The "You Are All Criminals Act of 2011"

[kandrathe]

Actually, it's called the Protecting Children From Internet Pornographers Act of 2011. Who in Congress is brave enough to stand up against a bill with this name? Why not the "Saving Children and Kittens from Horrible Suffering Act of 2011"?

Julian Sanchez at Cato (a libertarian place) has an interesting article on this bill and it's implications to the internet using community.

[--Pete]

Hi,

Who in Congress is brave enough to stand up against a bill with this name?

In principle, it is yet another major infringement on the privacy of individuals and yet another end run around the constitution. In practice, it is meaningless. Big brother is alive, well, and well established. We no longer live in an age when the average individual can understand the technology, and yet we expect the average individual (and quite a few below average individuals) to safe-guard our liberty with their votes.

The only right you have left is the right to be far enough down the hit list so that you can die before they get to you -- and life expectancies are rising.

--Pete

[kandrathe]

The only right you have left is the right to be far enough down the hit list so that you can die before they get to you -- and life expectancies are rising.

It almost makes you convert to the Luddites. I wonder if there are any survivalist "bunkers" available in Idaho or Wyoming? Some crackpot out there would probably knock me off for being too liberal though.

[Alram]

The bill is sponsored by Lamar Smith. He has a record of supporting legislation to criminalize the downloading of music. I once attended a town meeting he held and was thoroughly unimpressed by him. My impression was that he spouts the company line, and cannot or will not respond to intelligent questions about policy.