's pretty likely to be a single. Only problem is it features another artist so it would be hard to perform live unless Chris sings it all himself (although the band did say it didn't feel right when Chris sang it alone). I said from before release that the singles would be :ETIAW, Paradise, Charlie Brown, PoC and Hurts Like Heaven so i'll stick with that.

I can cite specific things, I just don't see the point. Most people can assume what I dislike and like about Obama. I'm not going to waste an hour of my time going through every decision Obama has made and whether or not I agree with it just for your sake. You're not worth it buddy - especially because I know you'll just pick one sentence out of context from the 100 I wrote focus on that, miss the point, throw skewed statistics, remind us all how paranoid you are and then vanish. Really not worth it. I know what you think already.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/mar/28/global-recorded-music-sales-fall That's what they are worried about. Everything pointed to them having more money if SOPA and PIPA passed. They aren't content with the industry moving away from them into new areas - they want to shackle it down to where it was in the fifties where they all had complete economic control of their expertise not just most. One illegal download does not equate to one lost sale. This is true. They know this is true. And trust me, these media companies have seen more data than you have seen they are far more aware of what is happening. The issue is about control and greed. Anyway, SOPA didn't pass thanks to the White House's statements and the public getting behind their government and more and more people not allowing themselves to be pushed over by corporations flashing money. PIPA won't pass either. Traditional media will continue to fight against government and the people - but they aren't going to get away with as much control as they would like. They will have to settle for less - but I fear with their amount of influence and their amount of money that they will manage to squeeze something out of this. But with the take down on Megaupload it's kind of a win-lose situation. But it looks like that was going to happen regardless - that site had been targeted for years. This all just shows how much people the people hold. This is one of the only issues people have joined as a collective and spoken for something and overall it has proven to be effective. Imagine what could have been done if the internet community did the same over other things. Like Manning, or the wars in the middle east, or Guantanamo? But they didn't.

That awkward moment when you have nothing to contribute so you post a 3 minute long video of back to back straw men. -- Keddie you hit the nail on the head when you said "disappointed with some things, pleased with others". That sums up Obama's presidency. I wholeheartedly believe he is the superior choice over Romney and Gingrich - the two front runners from the GOP. Those two are bad news and they are far more disingenuous than Obama is.

Money is power. Money allows you to buy out half of congress to vote for you. Money is the sole reason this has happening. Every piece of anti-piracy legislation that has been passed to date has been instigated and lobbied for by private companies who are manipulating government. Not one act, bill or statue dealing with piracy has been passed solely off the back of the Government without intervention by the private sector. No they aren't. If this were true than PIPA and SOPA and all the others would be passed already. Government and a small group of US citizens are the only people fighting for this right now. Even Obama is - who has released two official statements saying he does not and will not support something that restricts the freedom of information. But of course, when someone tells you this you just roll your eyes and say "HE IS LYING" and ignore how much resistance towards these acts actually exists inside government. Exactly and they will continue to do so whether piracy legislation is in place or not. A lot of data suggests that anti-piracy laws seldom even effect music sales. The only people who suffer when there is freedom of sharing music are the music companies themselves because if does effect their hold on the industry. And that's what this issue is about. It's about having control of media and setting up a monopoly. I've explained to you how during the 20th centuries several film, TV, music and print companies virtually had a monopoly because of the limited amount of competition. The government aren't hurting because of digital sharing. Not even one bit. You only say this because you say government is to blame about every single issue. It's incredibly ironic considering in this issue many members of government are actually helping a lot and are our only shot. Of course they do and that's why a small few of them accept "sponsorship" (bribes) from people like Rupert Murdoch. This issue could all be fixed by making it illegal for congressmen to accept donations from third parties. Do that, and the whole thing is over. Give congressmen a salary and take "sponsorship" out of the question. Make congressmen accountable to the people from their electorate. No more PIPA or SOPA. "Sponsorship" is nothing but a way for a private entity to manipulate power through their money. It is never in the interests of the middle-lower classes. NEVER. Get rid of it. Getting rid of it would also prevent people from getting into congress in an attempt to find ludicrous amounts of fortune and it would keep their motives pure. They'd be there because they care about issues and they care about representing their electorate. They wouldn't simply be in place to take millions from Sony to co sponsor PIPA. Or take millions from investment banking firms (Goldman Sachs) to vote in line with their selfish ideas. Oh this isn't a conspiracy at all. It's all in the open and attempts to hide it are non existent. This is reality.

13 congressmen in favour of PIPA have stepped down due to backlash. Great news! The more of this that happens the harder it will be for the entertainment industries to manipulate the powerful. Chances of PIPA passing are slim.

Saffire, this has very little to do with Governance. It's got to do with traditional media companies and corporations who have billions and billions of dollars who want to protect their products. The best way they can think of doing this is by paying out congress to push their agenda. The governmental employees who are cosigning PIPA are doing so because they are being bought out by media companies - and by bought out I mean have been given millions of dollars. You've got the completely wrong focus on this. SOPA being shelved and PIPA being on slanted ground is only the beginning. It doesn't matter if they pass or not. It doesn't matter if Obama agrees with them (which he certainly does not). All that matters that as long as traditional media companies exist - this pressure will continue to amount because they will continue to demand that congress does something. And as long as these corporations continue to have billions of dollars - certain members of congress are going to continue to listen. You seem to think that this is a case of Governance deliberately going out of their way to restrict the freedom of information and to infringe upon rights. It isn't. It's got to do with insanely wealthy companies pushing their agenda through greed and flashing cash. Thanks to the 20th century, traditional media companies grew into greedy, hungry and selfish controllers of cash and industry. Being a television production company in the 1900s was akin to printing cash. All you had to do was make a television show better than the only other 2 or 3 shows on the air and you'd be rolling in money. Things went this way for a long time, and now they aren't making as much as they used to be - they are fighting for survival and they are using congress as a weapon through hard cold cash. They are the problem. Not government. Even if there was no government these companies would be etching at ways to control cyberspace and information. The best way to combat this is to use government to our favour - and so far it is working. SOPA has been shelved because of public pressure and because of governance listening to its public. This is not happening because of Governmental control. A government has no motive to restrict thirteen year old's sharing Lady GaGa songs. This is happening because of the control the private entertainment industry has - so much control in fact that it can effectively buy out anyone who stands in its way. Including congress. You're an American citizen. Sitting around and arguing on the internet isn't going to change or influence or do anything. http://americancensorship.org/modal/call-form.html Contact your representative and say you do not support PIPA/SOPA and you will not vote for someone who does. It takes 10 seconds. Use your government the way it is meant to be used. A huge part of the problem with US society is that not enough people do this. They sit around and complain but don't actually do anything. In the end, only 10% do something and no one cares. If 50% do something than a bill has no chance of passing because no congress member or politician - even if he is being bribed - is going to risk his career on it. The USA was a better country when more Americans took personal responsibility in their government. Because doing so ensures your government acts for you and is invested in your right to voice your opinion. The enemy here are the newspaper companies, the film industries and the record industries. Traditional media. Money hungry assholes who only care about ensuring a profit. The enemy is not the government. The government have no desire to limit what music you can listen to and they have no interest in doing so. These corporations are trying to create an interest - and that interest is money. "You sign this act and you get 10 million to ensure our profit". Done.

I see nothing wrong with it at all. Rihanna is a great performer and I don't see why it's so terrible if Coldplay are on stage with her on a song she features in. :shrug:

Oh, pull the other one. The White House has released official statements telling congress they won't endorse the bill and it's going to be shelved. There is no hope in hell of SOPA passing as it stands. You know the sad thing? You just want it to pass - because then you can go around telling everyone how evil the government is and how right you are. That's what you really want to happen here. The real enemy here are private corporations such as numerous publishers and film studios. Oh, and News Limited - who have recently pasted media on twitter, print and TV attacking Obama and his opposition towards the bill. These are the real people who are behind the bill and they are using certain Congress members as puppets to get what they want. Take Rupert Murdoch for example, who has not only attacked Obama for his opposition towards SOPA - but Google too! Get your priorities right. Obama does not want this bill to pass - if he did, he wouldn't have issued an official statement saying he won't sign it. Saying "Oh well the white house says a lot of things!" isn't an argument at all. Obama does not support SOPA. End of story. EDIT: Lmao. This just in: http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/01/sopa-shelved-for-now/ "Congress’ indefinite postponement of SOPA comes hours after SOPA’s sponsor – Republican Lamar Smith – agreed to drop the controversial ‘internet blocking’ provision from the bill" So there you go, after Obama's release Smith has shelved SOPA and it will not go to Congress as it stands. What's next? More paranoid cynicism from you two? Are they simply lulling us into a sense of security? I think the chances of Safire admitting his prediction was wrong at this stage are a million to one. We aren't completely out of this mess yet - but SOPA will not pass with the fascist internet blocking powers.

And this is why it's such a waste to talk to you. You call your own evidence "empirical" and completely ignore the other side of the fence. The link I gave you specifically mentions many of the arguments raised in that video and debunks them. Nothing to do here.

Ah, this myth again. Post a video with cartoons that talk simpleton economics that people are taught when they are five years old and present it as fact. Great stuff. A myriad of studies have strongly suggested that there is no correlation between a minimum wage and unemployment rates whatsoever. Likewise, there is no correlation between business failure and minimum wage legislation. Check out the studies done by the University of Massachusetts and University of California. Here is one of the many papers that have been written that have pooled data from the last two decades and has seen no indication of higher minimum wages resulting in unemployment. In fact, the opposite is true. States with lower or static minimum wages have higher rates of unemployment than states with higher and growing minimum wages. http://www.irle.berkeley.edu/workingpapers/157-07.pdf Things aren't as one sided as you love to make them out to be.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jan/16/sopa-shelved-obama-piracy-legislation ..."the White House said it would not support legislation that "reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risks or undermines the dynamic, innovative global internet." SOPA has no chance of passing.

I've just gone through and re-read every post in this thread and not one post has any sort of implications toward hating Americans. I suggest you do the same. People are laughing at Gingrich and how desperate and petty his attack was. At most, people are laughing at how petty the US political sphere is. No one is hating on Americans and I doubt anyone in this thread hates over 300 million people.

Most German politicians can speak a fair amount of French and vice versa. No one cares.

Somehow I am cynical about a country that has no moral qualms about slave labour and keeping most of its populace in poverty would adapt a peaceful foreign policy if they found themselves in a militarily powerful situation. As far as super powers go, the USA hasn't been that bad. They've certainly been the most peaceful super power of the last few hundred years. That's not saying much, I know.

حصلت على لسعات النحل اثنين وذراعي يشعر بأنه سوف تسقط. تحياتي للجميع. كيف حالك اليوم OWWWWWW OWWWWWWWW IT HURTS

I don't think you got my point. Chris Martin was being ironic when he said that and the Sun and a large part of its readership don't realise this. Ever. That was what I was saying about the irony detector thing :)