Unless you failed to open 
Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, Google, or any news source this week, you can’t help but know that Hollywood is pushing hard in the US Congress to pass two bills which would effectively result in web censorship.
Today’s post isn’t so much about the actual pieces of legislation as it is more about the stark contrast that I can’t avoid: are we becoming China? The world has marveled for years at the Chinese government’s quest to control information, yet it seems like Hollywood wants the same measures in place … only under the guise of intellectual property protection. (Which I generally support…as it currently is legislated. However, don’t even get me started on the fact that this proposes placing the IP defense burden on someone other than the copyright holder).
And where I struggle the most is, how can we be even traveling down the same path as China? I mean, in all reality, we are talking the difference between a country who literally turned a blind eye to a toddler’s very public and gruesome demise compared to a country who shunned a favorite son over a couple of dead dogs. (Don’t hate here; I am most certainly not condoning Mr. Vick’s actions by any means … I am simply pointing out the public outcry for his head to roll when the dog fighting ring blew up (and I am still in the “off with his head” party)).
For all our compassion and activism in this nation, and our courage to stand up to our own government, how is it that these two bills, which would ultimately compromise the basic infrastructure of the internet, have even made it this far? I mean, really … what would Al Gore have to say about this?
~M
Well said! It seems to be a knee jerk movement, with little thought, or care about the broader impact and long term effect . Sounds more like market control than protection of intellectual property.