# Congress Debates SOPA, Hypocritically Downloads Illegally Itself



## qubit (Dec 31, 2011)

Almost everyone who understands something about technology will have heard of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) (H.R.3261) currently being debated in the U.S. House. This is internet censorship legislation by any other name and anyone that doesn't have a vested interest in it like the big media cartels is against it. This is because it hands almost total control of the internet to powerful (read: money) special interest groups, allowing them to shut down websites at the mere whiff of an accusation of 'piracy', however small and however unfounded. This will easily ruin many legitimate businesses, all on the pretext of 'protecting copyright' from supposed 'financial losses' due to content 'theft'. It also does an awful lot of other things, all of them bad, which are fully detailed in the link above. Now, if anyone thinks that this is far-fetched, just look at how the current 'darling' of the internet, *GoDaddy* operates: they pulled the DNS records of weebly.com, because of one little complaint against the site and without even contacting the domain owner first to advise of the situation. Disgraceful. Give them SOPA and a webmaster doesn't stand a chance, regardless of their size.



 




However, in a revelation that will surprise nobody, it turns out that members of Congress have been downloading illegally themselves - _shock!_ A little investigation by the good people at TorrentFreak has demonstrated that these people are complete and total hypocrites. Yes, _hypocrites_. So, how did they out this revelation? We'll let DailyTech explain the fine details:





> TorrentFreak used Hurricane Electric's handy list of assigned IP blocks (found here) to track down which IP addresses belong to the offices of members of Congress. And lo and behold, when those addresses were compared to results on YouHaveDownloaded, a torrent tracking site, they yielded over 800 hits.
> 
> Now to put this in context YouHaveDownloaded tracks only a tiny portion of torrent traffic, so it appears that Congress -- even as they look to punish lesser mortals for file sharing -- are themselves gleefully committing a "smash and grab" as Vice President Joe Biden (D) once put it.


Yes, that can only mean one thing: one rule for the rich and corrupt elite and another (much harsher and unreasonable) one for the rest of us. Here's a couple of screenshots of the many incriminating results obtained by TorrentFreak:




Pirate Windows! Throw them in jail!





This is porn, the details of which you don't want to know

Hopefully, there will be enough of an outcry to eventually stop this abomination of a bill from ever becoming law.

There's lots more info on this kind of corruption reported daily, over at techdirt.com

Propaganda picture credit: Shepard Fairey

*View at TechPowerUp Main Site*


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## seronx (Dec 31, 2011)

Porn REALLY?


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## entropy13 (Dec 31, 2011)




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## FordGT90Concept (Dec 31, 2011)

You know, those might be by staffers and not the elected officials themselves.  It is also IP address based and we all know how accurate that is (not).  Not saying they're innocent, just pointing out the facts.


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## theJesus (Dec 31, 2011)

I lol'd so hard when I saw "Gangland.Cream.Pie.21" listed there.

edit:  Oh, shush, Ford, nobody wants to hear logic.


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## aradi (Dec 31, 2011)

Damn FreeMasons they want every thing to them self's and nothing to the rest of us

most of the SOPA supporters are free masons


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## qubit (Dec 31, 2011)

FordGT90Concept said:


> You know, those might be by staffers and not the elected officials themselves.  It is also IP address based and we all know how accurate that is (not).  Not saying they're innocent, just pointing out the facts.



That actually doesn't help them at all in terms of justification, because of the following reasons:

- It may or may not be the officials; it's not possible to tell, just like it isn't with private accounts
- Regardless of who it is, the whole organization is supposed to be against illegal downloads, so everyone working for it represents it. If one employee slips up, the whole organization is deemed to have failed
- When some poor schmuck account holder has a friend download something without his knowledge, or has his wi-fi hacked etc, these parasites still try to nail him as the 'responsible party'. Same shit applies here; it don't matter who's done it, the top guy is still liable. Double standards otherwise. Oh, wait...


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## entropy13 (Dec 31, 2011)

Ford harder, troll. I mean troll harder, Ford.


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## newtekie1 (Dec 31, 2011)

I'm waiting for idiots at Congress to use the same excuse the idiots at the RIAA used:  "It totally wasn't us, it was someone else using our IPs!"  Of course it has always been the RIAA's stance that a person IP linked to downloading was enough to sue the shit out of people, and right after saying that lame ass excuse the RIAA sued a bunch more people based solely on the fact that the people's IPs were linked to downloading copyrighted material...


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## Fx (Dec 31, 2011)

aradi said:


> Damn FreeMasons they want every thing to them self's and nothing to the rest of us
> 
> most of the SOPA supporters are free masons



ladies and gentlemen, we have a BINGO over here!


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## Bundy (Dec 31, 2011)

qubit said:


> That actually doesn't help them at all in terms of justification, because of the following reasons:
> 
> - It may or may not be the officials; it's not possible to tell, just like it isn't with private accounts
> - Regardless of who it is, the whole organization is supposed to be against illegal downloads, so everyone working for it represents it. If one employee slips up, the whole organization is deemed to have failed
> - When some poor schmuck account holder has a friend download something without his knowledge, or has his wi-fi hacked etc, these parasites still try to nail him as the 'responsible party'. Same shit applies here; it don't matter who's done it, the top guy is still liable. Double standards otherwise. Oh, wait...



LOL qubit - don't you see what the most logical move that the politicians might do now....the same as if someone revealed drug use in congress. It will involve a witch hunt, not an empathetic withdrawal.


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## Darkleoco (Dec 31, 2011)

Can't wait until this load of shit is thrown out of congress if this kind of hypocrisy isn't dealt with at the top then what kind of example does that set for everyone else? :shadedshu


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## tolzkutz (Dec 31, 2011)

Against piracy and I think it should be persecuted by the law. But closing websites because they used materials by the big media is not very cool. All torrents that represent copyrighted material should be banned though!


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## Fx (Dec 31, 2011)

tolzkutz said:


> Against piracy and I think it should be persecuted by the law. But closing websites because they used materials by the big media is not very cool. All torrents that represent copyrighted material should be banned though!



this is not about piracy- it is about censorship


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## GSquadron (Dec 31, 2011)

nice but the movement needs to be more powerful


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## MicroUnC (Dec 31, 2011)

davidicke.com "Forums" have way more info about SOPA subject than here. Check it out guys!


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## MicroUnC (Dec 31, 2011)

Fx said:


> this is not about piracy- it is about censorship



100% agree!


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## mod2max (Dec 31, 2011)

SOPA... hmmmmm.

I think if this act is inforced then we will see the following changes.


1) The war that is raged over the internet EVERYDAY will increase and become extremely (more so) violent.

*Speaking of war, Anonymous attacked Sony again (did anyone know?). Then Nintendo VERY quietly withdrew their support for SOPA. For full details go to > http://www.geek.com/articles/games/anonymous-targets-sony-over-sopa-nintendo-quietly-withdraws-support-20111230/.

2. Organized (on street) crime will make an extremely violent and unexpected come back.

3. All the people that currently download software will be left with nothing to do, will they consider doing something that will make them heard? Will they murder someone?


Anything bad you can think of is now becoming possible, or is possible once again. 

*WELCOME TO THE NEW AGE!*


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## hardcore_gamer (Dec 31, 2011)

Gotta fight  SOPA!!!

BRB after downloading Gangland


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## _JP_ (Dec 31, 2011)

Politicians are hypocrites. Whoop-de-doo. So people didn't realize that right after electing them? I mean, it doesn't take SOPA to know they are a bunch of people with no ethic.


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## qubit (Dec 31, 2011)

_JP_ said:


> Politicians are hypocrites. Whoop-de-doo. So people didn't realize that right after electing them? I mean, it doesn't take SOPA to know they are a bunch of people with no ethic.



Of course people realized it. However, this information can be used against them to block SOPA - that's the point of outing it.

Anyway, never mind that - Happy New Year!!


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## _JP_ (Dec 31, 2011)

qubit said:


> Of course people realized it. However, this information can be used against them to block SOPA - that's the point of outing it.
> 
> Anyway, never mind that - Happy New Year!!


A campaign to find dirt would help to discredit them all (senators/lobbyists), thus making SOPA look like a badly made joke. Although I think that could also backfire, because if SOPA is taken as a bad joke, it stops having the menacing look/presence and that might be dangerous.
Happy new year.


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## TheMailMan78 (Dec 31, 2011)

aradi said:


> Damn FreeMasons they want every thing to them self's and nothing to the rest of us
> 
> most of the SOPA supporters are free masons


 lol Freemason conspiracy?? You got to be kidding me. Really? This is all the piracy crowd has now?



mod2max said:


> 2. Organized (on street) crime will make an extremely violent and unexpected come back.
> 
> *WELCOME TO THE NEW AGE!*


 Yes because all the Bloods and Crips of L.A. became macfags at the dawn of the internet. Are you a Hells Angel? Theres an app. for that.


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## Suhidu (Dec 31, 2011)

Congress is ready for this, they've all started leeching self-help books like mad. The peer-count on my "Digital Assassination: Protecting Your Reputation" PDF just shot up tremendously.


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## Fx (Jan 1, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> lol Freemason conspiracy?? You got to be kidding me. Really? This is all the piracy crowd has now?
> 
> Yes because all the Bloods and Crips of L.A. became macfags at the dawn of the internet. Are you a Hells Angel? Theres an app. for that.



look at this from an overview instead of with tunnel vision. they proposed SOPA, PIPA and NDAA 2012 all within a *very* short period of time. all of them eviscerate our rights under the Constitution. you can also take note of Fast & Furious and see that is the tried and true Hagalean Dialect method that is meant to undermine the 2nd Amendment

I know it is a lot to believe that they could actually have alternative motives other than the "piracy" or "protection from terrorism" bs they are feeding the public but all of the evidence points towards that direction

"The individual is handicapped by coming face-to-face with a conspiracy so monstrous he cannot believe it exists." 
-J. Edgar Hoover, FBI Director 1924-1972


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## NdMk2o1o (Jan 1, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> lol Freemason conspiracy?? You got to be kidding me. Really? This is all the piracy crowd has now?
> 
> Yes because all the Bloods and Crips of L.A. became macfags at the dawn of the internet. Are you a Hells Angel? Theres an app. for that.



You obviously didn't see the UK riots a few months ago, all organised by gangs (kids) over the interwebs and social media. Telling me there isn't any of that going on in the good ol' US of A? seriously do you read the news everyday and believe it? you do know 90% of it is straight bolacks right? if you think there isn't things going on beyond your control and comprehension by the goverment then hey, you have nothing to worry about, sheep.


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## TheMailMan78 (Jan 1, 2012)

NdMk2o1o said:


> You obviously didn't see the UK riots a few months ago, all organised by gangs (kids) over the interwebs and social media. Telling me there isn't any of that going on in the good ol' US of A? seriously do you read the news everyday and believe it? you do know 90% of it is straight bolacks right? if you think there isn't things going on beyond your control and comprehension by the goverment then hey, you have nothing to worry about, sheep.



Oh I know what SOPA is. I don't agree with it at all. What I was commenting about is the fact people believe their is a freemason conspiracy behind all this. Next thing you know they will be saying the Shriners shoot mind control venom from their funny cars at parade's.







OMG EVERYONE GET DOWN!

As for riots in the streets if they shut off torrents.....well I won't hold my breath.


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## Fx (Jan 1, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> Oh I know what SOPA is. I don't agree with it at all. What I was commenting about is the fact people believe their is a freemason conspiracy behind all this. Next thing you know they will be saying the Shriners shoot mind control venom from their funny cars at parade's.
> 
> As for riots in the streets if they shut off torrents.....well I won't hold my breath.



my point wasnt that I know that it is the Freemason's although they might be collaborating. In general terms, it is the world bankers. many entities are a part of the formation

the US government is hijacked by them. that is all I am going to say for now because I am off to try to enjoy a New Years even though Obama just signed the NDAA Act of 2012 into law. what a great time to choose to do that! what a great present he gives us going into the New Year!!

great, now I get to be pissed while celebrating... peace guys and I hope you have a good New Years party


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## NdMk2o1o (Jan 1, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> Oh I know what SOPA is. I don't agree with it at all. What I was commenting about is the fact people believe their is a freemason conspiracy behind all this. Next thing you know they will be saying the Shriners shoot mind control venom from their funny cars at parade's.
> 
> http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2011/01/02/19/8746736.standalone.prod_affiliate.56.JPG
> 
> ...



You might be all good and happy with the state taking away your ammendments but the rest of your brethren aren't. You really need to take a step outside the box and see what these so-called corporations are proposing to your government before becoming the big I-am and saying death to all pirates, arghhhhh. These laws won't just affect pirates, they will affect the net as we know and aim to stop supply to not only websites hosting pirated material but also any material "deemed" unlawful/we the government don't want you to read, ala China style. Yes, that is the extent of the outcries, people are worried that mainstream pirate sites get taken offline by the government and what is to stop them taking off other sites they see as damaging? Again I mention China, they do not have internet, all they have is one big intranet that they control who sees what and when, now as an american where does that sit with you and your so-called god given rights and ammendments?

Go ahead post another "funny" pic in response.


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## qubit (Jan 1, 2012)

_JP_ said:


> A campaign to find dirt would help to discredit them all (senators/lobbyists), thus making SOPA look like a badly made joke. Although I think that could also backfire, because if SOPA is taken as a bad joke, it stops having the menacing look/presence and that might be dangerous.
> Happy new year.



Heck, you might be right. We can't win, can we?  Mind you, political strategizing* is not my forte so I'm sure there's a way to use this somehow.

*Big word for the small hours of the morning, when I'm half asleep, lol.


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## TheMailMan78 (Jan 1, 2012)

NdMk2o1o said:


> You might be all good and happy with the state taking away your ammendments but the rest of your brethren aren't. You really need to take a step outside the box and see what these so-called corporations are proposing to your government before becoming the big I-am and saying death to all pirates, arghhhhh. These laws won't just affect pirates, they will affect the net as we know and aim to stop supply to not only websites hosting pirated material but also any material "deemed" unlawful/we the government don't want you to read, ala China style. Yes, that is the extent of the outcries, people are worried that mainstream pirate sites get taken offline by the government and what is to stop them taking off other sites they see as damaging? Again I mention China, they do not have internet, all they have is one big intranet that they control who sees what and when, now as an american where does that sit with you and your so-called god given rights and ammendments?
> 
> Go ahead post another "funny" pic in response.



You trust the government to spend your hard earned money on social programs and entitlements. You trust them not to abuse face recognition cameras. You trust your government so much yet you don't trust them to deem what's safe for you to view for entertainment. Hmmmmm hypocritical? lol You wanted big brother to protect you right? Well this is big brother.

No this has to do with you not being able to get your warez anymore. Your freebie train has come to a halt. This is the only good thing I see with having to give up yet ANOTHER personal freedom. At least now some of the thieves will pay. Again thank you pirates for helping along more oppression.


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## Ahhzz (Jan 1, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> lol Freemason conspiracy?? You got to be kidding me. Really? This is all the piracy crowd has now?
> 
> Yes because all the Bloods and Crips of L.A. became macfags at the dawn of the internet. Are you a Hells Angel? Theres an app. for that.



Ah, yes... there's a productive post in the news forums...


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## entropy13 (Jan 1, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> No this has to do with you not being able to get your warez anymore. Your freebie train has come to a halt. This is the only good thing I see with having to give up yet ANOTHER personal freedom. At least now some of the thieves will pay. Again thank you pirates for helping along more oppression.



To be honest, this "freebie train" is actually a return to society of old, when ancient communities have no concept of private property and essentially everything is communal. Having been a major characteristic of ancient societies does not necessarily mean however that it would stay "ancient" and no longer appropriate for "modern" or "post-modern" society.


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## cdawall (Jan 1, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> As for riots in the streets if they shut off torrents.....well I won't hold my breath.



Good luck on that one. Something else will just pop up. Plenty of warez sites, torrents and other methods of sharing out there. GoDaddy doesn't own shit in comparison to the number of sites out there. Not to mention SOPA's ideal is just plain stupid and IMO goes against the entire idea of the internet. I for one hope it dies and do not support it in any way, shape or form. 






I will bring back the little piggies. Just remember every time you copied a tape, burned a copy of a CD or even recorded the superbowl you pirated those.


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## JustaTinkerer (Jan 1, 2012)

I have tried and tried to stay away from anything pirate related  on the forums but SOPA makes it hard.

I have not pirated anything in the past 4 years or so, I was a huge pirate, rated top 500 on bitcomet type bad.

As far as i have seen SOPA will cut down on piracy but in the same hand ,with there power, would also threaten online freedom of speech, this is not on, yeah "pirates are bad" with almost no impact on sales figures as pirates only pirate cos there skint.
But wait till your favorite sites get closed/edited because a forum member said something that SOPA deems against its rules.

IF SOPA makes it in then 5 years from now the internet wont be what the internet is now.
By all means stop piracy, be it by  ISP disclosure for the worse offenders(like virgin in UK) or by retailers moving to another medium for sales.
I own no DVDs, its old fashioned and streaming from my PC is more convenient, I use lovefilm for £8 a month I can watch films 24/7 if I feel like it. 
ONLIVE for games is looking promising for games etc....

What Im saying is SOPA is making a mountain out of a molehill, if given power will change the interwebz forever


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## Frizz (Jan 1, 2012)

We've sent man to the moon and back decades ago. Why doesn't the media focus on something like media devices being able to recognize pirated content? I'm sure it's possible. Let's not forget the cloud is surfacing also, that could give many possibilities to preventing piracy in the future. Anyway imagine if pirated songs were recognized by the iPod/phone imagine how many people will actually feel obliged to legitimately buy their music. I barely call SOPA a solution, it seems more like its an excuse to purposely invade our privacy online.


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## silkstone (Jan 1, 2012)

I just looked at the "you have downloaded" link and it's complete BS. It lists 4 files that i have not downloaded. And, yes i am the only person with access to my connection.


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## cdawall (Jan 1, 2012)

silkstone said:


> I just looked at the "you have downloaded" link and it's complete BS. It lists 4 files that i have not downloaded. And, yes i am the only person with access to my connection.








Haha I don't exist.


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## Frick (Jan 1, 2012)

cdawall said:


> http://img.techpowerup.org/120101/Capture199.jpg
> 
> Haha I don't exist.



Same here!


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## JustaTinkerer (Jan 1, 2012)

I clicked on the link as well....


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## etayorius (Jan 1, 2012)

I hope they catch them downloading kid porn, which i am sure they probably have.

How come i am not on the damn list! morons... how dare they ignore me in their list i have download tons of Games! HAR HAR!


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 1, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> Again thank you pirates for helping along more oppression.



This is exactly what this all comes down too. The whole copyright law situation is a mess that needs serious reform but nice job, fools. You have totally enabled this type of shit to fly and perhaps even actually become law.


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## theJesus (Jan 2, 2012)

random said:


> We've sent man to the moon and back decades ago. Why doesn't the media focus on something like media devices being able to recognize pirated content? I'm sure it's possible. Let's not forget the cloud is surfacing also, that could give many possibilities to preventing piracy in the future. Anyway imagine if pirated songs were recognized by the iPod/phone imagine how many people will actually feel obliged to legitimately buy their music. I barely call SOPA a solution, it seems more like its an excuse to purposely invade our privacy online.


Ever heard of DRM?


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## Frizz (Jan 2, 2012)

theJesus said:


> Ever heard of DRM?



Nope . That's the problem, anyway I was thinking of more restrictive measures, sure it could recognize pirate content but it doesn't in anyway at all restrict that content from being played on that media device now does it.


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## Fx (Jan 2, 2012)

Wrigleyvillain said:


> This is exactly what this all comes down too. The whole copyright law situation is a mess that needs serious reform but nice job, fools. You have totally enabled this type of shit to fly and perhaps even actually become law.



you are believing exactly what the government wants the masses to think...

again, this isnt about piracy- it is about censorship. I am not saying that there isnt a piracy problem that the RIAA has been ranting & raving about forever but the government is masquerading this legislation around under that disguise. "piracy" is just smoke & mirrors to distract us from their real intentions. dont take my word for it. do some research on all of the latest, major laws/legislation and you will see that this only a part of a sweeping power grab for our Constitutional rights within a very short period of time. why, you might wonder? hmm, possibly preparation for civil unrest

sorry, I am not trying to hijack this thread but SOPA in my opinion is far more about politics than it is about piracy and it is scaring the hell out of me. this is a very bad dream that I cant wake up from


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## pr0n Inspector (Jan 2, 2012)

I can't believe it has come to this. We are now talking about conspiracy bullshit in a "news" post about piracy.

Three months ago this thread wouldn't make it past the third post. What the fuck happened?


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## Fx (Jan 2, 2012)

pr0n Inspector said:


> I can't believe it has come to this. We are now talking about conspiracy bullshit in a "news" post about piracy.
> 
> Three months ago this thread wouldn't make it past the third post. What the fuck happened?



yep, this must all be in my imagination even though new laws/legislation are slapping you in the face left & right. lets all just grumble about it and accept it. after all, why should we complain right? everything will be better eventually...

I apologizing for revealing this "tech news" as the political stunt that it is. you are right- it must be a loony conspiracy despite the fact that Martial Law just became codified into law. there is no relationship between the two. it is purely just coincidental timing


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## NinkobEi (Jan 2, 2012)

Are we just posting copyright infringements? ooh I have one


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## pr0n Inspector (Jan 2, 2012)

Fx said:


> yep, this must all be in my imagination even though new laws/legislation are slapping you in the face left & right. lets all just grumble about it and accept it. after all, why should we complain right? everything will be better eventually...
> 
> I apologizing for revealing this "tech news" as the political stunt that it is. you are right- it must be a loony conspiracy despite the fact that Martial Law just became codified into law. there is no relationship between the two. it is purely just coincidental timing



Threads about piracy always go down the toilet. But now we have nut jobs like you spewing conspiracy bullshit, well that just brings it to a whole new level, a much lower one of course.


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 2, 2012)

Fx said:


> you are believing exactly what the government wants the masses to think...
> 
> again, this isnt about piracy- it is about censorship.



Yes...I'm not an idiot...but it's rampant piracy and copyright infringement since the advent of the internet that allows a censorship laden and freedom-stomping bill like SOPA to even be drafted and debated in the first place. Sure, the internet in it's present (essentially accidental) form simply allows us too many various and even new "freedoms" which Big Brother and Big Business does not like at all for various reasons from unregulated and untaxed commerce to Occupy Wall Street organizing over social media. But if not for the intellectual property "theft" that goes on daily I really don't think they'd have a politically viable reason for exercising such "control" over it as SOPA would dictate and make reality.

I don't know if this will pass. But it sure has a good chance. And going on from there I can say for sure that, regardless, the internet in 2022 will be a helluva lot different than the one we know in 2012 and surely not in a "good" way.


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## Fx (Jan 2, 2012)

Wrigleyvillain said:


> Yes...I'm not an idiot...but it's rampant piracy and copyright infringement since the advent of the internet that allows a censorship laden and freedom-stomping bill like SOPA to even be drafted and debated in the first place. Sure, the internet in it's present (essentially accidental) form simply allows us too many various and even new "freedoms" which Big Brother and Big Business does not like at all for various reasons from unregulated and untaxed commerce to Occupy Wall Street organizing over social media. But if not for the intellectual property "theft" that goes on daily I really don't think they'd have a politically viable reason for exercising such "control" over it as SOPA would dictate and make reality.
> 
> I don't know if this will pass. But it sure has a good chance. And going on from there I can say for sure that, regardless, the internet in 2022 will be a helluva lot different than the one we know in 2012 and surely not in a "good" way.



I am inclined to get irritated at people for acting like this but I cant blame you. I know you guys are smart but you have been conditioned to think in a certain way. I used to have the same opinions and say that same things about the type of person I have become. you need to be prodded to look at things differently. you need to wake up

reality check
reality check

stop watching main stream media and research online before all of the evidence is censored!

“All problems, depressions, wars, disasters, assassinations, all of them were planned, caused, instigated, and implemented by the International Bankers and their attempt to establish a central bank in every country in the world, which they have now done, thanks to corrupt politicians who have been bought and paid for. This is all you need to know about the history of the world.”
-John F. Kennedy


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## Mr McC (Jan 2, 2012)

Land of the free? So long as you're a big company or a bank. Perhaps large corporations should have done and remove all individual rights from the constitution in one foul swoop. That at least would expose the freedom and democracy on which the US was once allegedly based as fallacies.

There are no need for conspiracy theories, rights are clearly being eroded and a tech site that failed to report on these developments simply wouldn't be doing its job. The problem does not lie with quibit and his journalistic focus, but rather with US politicans who amount to little more than the voice of corporate interest. Quibit did not invent this news, he merely reported it.

Moreover, given that employment figures are on the increase and that both Europe and the US appear intent on placing the burden of the financial crisis on the taxpayer rather than the bank, freedom of speech will inevitably run contrary to government/corporate interests.

Of course, if you wish to believe that such laws are set in motion to thwart the illicit downloading of games, that is your prerogative.


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## qubit (Jan 2, 2012)

Mr McC said:


> Land of the free? So long as you're a big company or a bank. Perhaps large corporations should have done and remove all individual rights from the constitution in one foul swoop. That at least would expose the freedom and democracy on which the US was once allegedly based as fallacies.
> 
> *There are no need for conspiracy theories, rights are clearly being eroded and a tech site that failed to report on these developments simply wouldn't be doing its job. The problem does not lie with quibit and his journalistic focus, but rather with US politicans who amount to little more than the voice of corporate interest. Quibit did not invent this news.*
> 
> ...



Ahmen brother, thank you so much, +1 the whole post. 

And as far the highlighted bit goes, it's a classic case of shooting the messenger by the corporate apologists on here/people that want to stick their heads in the sand. Heck, I'm used to it by now and totally expect it when reporting on abuses like this. Whatever. I'll continue doing what's best for TPU and people as a whole by getting those stories on here, where everyone (not just TPU members) can see them. Knowledge of these abuses is power. Notice how SOPA doesn't get a mention in mainstream corporate news channels or papers? This is a high magnitude bill, so the fact that it's not being reported on is no accident. The powerful corporate lobbyists that control the media and the government (they _are_ their sock puppets, think substantial campaign and party donations) want to keep everyone in the dark until it's too late. We must prevent this as much as possible. Heck, just now, btarunr has posted a news story about more companies 'withdrawing' support for SOPA. See? This subject is very much within TPU's remit.

Also, everyone should know, I was actually _asked_ to write this article by management, on TPU. So yes, these are new developments that need to be reported on and the kind of stories that are reported on here evolve over time. Think: technology and everything related to it changes at a massive pace, so how ridiculous would it be if TPU stayed the same as several years ago?


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## TheMailMan78 (Jan 2, 2012)

Mr McC said:


> Land of the free? So long as you're a big company or a bank. Perhaps large corporations should have done and remove all individual rights from the constitution in one foul swoop. That at least would expose the freedom and democracy on which the US was once allegedly based as fallacies.
> 
> There are no need for conspiracy theories, rights are clearly being eroded and a tech site that failed to report on these developments simply wouldn't be doing its job. The problem does not lie with quibit and his journalistic focus, but rather with US politicans who amount to little more than the voice of corporate interest. Quibit did not invent this news, he merely reported it.
> 
> ...



See this is what you don't understand. Nobody thinks this is about stopping piracy. You are right. This is about control. What you don't get is why people like Wrigleyvillain and I are pissed. See the governments of the world. Not just the U.S. are about control even if you don't wanna hear that. The U.S. is just an easy scape goat. Anyway ALL governments want power. That's their very nature. Power. They have been looking for a reason for YEARS to clamp down on the web. But how? You just cant censor like China right? SO they need a good reason. Pirates gave it to them on a silver platter. So yeah thanks pirate. We all have to suffer because of you.

As for this being front page news well......I was on these stories well before they were posted here. I didn't report them. Why? Because of this crap. We argue about things well out of our control and it ends up being a debate about things most people don't have a full grasp on. Threads like this create animosity between members and instead of taking about RAM timings and silicon doping we argue things like politics and religion. Things NONE of us can agree on, EVER. This is why I don't report SOPA, piracy or any other political news. This isnt news. Its flame bait the way its reported.


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 2, 2012)

Amen.


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## qubit (Jan 2, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> See this is what you don't understand. Nobody thinks this is about stopping piracy. You are right. This is about control. What you don't get is why people like Wrigleyvillain and I are pissed. See the governments of the world. Not just the U.S. are about control even if you don't wanna hear that. The U.S. is just an easy scape goat. Anyway ALL governments want power. That's their very nature. Power. They have been looking for a reason for YEARS to clamp down on the web. But how? You just cant censor like China right? SO they need a good reason. Pirates gave it to them on a silver platter. So yeah thanks pirate. We all have to suffer because of you.
> 
> As for this being front page news well......I was on these stories well before they were posted here. I didn't report them. Why? Because of this crap. We argue about things well out of our control and it ends up being a debate about things most people don't have a full grasp on. Threads like this create animosity between members and instead of taking about RAM timings and silicon doping we argue things like politics and religion. Things NONE of us can agree on, EVER. This is why I don't report SOPA, piracy or any other political news. This isnt news. Its flame bait.



I agree with part of what you say, MM.

I agree that all governments want this kind of totalitarian control and they are most suredly using 'piracy' as a scapegoat to implement crap like this. :shadedshu

I don't agree with blaming 'pirates' over the actions of big corps and government though.

And as far as reporting it and the heated conversations that occur? Well yes, you're gonna get disagreements and the conversation isn't always pretty, but that's human nature, man. And people _do_ agree, not everyone sure, but there is agreement all right. It's not a reason to run away from it and pretend it doesn't exist, because this sh*t f*cks us all over, whether you're aware of it or not, so better to see it coming. Look, I'm not the only one posting about this, as you can see, so the idea of reporting on this subject is not coming from me, but right from the top. Ultimately, the more that this stuff is discussed over the internet, regardles of its tone, the more that awareness of it will increase in the general population and there will be resistance to it. Look, it's already happening as it is, as you can see.

Personally, I think you should write at least _one_ SOPA article and let us have your viewpoint on the issue within it. It would make for an interesting conversation and I'd be happy to debate it with you.


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## Fx (Jan 2, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> See this is what you don't understand. Nobody thinks this is about stopping piracy. You are right. This is about control. What you don't get is why people like Wrigleyvillain and I are pissed. See the governments of the world. Not just the U.S. are about control even if you don't wanna hear that. The U.S. is just an easy scape goat. Anyway ALL governments want power. That's their very nature. Power. They have been looking for a reason for YEARS to clamp down on the web. But how? You just cant censor like China right? SO they need a good reason. Pirates gave it to them on a silver platter. So yeah thanks pirate. We all have to suffer because of you.
> 
> As for this being front page news well......I was on these stories well before they were posted here. I didn't report them. Why? Because of this crap. We argue about things well out of our control and it ends up being a debate about things most people don't have a full grasp on. Threads like this create animosity between members and instead of taking about RAM timings and silicon doping we argue things like politics and religion. Things NONE of us can agree on, EVER. This is why I don't report SOPA, piracy or any other political news. This isnt news. Its flame bait the way its reported.




mailman, did you see this link? the guy is goofy and presents it in an annoying fashion but these corporations sponsored piracy via all of these trusted sources. they were advocating piracy and now they are advocating SOPA. playing millions of people like fools

pathetic


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## TheMailMan78 (Jan 2, 2012)

qubit said:


> I agree with part of what you say, MM.
> 
> I agree that all governments want this kind of totalitarian control and they are most suredly using 'piracy' as a scapegoat to implement crap like this. :shadedshu
> 
> ...


 No I won't report it with my view. I report the news. Not my view. That's what forum posts are for. I don't think your doing anyone a favor reporting your view. Just report the news and let people make up their own mind without a biased slant on the subject from the get-go. What your doing now is very Fox news. 



Fx said:


> mailman, did you see this link? the guy is goofy and presents it in an annoying fashion but these corporations sponsored piracy via all of these trusted sources. they were advocating piracy and now they are advocating SOPA. playing millions like fools
> 
> pathetic


 Oh ok. So if a girl wears a short skirt she should be raped? No just like you want to hold congress for its actions you have to hold PEOPLE for theirs. Nobody forced anyone to download stuff they didn't pay for. They did that all by themselves.


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## Fx (Jan 2, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> No I won't report it with my view. I report the news. Not my view. That's what forum posts are for. I don't think your doing anyone a favor reporting your view. Just report the news and let people make up their own mind without a biased slant on the subject from the get-go. What your doing now is very Fox news.
> 
> Oh ok. So if a girl wears a short skirt she should be raped? No just like you want to hold congress for its actions you have to hold PEOPLE for theirs. Nobody forced anyone to download stuff they didn't pay for. They did that all by themselves.



this isnt the type of issue nor a convenient time to be politically correct... I digress with any further questions posed to you

and btw, all main stream media sucks ass so to try and even bring Fox or into this holds no merit *whatsover* and for that matter diluting the topic with some hypothetical scenario is a waste of time


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## TheMailMan78 (Jan 2, 2012)

Fx said:


> this isnt the type of issue nor a convenient time to be politically correct... I digress with any further questions posed to you



Yeah I know its tough when facts get in the way of ideology. Beware the PM monkeys by the way.


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## qubit (Jan 2, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> No I won't report it with my view. I report the news. Not my view. That's what forum posts are for. I don't think your doing anyone a favor reporting your view. Just report the news and let people make up their own mind without a biased slant on the subject from the get-go. What your doing now is very Fox news.



Then just report it!  It doesn't matter too much which style you use, just get the story out there. 

As far as putting my view in it, you should realize just how many other websites put their view in it too - just check out the source site, DailyTech, for this story to see what I mean. We'll just have to disagree on reporting styles - and I respect whatever style you choose to use - but I don't see why I shouldn't report abuses for what they are and word it strongly. If one really wants 'neutral'/bland reporting, then that's what the BBC is for.

btw I don't watch Fox news. I take it they load their analysis/commentary/opinions into a lot of their stories? Sounds interesting.


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## TheMailMan78 (Jan 2, 2012)

qubit said:


> Then just report it!  It doesn't matter too much which style you use, just get the story out there.
> 
> As far as putting my view in it, you should realize just how many other websites put their view in it too - just check out the source site, DailyTech, for this story to see what I mean. We'll just have to disagree on reporting styles - and I respect whatever style you choose to use - but I don't see why I shouldn't report abuses for what they are and word it strongly. If one really wants 'neutral'/bland reporting, then that's what the BBC is for.
> 
> btw I don't watch Fox news. I take it they load their analysis/commentary/opinions into a lot of their stories? Sounds interesting.



Yes FOX is a top tier news platform. You would fit right in.


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## Fx (Jan 2, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> Yeah I know its tough when facts get in the way of ideology. Beware the PM monkeys by the way.



tough? that is funny in a pathetic way

it is also funny to see you initially arguing that there was no conspiracy and it was just about piracy yet now you own up to the fact that it is a political stunt using piracy to further their agenda and go even further to posture yourself as the one to call it out along with Wrigley

whatever dude. whatever



qubit said:


> As far as putting my view in it, you should realize just how many other websites put their view in it too - just check out the source site, DailyTech, for this story to see what I mean. We'll just have to disagree on reporting styles - and I respect whatever style you choose to use - but I don't see why I shouldn't report abuses for what they are and word it strongly. If one really wants 'neutral'/bland reporting, then that's what the BBC is for.



thats right qubit. it is what it is


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## trickson (Jan 2, 2012)

Well if congress debates this like they do every thing else it will pass with out any objections . You must understand congress is filled with suite dummy's all they want are votes and this will get them the votes to stay in office .


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## TheMailMan78 (Jan 2, 2012)

Fx said:


> tough? that is funny in a pathetic way
> 
> it is funny to see you initially arguing that there was no conspiracy and it was just about piracy yet now you own up to the fact that it is a political stunt using piracy to further their agenda and go even further to posture yourself as the one to call it out along with Wrigley
> 
> whatever dude. whatever



There is no freemason conspiracy. As a matter of fact there is no conspiracy at all. Its all very open to be honest. I do enjoy watching all the excuses by people who have been breaking the law for years however. They all look for "conspiracy" against them. When in the end they can only blame themselves.


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## qubit (Jan 2, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> Yes FOX is a top tier news platform. You would fit right in.



Dismissive. Not constructive. Nice.


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## trickson (Jan 2, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> There is no freemason conspiracy. As a matter of fact there is no conspiracy at all. Its all very open to be honest. I do enjoy watching all the excuses by people who have been breaking the law for years however. They all look for "conspiracy" against them. When in the end they can only blame themselves.



I agree . But isn't this more about big brother controlling every thing ? I mean give them an inch and they will take a mile ! Trust me on this . No matter how one looks at this they want to control the internet and all computers every where and THEY WILL ! It is a shame that we can not get the people that do this crap to stop . If you want some thing buy it if you can not buy it then don't steal it ! Theft is wrong ! And it only hurts every one that doesn't steal !


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## TheMailMan78 (Jan 2, 2012)

qubit said:


> Dismissive. Not constructive. Nice.



I wasnt being dismissive. Not at all. Your news style is that of FOX news. One of the most watched news stations in the world.


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## Fx (Jan 2, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> There is no freemason conspiracy. As a matter of fact there is no conspiracy at all. Its all very open to be honest. I do enjoy watching all the excuses by people who have been breaking the law for years however. They all look for "conspiracy" against them. When in the end they can only blame themselves.



your life is filled with conspiracies and it is truly sad that you cant realize it

a vast amount of information of what you know and think you understand is a based off of conspiracies or the indirect impact from the existence of conspiracies...

you probably wont ever realize that because you dont want to research it, which is fine because after all... each man to his own right?



trickson said:


> I agree . But isn't this more about big brother controlling every thing ? I mean give them an inch and they will take a mile ! Trust me on this . No matter how one looks at this they want to control the internet and all computers every where and THEY WILL ! It is a shame that we can not get the people that do this crap to stop.



yep, it is crazy how much power and control we have given them all while trusting them. but they are the ones being controlled to control us. that simple fact is the reason why everything is screwed up right now and many people have WTF bubbles over their head wondering how it got this bad

 we werent aware of the 3rd parties...


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## trickson (Jan 2, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> I wasnt being dismissive. Not at all. Your news style is that of FOX news. One of the most watched news stations in the world.



So ? I watch FOX news . Sure is better than watching CNN with Nancy Disgrace or Dr. Drew ! Talk about one sided !


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## TheMailMan78 (Jan 2, 2012)

Fx said:


> your life is filled with conspiracies and it is truly sad that you cant realize it
> 
> a vast amount of information of what you know and think you understand is a based off of conspiracies or the indirect impact from the existence of conspiracies...
> 
> you probably wont ever realize that because you dont want to research it, which is fine because after all... each man to his own right?



Or I could just pay my bills. Follow my conscience. Take care of my children and not steal from people and let the dogs of war howl. I am well read in a lot of things and have been to many nations. Nothing new is being done today. Nothing at all. Thinking their is a shadow behind every corner will lead you to insanity. Just live your life and watch your ass. Its all anyone can do.


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## trickson (Jan 2, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> Or I could just pay my bills. Follow my conscience. Take care of my children and not steal from people and let the dogs of war howl. I am well read in a lot of things and have been to many nations. Nothing new is being done today. Nothing at all. Thinking their is a shadow behind every corner will lead you to insanity. Just live your life and watch your ass. Its all anyone can do.



You got it brother !


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## Fx (Jan 2, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> Or I could just pay my bills. Follow my conscience. Take care of my children and not steal from people and let the dogs of war howl. I am well read in a lot of things and have been to many nations. Nothing new is being done today. Nothing at all. Thinking their is a shadow behind every corner will lead you to insanity. Just live your life and watch your ass. Its all anyone can do.



*Agree:*
pay bills
follow conscience
take care of family
do not steal
let loose the dogs of war
well read (awesome)
thinking their is a shadow behind every corner

*Disagree:*
Nothing new is being done today(I severely disagree)

if you want to better understand war history you should google Hegelian Dialectic and false-flag. this has been used by all of the tyrants that you can think and dates all the way back to Roman times. I can soundly say that the US uses it *a lot*. a fine example is SOPA and dare I mention towers which introduced the Patriot Act


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## trickson (Jan 2, 2012)

Ok You 2 need to chill out Please . FX and TheMailMan78 Please just agree to disagree and move on .


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## Fx (Jan 2, 2012)

trickson said:


> Ok You 2 need to chill out Please . FX and TheMailMan78 Please just agree to disagree and move on .



I have chilled out after his last post. I see that we have a lot in common


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## TheMailMan78 (Jan 2, 2012)

Fx said:


> I have chilled out after his last post. I see that we have a lot in common



We have a lot in common. I just know how this story end. Its always ends the same way.

See its the cycle of man. 

1. Man builds a immature society.
2. Man becomes prosperous as society matures.
3. Society matures fully and becomes corrupt.
4. Man tears down society and builds a new one.

See the founders of America knew of step 3. They lived it. This is why they didn't want a centralized power. A super government with super power. They knew absolute power corrupts. But their mistake was they thought they could change mans natural order. That's was like trying to make water not wet.

How many times have we done this? How many more? This story is as old as man himself. There is no conspiracies. Just a bunch of squirrels trying to catch a nut.


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## trickson (Jan 2, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> We have a lot in common. I just know how this story end. Its always ends the same way.
> 
> See its the cycle of man.
> 
> ...




LOL ! You know how right your are ! Can't wait till Dec. 21st ... We are all going to DIE !


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## TheMailMan78 (Jan 2, 2012)

trickson said:


> LOL ! You know how right your are ! Can't wait till Dec. 21st ... We are all going to DIE !



This is why I don't chase shadows. I don't see people out to get me. I don't believe in vast conspiracies. People are far to incompetent for that.


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## qubit (Jan 2, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> This is why I don't chase shadows. I don't see people out to get me. I don't believe in vast conspiracies. *People are far to incompetent for that.*



Yes, that's embarrassingly true, isn't it, lol.


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## Mr McC (Jan 2, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> See this is what you don't understand. Nobody thinks this is about stopping piracy. You are right. This is about control. What you don't get is why people like Wrigleyvillain and I are pissed. See the governments of the world. Not just the U.S. are about control even if you don't wanna hear that. The U.S. is just an easy scape goat. Anyway ALL governments want power. That's their very nature. Power. They have been looking for a reason for YEARS to clamp down on the web. But how? You just cant censor like China right? SO they need a good reason. *Pirates gave it to them on a silver platter. So yeah thanks pirate. We all have to suffer because of you.
> *
> As for this being front page news well......I was on these stories well before they were posted here. I didn't report them. Why? Because of this crap. We argue about things well out of our control and it ends up being a debate about things most people don't have a full grasp on. Threads like this create animosity between members and instead of taking about RAM timings and silicon doping we argue things like politics and religion. Things NONE of us can agree on, EVER. This is why I don't report SOPA, piracy or any other political news. This isnt news. Its flame bait the way its reported.



I have never felt animosity towards you, Wrigley (quite the opposite actually) or any other member, nor would I feel animosity simply because we disagree on certain issues. In any event, we agree about the larger picture. 

Where we disagree is where you place the blame on pirates. I don't expect to do jail time because other people are stealing, nor do I expect to have my rights restricted as a means of curbing piracy. If it wasn't piracy, there would simply be another excuse.

A Marxist might argue that nothing is apolitical, even RAM timings and silicon doping, and often what we choose to ignore tells us more about ourselves than the opinions we voice.

Nevertheless, I fully understand your wish for an entirely tech focused site; however, I feel that it is impossible to separate tech and politics in today's world, particularly in light of recent developments.

In Spain, the recently ousted government attempted to pass a similar law (ley Sinde), which fell flat on its face, but it is only a matter of time before the new executive attempts to pass comparable legislation and in this sense, Spain and the rest of the world are awaiting the outcome of the SOPA debate.

By the way, happy new year.


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## aradi (Jan 3, 2012)

If I may,,

Just for informative reasons 

you could just watch " The Arrivals " Series ... Just Google it


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## Mr McC (Jan 3, 2012)

aradi said:


> If I may,,
> 
> Just for informative reasons
> 
> you could just watch " The Arrivals " Series ... Just Google it



My dear sir, if I may, merely for informative purposes, I can forego that pleasure.


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## silkstone (Jan 4, 2012)

Conspiracies do exist. People conspire against one another in many different fashions, i'm sure lots of you have conspired against various people in different stages of your life.
The more power someone has, inherently, the bigger the conspiracy. Probably not along the lines of lizard people. But there are conspiracies everywhere, from the mundanely small to the massive. Albeit the latter is less prolific but to deny they exist is to live under a rock.


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