Intro and SOPA

Hi,

I'm William, part two of our blogging team. I'l be here mostly to talk about more cultural issues, and less about political issues. I share many views with my brother, but am somewhat more moderate. Still, I am quite small c conservative. That means I am conservative on the political spectrum, but do not necessarily support the actual Conservative party of Canada.

So, to start out, SOPA and PIPA. SOPA and PIPA are dumb. I know you all know that and agree with me, but I thought it would be good to start with. Unlike many conservatives on the issue of the freedom of the internet, I believe that the internet should remain free and the government should stay the heck away from it. The belief that it should be policed and censored is not a conservative view point, despite that many big C Conservatives and Republicans might say. SOPA and PIPA, as you all probably know, would allow the American government to put a type of firewall on all websites that would check copyright. At least that's how it's been explained to me. This is spying. The government spying on it's own people. They would see what you are putting on the interenet all the time. This also defeats free speech. A luxury we don't really have that much of in Canada, but is guarunteed by the American constitution.This would allow companies and the government to censor the internet. Censor what you want to say anonymously. This is terrible. The internet has become a way for people to obtain freedom and organize for free causes. Any censorship of the internet is a slippery slope towards a total internet police state.

This would also not do anything about copyright infringements. The interenet, as we all know, always finds a way around these things and fast. Really fast. So the bill would not fight piracy and would merely make millions of people criminals and hurt internet businesses.

Although the bill has been shelved for now, do not let down your guard. Americans, please do not allow your government to do this. This would have world wide repercussions. So please get out there and fight the good fight. This subject will come back, many times. When it does, cut it off before it gets anywhere. Thank you.

Now, this does not exactly match up with what I said I would be posting about, but it's something I am passionate about and know more about than my brother. So, thank you for reading my ramblings about things that have already been talked about. More posts about less serious things are on the way.

- William S.

<Think Aboot it>