(V): It was a good protest to stop corporate government takeover of the internet.

Jack: I hope so, rather strange that they target the sites rather than the companies advertising on them. I would have thought if they really wanted to stop file sharing, they would approach the problem from all levels.

But.. I guess going after companies is so hard for the USA as they seem to be protected by the constitution and lobbyists of said country.

(V): Unfotunately America is becoming more fascist all the time. The supreme court with their citizens united rul of corporate personhood has really put American politics into buying elections instead of electing good leadership. I just wish Free Europe would stand up to American corporate war profiteering and stop supporting it.

Jack: Since the 80's and Raygun started getting 'religion' ingrained in the election process. Yes.

It seems now a battle of who's the better Christian and therefore negates the separation of state and church. That churches are now being used as pulpits for political parties using that old tool fear.

"I just wish Free Europe would stand up to American corporate war profiteering and stop supporting it."

I wish that fines and consequences of white collar crime were as tough as for those who commit speeding and based on the amount. But with the lobbying that goes on.... or not if our politicians are to be believed!!

(V): Besides their are already copyright laws in place to protect all countries from theft and all we need to do is get together and start supporting the rule of law.

Jack: Yes... mostly very good and rightfully there. I did (when in place) disagree with the law that disallowed copying of bought content to preserve the original or to allow playing on another media, such as in the old days vinyl to tape for ya walkman.

The only thing that to a degree is stopping alot of people going legit is price even through just watching it via a purely digital medium.

Now, not so much as the industry has listened to Joe public, yet in the pre digital age it was strange that in the UK we paid £10 for the same item that cost in the USA $10 (at the time £5)

... or as (don't know now) that it was cheaper for a person who worked on cruise ships to buy an item in the USA, pay the import duty and get it converted to 240V.

(V): It seems now all I can do legally is buy copyright material for my own personal use and I am breaking some law if I decide to just give it away.
The laws being created today are targeted to give complete control of the public to corporations. When I pay for something shouldn't I have a right to use it as I will and not be dictated to as long as I don't use it in a harmful way?

Corporate personhood http://john101b.ipage.com/politics/citizensunited.html is a good example of what America has degenerated to. Our ruling bodies have become so deep in conflicts of interest and insider trading they are no longer able to function as a body that supports the public will or the public good.

You are right about Reagan and the harm he did but since Reagan all presidents regardless of party have continued on his path to destruction. Bush was placed in the white house by the supreme court instead of allowing the election process to be carried out and then we go worldwide claiming rogue governments are destroying democracy.

It was hard to believe people do not know about WWII and what created it but now it is easy as I watch my fellow citizens continue to cheer on their own destruction.

Not so long ago our schools taught civics as a mandatory subject but today civic classes are unheard of unless people study political science in college and then they are getting a healthy does of fake history.
The media has a lot to do with this takeover to. Since corporations bought up all the media outlets their is no more news just the version that pays the highest profits.
I find foreign news services more reliable than our own media outlets.

Jack: The new enforcement systems were stupid. They were already useless and would have made no difference to the problem. The only people in the end that would benefit would be the lawyers.

"Our ruling bodies have become so deep in conflicts of interest and insider trading they are no longer able to function as a body that supports the public will or the public good."

Last night on "Question time", I watched as the question of whether the UK government would block the bonus to be paid to the RBS boss (which the UK owns 5/6's of) at the shareholders meeting. His Salary is £1,200,000.... the bonus is £932,000. We were told no bouses would be paid till the bank was back in the 'black'. If the UK government lets him get the bonus, I can see more demonstrations and an increased possibility of social unrest.

... Last December our UK gov wrote off £25,000,000,000 known to have been lost in tax fraud...

"since Reagan all presidents regardless of party have continued on his path to destruction."

Because the US political system is a joke from too many politicians at all levels being quite happy to take bribes from lobbyists.

"It was hard to believe people do not know about WWII and what created it but now it is easy as I watch my fellow citizens continue to cheer on their own destruction."

With so much home ed based on people not wanting their children to learn certain aspects of why we got here and other matters of life. With certain liberties that allow neo Nazism (probably as many German immigrants actually supported the Nazi's in WWII) .... I ain't suprised, just a little shocked the figures were over 30%

"Not so long ago our schools taught civics as a mandatory subject but today civic classes are unheard of unless people study political science in college and then they are getting a healthy does of fake history."

Not as bad as when I was a kid, we did have one savvy teacher though who taught economics.... it was more of that in the books, some details were missing.. like the reason for the Cuban revolution was greedy American corporations turning Cuba into a virtual new 'slave' labour force.

"Since corporations bought up all the media outlets their is no more news just the version that pays the highest profits. I find foreign news services more reliable than our own media outlets."

The Guardian and Independent are recognised as being the only unbiased papers in the UK where real news is still accessible. The rest is basically right wing fear merchants. And thanks to digital and the internet we can finally question what we are told to fear.

.. Unless we are taught not to question and punishment for such was hellish

(V): Yes Cuba was a horrible case of the rich and shameless gone mad. It was the same with Iran. People are taught to hate these people and call them terrorists because they are tired of seeing their children starved and and murdered for no reason.

It was a sad day when the American public decided it could trust Hollywood actors to represent them and today all politicians seem to take acting lessons to win elections. Most of our politicians don't have enough eduction to even write a simple speech and only have to suck up to corporations to buy elections.

My own people just whine about things they don't like but keep supporting them.

Look at our TSA at airports. The harassment is nothing but sexual harassment and it is allowed to continue. People will not stop flying for a few weeks to stop this criminal all they do is take the abuse and keep running.

We don't even have a two party system any more it's the same fascism with business regardless who we elect. This endless neocon war profiteering has to stop and it would help if our allies would stop supporting it.