[kwlug-disc] government scandal, TPM DRM, and I spoke with an MP today.

[Darryl O'Neill]

There will always be scandals.  I imagine that when the Green or NDP get 
in power, they will have their own.

My biggest issue withe the current government goes beyond scandal.

Stephen Harper creating a law to stop elections being called on a whim, 
then breaking his own law.
The conservatives refusing to answer to parliament, the media or 
Canadians about what they are doing.
The conservatives cutting the long census to stifle information.   I 
asked how many people went to prison for not filling out the form.  
Peter Braid would not answer.
The conservatives cutting election funding so that only the wealthy have 
a voice.  I don't think that $1/person tax is killing anyone for a bit 
of democracy.
Linux users are in favor of free as in speech.  Perhaps I am 
overreacting.  This election seems more about democracy than scandal.

We will need to work with whoever gets in power.  I have not had much 
luck talking to Peter Braid about C-32 before the election.  I don't 
imagine that it will change after.

I have said too much about politics on this forum.  I will try to keep 
it to linux related subjects.

John Kerr wrote:
> Paul Gallaway wrote
>
> "[pick your own 'scandal' - there were a lot of them]"
>
> Yes I will, let us go back in Canadian history, but not too far back:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sponsorship_scandal
>
> http://www.canadafreepress.com/jean-chretien-scandal.htm
>
> http://bcblue.wordpress.com/2010/10/03/who-in-chretiens-pmo-got-journalists-fired/
>
> The only people who have a licence to complain about scandals in 
> federal politics are the supporters of the Green Party and the NDP. 
> Everyone gets blasted in this article:
>
> http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/francis/archive/2008/03/02/canadian-corruption-probe-shawinigate.aspx
> ----
> It is correct that the people who felt they were most impacted by the 
> Copyright Act did respond like we have never seen before. However, ask 
> people who are outside "our world" about TPM's DRM you will probably 
> get a "HUH?".
>
> Now my gut feeling on the copyright bill is that it was deliberately 
> left to die on the order paper by the Conservative Government twice. 
> Just a gut feeling.
>
> Here is what I think is interesting. The lobbyists who have been 
> pushing for DRM and TPM have been saying since before 2004 that they 
> are going to go out of business without them. Well it is going to be 
> at least this time next year before the copyright act is going to get 
> its next go-round. How come the interests that are pro DRM TPM 
> represented by the lobbyists are still in business in the year 2012+?
>
> I think that Parliament is being duped on the copyright issue -- 
> Conservative, Liberal, Bloc and NDP. And today, I spoke with Peter 
> Braid and told him so and that there are people in the KW-LUG who 
> would like to speak with him about TPM and DRM. Peter Braid is willing 
> to meet with us.
>
> Think about it, there I was at the Stephen Harper rally in Guelph, 
> wearing a Tshirt that indicated that I was one of the volunteers 
> helping put the rally on; talking about my unhappiness with the 
> Copyright Act. You see in this instance, it was a supporter, 
> respectfully expressing his opinion. At least there is no mistaking me 
> for a person who would not support anything that the current 
> government does.
>
> Let's wait until after the election, and work together to put forward 
> our best case to who ever wins the seats in our ridings.
>
> Cheers
>
> John
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Fewer things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good 
> example. - Mark Twain
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ==================================
> John Eddie Kerr | Guelph, Ontario
> ==================================
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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