No flam from me, you simply broke down the group "government" into some
of its constituent parts "politicians".  The next step is the one that
gets flame, where you blame the populace at large for hiring these
people and not monitoring what their employees are doing.

-----Original Message-----
From: plug-discuss-bounces@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
[mailto:plug-discuss-bounces@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us] On Behalf Of
Fritz
Sent: Friday, June 01, 2007 10:47 AM
To: Main PLUG discussion list
Subject: Re: OT: protectionist practices?

Alan Dayley wrote:
>
> - We are currently in a political environment where government is more

> interested in maintaining or increasing restrictions on the free 
> market than they are in actually fostering innovation and free
culture.
> Witness DMCA, attempts to mandate DRM, copyrights that last 
> essentially forever, patents on any thing that starts with "e-" and 
> changing regulations such that competition is stifled in the name of 
> "providing incentives."
>
>   
The above paragraph seems somewhat ill informed.  It states, in part

    "We are currently in a political environment
       where GOVERNMENT (my emphasis) is more interested in ... "

Is there anyone on this list who doubts that these "free market
restrictions"
(DMCA, Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, etc.) were brought about
by PRIVATE corporate interests (MPAA, RIAA, etc.) using their well armed
cadre of lobbyists?

Government itself has no interest.  However, the politicians occupying
it at any given time certainly do.  Most politicians like giving
speeches and getting re-elected and in todays times there's no better
way to get re-elected than to "sell your services" to potentially large
campaign donors.

Our federal government has evolved into the "stick-up gun" for large,
private, corporate interests:  in essence a wealth transfer mechanism.

A question for all the libertarian, Second Amendment fans on this list:
When there's a handgun shooting do you blame the gun or the shooter?

Fritz

I've got my welding goggles on, flame away .......... :-)


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