What is Digg?59 Comments
- whereisian, on 08/01/2008, -2/+64Nice "transparent" government you've built there Harper. The election can't come soon enough.
- bradwjensen, on 08/01/2008, -2/+45It must be bad if they have to do it in secret.. They're all scared of us and our power as people.
- tehchicken, on 08/01/2008, -2/+31***** HARPER
- cnosal, on 08/01/2008, -2/+24What happened to the days when democracies represented the people? I know we don't have the expertise or time to be directly involved in drafting every law, but I believe that any secret law should be struck down as invalid. This is why I have little faith in humanity.
- paulzy, on 08/01/2008, -0/+19Is it just me or is Canada getting ignored less in the news these days? feels a bit like deflection...
- SneakyNinja, on 08/01/2008, -0/+18"That's how we know, for instance, that the MPAA favors jamming some kind of 'three strikes and you're off the Internet' law into the agreement, while the RIAA wants to criminalize even noncommercial piracy. "
Nice... it's not like we needed more proof to validate the RIAA has no clue what they are talking about, but here it is again. Anyone care to explain how you can keep someone off of the internet? What are they going to do to monitor that? - Kjoery, on 08/01/2008, -1/+15Being a Canadian, USian politics has been extremely depressing, but at least it's also been interesting. Canadian politics, on the other hand, is just depressing, considering the state of our political parties.
- serif69, on 08/01/2008, -1/+13You mean to tell me that a parliamentary government system shut people with vested interest out of the negotiations because they might possibly be in cahoots with the industry lobbies? Preposterous!
- Protoman, on 08/01/2008, -0/+12***** Harper, the Conservatives, the MPAA and the RIAA.
- whereisian, on 08/01/2008, -0/+10The source would be Michael Geist, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law. He's pretty far from ignorant.
The information was only revealed after a Freedom of Information request. That's pretty secret.
Yes, ACTA is public. How it is being formulated and who has input is not. They even address this on the FAQ. The FAQ is contradicted by the information from the Freedom of Information request.
http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-ac ...
I have a vested interest in this as I work in Library and Archives. - whereisian, on 08/01/2008, -0/+9I'm guessing you're like about 70% of Canadians. Fiscally conservative, socially liberal. The new conservatives have shown themselves to be the opposite - fiscally liberal, socially conservative.
They've blown the 11 year streak from budget surpluses - this quarter has a 500mil deficit. They've restricted freedom - reforming minimum sentence to be punitive instead of rehabilitative. Beefed up drug laws even though the country by and large has been voting the other way for over a decade. They muzzle their own MPs and punish those who don't tow the party line. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
Think about this when the next election comes around. I miss the Progressive Conservative party - they might have gotten my vote - but not this new crop of fools. - carrtoonist, on 08/01/2008, -1/+9They can't stop the pirates and they never will. They will, however, take away most of our rights while trying. Pretty soon, a good pirated movie or two will be all we have left.
I hope that the police will start randomly beating on me in public to stop the rapists. We really need to do something about the rapists. - Meekus, on 08/01/2008, -0/+8Theres a new form of fascism today that is mingled with corporatism. And the problem is that this new fascism goes hand in hand with governments. IE - governments are very friendly with corporations by way of subsidizing and lobbying. Backs are getting scratched that are ultimately taking a major financial toll on the middleclass and poor.
- serif69, on 08/01/2008, -1/+8I wish they would stop calling themselves Conservatives, along with the neocons in America. They want more powerful government and less individual freedom.
- HonoredMule, on 08/01/2008, -0/+7I for one appreciate the attention. Our government is in desperate need of it.
- SurfingMonkey, on 08/01/2008, -0/+5Yeah this is the proper equation. Bush + Harper = North American Rape
- kevro, on 08/01/2008, -1/+6Aerosmith says, "let's stop the New World Order"
I've got some CD's to throw at them. - SquigglyP, on 08/01/2008, -0/+5look out Canada. You're starting to look like the US.
- cheesehead, on 08/01/2008, -0/+5I wish these bush wannabe neo cons would stop calling themselves Canadian. They're giving us a bad name.
- funkyloki, on 08/01/2008, -0/+4I'll grant you that. But to have the only "evidence" for this bill put forward by industry insiders that would profit from this, and not to hear an opposing view at all, whether it comes from the unwashed masses, or an organization that wants to protect the rights of said masses, is not acceptable. We might as well say that the neo-democratic government is "of the corporation, by the corporation, and for the corporation." Forget what is true and just, what is right, it's all about who has the most money now, and that is not going to change anytime soon.
RISE UP! - josh0518, on 08/01/2008, -0/+4This is ridiculous! Is there any way to stop the government from signing onto ACTA?
ACTA is just friggin ridiculous, we should not have to be subject to all those rules especially when you basically have no legal rights whatsoever.
I shouldn't have voted conservatives... Although the other choices were pretty crap too... - xperim, on 08/01/2008, -0/+4It is really too bad that we as a public are not able to come together to challenge these types of things. What happened to those days?
- barius, on 08/01/2008, -0/+4You want to beat them? Stop listening to 'big name' music, don't pay for it, don't even acknowledge it's existence. Learn about Indie music and the Creative Commons where real artists who love making art (not just money) go to show the world the unlimited bounds of human creativity.
Same for movies and games. - bubba9999, on 08/02/2008, -0/+3Don't worry, Canada. The first handful of rights and civil liberties they steal from you are the ones that hurt the most. You barely notice the rest of them slipping away. Love, the US.
- McMahon9, on 08/01/2008, -0/+3I thought Canada just wanted some of that internet money.
- inactive, on 08/01/2008, -9/+12Harper = Bush = Sarkozy
- briansearles, on 08/01/2008, -1/+4Your math is bad.
- DemonWasp, on 08/01/2008, -1/+4Yeah, we know. Apologies to the rest of the world; we're trying to rein it in.
Well, some of us are. NDP / Green party...anything but this ***** back-and-forth between "Conservative" and "Liberal". - liuite, on 08/01/2008, -0/+3democracy and capitalism has been replaced by corporatism
- OmegaWolf, on 08/01/2008, -0/+2People would have to stop being lazy and ignorant. Most people these days only care about Survivor and Dancing with the Stars. A lot of people probably aren't even aware that this is going on and won't be until they find they're not allowed to rip music from their CDs to go on their iPods.
- SquigglyP, on 08/02/2008, -0/+2I know what you mean, that sort of crap going on here has permeated every level of society now. I wish people could get over the fake little 'left vs right' war the politicians and radio / news hosts brainwash them with, but I guess it's easier to control a crowd of people when they're so willing to be irrational.
- HonoredMule, on 08/01/2008, -0/+2Check, and check.
- inactive, on 08/01/2008, -0/+2people have generally given up their power embracing all powerful governments who are all too eager to take the power and "solve societies problems" the problem is that the more they do, the less transparent they become, and the less power the people have.
Really if the people had the power they would be able to give open and free input on legislation, they would be able to give open and free input on policies, treaties, and other things. When was the last time people (from a variety of countries) got to vote on a treaty, sweeping legislation, or any number of other things?
This applies to europe (the lisbon treaty being a recent example where referendums were denied to the people except ireland where it was shot down), the US, Canada and other places that claim the people are empowered and the governments serve them. - valenca, on 08/02/2008, -0/+2Wow what a shocker, did anyone expect anything different after our Conservative overlords pulled the same stunt with the new copyright law that they are trying to shove down our throats?
- BeefBaron, on 08/02/2008, -0/+2What power? Try to do anything about it and they'll set the riot squads on your arse.
- artfuldodga, on 08/01/2008, -0/+1this is canada preppin to be the next super power, gotta learn the ropes from the good ole US of A
- mCanada, on 08/01/2008, -0/+1I'm not sure why you're getting dug down. +1
- guntario, on 08/01/2008, -0/+1The government's lack of concern is very often looked at as acting in secret. The reason people call it secret because they are never informed on the decisions being made by their leaders. It certainly seems secret when certain laws pass congress in emergency sessions that stomp on our God given rights. When the government has to keep things hush hush, it is never good. Heck even if they are very loud, I'm concerned. And just because they put a link on a page with contact info does not mean they are concerned with keeping the people informed, or about what they think.
- ub40, on 01/20/2009, -0/+1
Hmmmm...Canadians
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http://www.loanmodifyexpress.com/
http://asiangirlsshorts.blogspot.com/ - xtremesniper, on 08/01/2008, -0/+1There must be a Canadian editor at Ars Technica. There's been a lot of news regarding the Canadian industry there lately.
- Swift2, on 08/01/2008, -4/+5You mean, poor kid, you think that the public versions will be what's passed? The industry groups get not only top-level briefing, they get to write the law, doofus. Meanwhile, go to a website and read a sanitized and incomplete version of the truth.
Ars Technica is an Excellent blog, and is filled with actual intelligent people, not the "trust your masters" sort whom you apparently are most comfortable with. - laughinggame, on 08/01/2008, -1/+2this is pretty obvious
D: - inactive, on 08/01/2008, -1/+2That what representative democracy means.
If a referendum had to be held for every single decision made, we'd still be arguing about letting women vote. It's just not feasible.
The problem lies again with the population. While elected representatives have a responsibility towards their electors, electors have the responsibility to police the government.
If citizens were more responsible and more involved in the political process, fear of the majority (citizens) would regulate the actions of their representatives. And it's written in stone, both in the US's and Canada's constitution.
The responsiblity lies on the citizens. They elect and fund these people. - sexyflanders, on 08/01/2008, -0/+1What has happened :( business is taking everything
- HonoredMule, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1Hmm...then maybe your comment should be commented with a mention of whatever asinine language you're using. ;-)
- HonoredMule, on 08/01/2008, -0/+1His math may be bad, but assuming right-to-left parsing, the assignment instructions seem pretty accurate.
- 30Seconds, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1He's a married man!
- inactive, on 08/01/2008, -1/+1And I'm translating the damn thing.
The source isn't the article.
"Geist revealed the existence of the group in a Toronto Star column this week"
How come I knew about this for two months then?
"The information was only revealed after a Freedom of Information request"
A freedom of information request doesn't magically make secrets public and entire sites aren't written, with legal documents in a single week.
It just means he asked to see the documents pertaining to the ACTA, so they gave him the only thing they could (because they're obligated to): a memo.
Secret governments don't make secrets become public because some guy asks them to see documents. And they especially don't set up this type of page:
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/tbsf-fsct/350-57_e.asp
"How it is being formulated and who has input is not [public]."
Name a single law that was drafted by anybody else than the government.
It will have to be entirely divulged to get to the approval process and the approval process passes by our elected representatives.
It's an international treaty. Canada is just one of many stakeholders. - DryMaltExtract, on 08/01/2008, -1/+1It's probably because the next few articles about the situation usually involves Canadians and organized groups flipping the ***** out at Harper for all to enjoy.
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