In the years since I’ve been signing petitions, a curious phenomena has occurred in my inbox. 99% of my emails are now requests for donations. So many of the causes are worthy, most often non-profit organizations trying to fund their legislative activities, but it’s still disturbing to realize the Internet has been transformed from an…
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Public knowledge and Patent Reform
Public Knowledge recommends some patent reforms, but is that all there is to public knowledge?
Continue readingSecrets & Hypocrisy: Never kiss and tell
The hypocrisy of the Executive Branch and their legislative cohorts is stunning. They want secrecy and privacy for their actions, but are unwilling to grant privacy to others. They seem to want citizens to have the perception of privacy, without the reality of privacy. They seem to want corporations to collect extra customer cash from…
Continue readingWarrentless Wiretapping: Prosecute Them
On Monday, while testifying at a congressional hearing investigating the Executive Branch’s authorization of without-a-warrant wiretapping of U.S. citizens, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales said, “I gave in my opening statement, Senator, examples that President Washington, President Lincoln, President Wilson, President Roosevelt have all, uh, authorized electronic wiretapping.” I watched this on CSPAN, live, as…
Continue readingJury Duty: A Citizen’s Solemn Obligation?
I remember the last several times I was called for jury duty, sitting and waiting, reading a book, filling out questionnaire forms, thinking, and more waiting: did I mention there was even more waiting?
Continue readingChoicePoint, Corporatism, and Welfare.
If Derek Smith espouses a theory that everyone is better off if “everyone can check the background of anyone else”, then he hasn’t achieved much other than to enrich his own pocket at others’ expense. Perhaps his vision of a transparent society is just another sales pitch he is using to his own and ChoicePoint’s benefit.
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