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The Internet as we know it is at stake. Lets not make the this world suck any more than it does.
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I think they can be effective if they are not considered as 'good enough'. The US should learn from Europe. 'Taking to the street's should be something that you just expect to do every once in a while. Somehow, we have allowed the media to define this as extreme behavior. However, in a democracy, it is not.
A petition can work as an FYI, but then it needs to be followed up with action. It should be a catalyst for action, not the action itself. We probably could work to improve on that. Maybe a site that not only hosted petitions, but also enabled coordination of gatherings and protests, and other actions that could be done to help the cause.
senatorson · 4620 days ago · link ·
An online petition is essentially pointless. Why would a politician pay attention to that? Unless they face reelection the next day, they realize that the American mind is fickle and will forget about whatever the cause de celebre is within a matter of days. The 24 hour news cycle will see to it.
lessismore · 4805 days ago · link ·
Those crazy animators' version of the situation.
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thenewgreen · 4826 days ago · link ·
What do you mean by that? Just curious because it could mean any number of things.
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Mostly that I think this is an opportunity for them to take the lead. The internet is today's big thing. It is defining a generation and the economy. Obama could get out ahead, be bold, and lead, pushing the American ideals of free speech, and free enterprise. Net neutrality, and a lack of censorship are extremely important, and will decide the course of history. He should be out ahead of this.
But he isn't so much.
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It's an election year and the MPAA and RIAA have out-lobbied Silicon Valley by a factor of approximately 1500%. If you're the president and your approval rating is somewhere south of "Iran Hostage Crisis" Carter, it doesn't matter what whackadoos you're up against - you let this die quietly so they can't run endless clips about you killing jobs in Alabama.
Besides which, as with all young Democrats, Obama has a fascination with all things clandestine and techy. Internet blocks are the kind of Inspector Gadget stuff that always turns their crank (see: UAVs).