US Senators Sign Bill To Censor The Internet

[webfact]

U.S. Senators sign bill to censor the internet

Huffington Post

By David Segal

Stop the Internet Blacklist

When it really matters to them, Congressmembers can come together — with a panache and wry wit you didn’t know they had. As banned books week gets underway, and President Obama admonishes oppressive regimes for their censorship of the Internet, a group of powerful Senators — Republicans and Democrats alike — have signed onto a bill that would vastly expand the government’s power to censor the Internet.

The Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA) was introduced just one week ago, but it’s greased and ready to move, with a hearing in front of the Judiciary Committee this Thursday. If people don’t speak out, US citizens could soon find themselves joining Iranians and Chinese in being blocked from accessing broad chunks of the public Internet.

Full story: http://www.wiseupjournal.com/?p=1723

WISEUPJOURNAL.COM

-- 2010-10-03

[hayden5650]

2 Girls 1 Cup anyone? The internet is full of filth.

China and Iran have the right idea.

[bifftastic]

2 Girls 1 Cup anyone? The internet is full of filth.

China and Iran have the right idea.

:cheesy:

No, but seriously, China and Iran have the right idea?

No, they don't.

[dominique355]

2 Girls 1 Cup anyone? The internet is full of filth.

China and Iran have the right idea.

And who decides what is filth and what is not?

Some paper pusher in a government office?

If the aim is really to fight counterfeits and copyright infringement, then no new laws are necessary. Just enforce the existing.

But I very much suspect there is more, much more these righteous bigots want to keep away form us.

I smell a rat, a big fat rat.

[Supernova]

4chan to the rescue!

[Pib]

A bill has to pass the full Senate and full House of Representatives before it's forwarded to the President for approval or veto. If approved by the President it becomes laws; if vetoed it goes back to Congress to see if they can override the veto with a 2/3 votes in both the Senate and House of Representatives. If overridden it becomes law; if not, it's dead. Most vetoes are not overridden. It's tough to override a veto as it's extremely hard to get two-thirds of Congress to agree on anything.

Hundreds, maybe thousands, of bills are proposed (i.e., signed onto) by Senators and Representatives each year but the great majority never make it out of committee and even fewer become law. Congressional elections occur in early November 2010...many Congressmen are signing onto a lot of bills left-and-right at this timeframe to hopefully garner votes from specific groups of folks. It's 99% political grandstanding (i.e., will say most anything for a vote); 1% substance.

[Traxster]

2 Girls 1 Cup anyone? The internet is full of filth.

China and Iran have the right idea.

And who decides what is filth and what is not?

Some paper pusher in a government office?

If the aim is really to fight counterfeits and copyright infringement, then no new laws are necessary. Just enforce the existing.

But I very much suspect there is more, much more these righteous bigots want to keep away form us.

I smell a rat, a big fat rat.

You got that right...!!!!

[ozsamurai]

Update, from EFF's website: the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed the scheduled markup of the Internet censorship bill — a fantastic outcome, given that the entertainment industry and their allies in Congress had hoped this bill would be quickly approved before the Senators went home for the October recess. Massive thanks to all who used the EFF Action Center to write to your Senators to oppose this bill.

[nikster]

Update, from EFF's website: the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed the scheduled markup of the Internet censorship bill — a fantastic outcome, given that the entertainment industry and their allies in Congress had hoped this bill would be quickly approved before the Senators went home for the October recess. Massive thanks to all who used the EFF Action Center to write to your Senators to oppose this bill.

The EFF is the biggest barrier that prevents a complete overtake of the government of the USA by corporations.Sometimes, the only barrier.

That's why I donate regularly, and with this issue, I might donate for a second time this year.

Do your part:

https://secure.eff.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=DON_splash

[Pib]

Update, from EFF's website: the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed the scheduled markup of the Internet censorship bill — a fantastic outcome, given that the entertainment industry and their allies in Congress had hoped this bill would be quickly approved before the Senators went home for the October recess. Massive thanks to all who used the EFF Action Center to write to your Senators to oppose this bill.

Don't get too overjoyed as our elected representatives (senators and representatives) setting on the numerous committees are putting most everything on hold until after the elections...and then Congress will be in a lame duck session between early Nov 10 until mid Jan 11 when the newly elected representatives are sworn in. There will pretty much will be a lot of nothing happening until late January, except a lot of news hype, passing a couple of critical budget bills, and deciding on some tax changes. As I mentioned earlier, most bills never get out of committee, for good or bad reasons...not to imply this bill is good or bad.

But totally agree each of us need to bend the ear of our elected representatives (in writing) to voice your opinion on whatever bills you disagree or agree with. Going to your elected representatives web sites and dropping them a line is always good....helps to keep them listening to their constituents---and that's a hard thing to do in some cases.