“There’s A Problem. It’s Called Net Neutrality.”

Via Digg: Full Satirical Article Here

[Tongue In Cheek] AT&T chief Ed Whitacre handed the keys over to his replacement Randall Stephenson yesterday, but not before giving a rousing pep talk to fellow executives in the company’s San Antonio board room.

Excerpt:

“There’s a problem. It’s called Net Neutrality,” Whitacre told the heirs to AT&T’s telecommunications empire. “Well, frankly, we say to hell with that. We’re gonna put up some toll booths and start charging admission.”This statement echoes those made in the press by Whitacre and Stephenson over the last two years.

(note: video removed due to messing up my blog design. why, oh why does word press not just ACCEPT you tube, already???)

Go to Save The Internet for more information on how you can join the fight for Network Neutrality.

See my past posts on Network Neutrality here.

Now Listening: Amy Winehouse Back To Black

Tags: Net Neutrality, NEtwork Neutrality, Save The Internet, AT&T, Cingular, ASsshattery

Technorati Tags: Net Neutrality, NEtwork Neutrality, Save The Internet, AT&T, Cingular, ASsshattery

Democrats, You Just Didn’t Close The Deal

Each Presidential primary debate is a chance for the candidates to rise above the petty politics that has become standard fare. After watching both the Republican debate, where I was completely wowed by Ron Paul, and the Democratic debate, where I was completely wowed by no one in particular, I have to say many politicians continue to fall short of the mark. Slinging mud at each other instead of debating issues and letting us know who would best represent us on the issues is just so yesterday, especially in this day and age of the Internet.

Television reshaped politics once before, creating an arena where appearances became important, and facial gestures and mannerisms became tells, alerting the public to insincerity and deceit. It also made politics an arena where looks mattered, as Nixon and Kennedy found out in that first televised debate so long ago. America: we are a deeply shallow people. Now the Internet is reshaping politics again, allowing us to receive minute by minute fact checking and public opinion on each candidate. If the Internet keeps chugging along like this, we may be able to end up with the most informed voting public we’ve ever had this election.

Last night’s debate in New Hampshire did more to cement my Libertarian support for Ron Paul than anything else could have done. I truly hope he wins the nomination. Even though I am a registered Libertarian, I may go re-register as a Republican just so I can cast my vote for him. I dislike the Republicans intensely, but he has a Libertarian voting record, and is running under the Republican ticket where he can get support. If he keeps up his Libertarian roots in the face of what will be the Republican special interest onslaught if he wins, he has my vote.

The most likely to get my vote on the Democratic side, assuming Ron Paul’s immense grass roots support isn’t enough to carry him? Mike Gravel. He did not shine like I’d hoped he would in last night’s debate, but he remains the candidate most like me on the issues, at least on the democratic side. Not as like me as Ron Paul, but close. If he could just stop falling for the mud slinging, cat fighting, crap that goes on in the debates!

I wonder if we could get Ron Paul and Mike Gravel to run together on a Paul / Gravel ticket? I think Gravel would make an excellent Vice President, and I’d love to see a first-ever two party ticket. They probably wouldn’t do it, but wouldn’t it be history making if they did? I’d certainly vote for that!

All I know for sure is that Hilary Clinton, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney and Rudy Guiliani? Do not have my vote.

Tags: democratic debate, republican debate, new hampshire primary, ron paul, mike gravel, hilary clinton, barack obama, rudy giuliani, mitt romney

Technorati Tags: democratic debate, republican debate, new hampshire primary, ron paul, mike gravel, hilary clinton, barack obama, rudy giuliani, mitt romney

NH Joins The Anti-Real Id Bandwagon

If this passes, and I hope it does, I can almost forgive NH for even considering banning smoking in public places this year. Almost. Because the libertarian in me doesn’t think personal choice should be legislatable. Making high end smoke eaters and perfect ventilation a requirement would make more sense. But I digress…

NH To Take Sides Against National “Real ID” Article Here.

Now Listening: The The Mind Bomb

Tags: National ID act, Real ID, NH, ME, Against, Vote No On Real ID, Ron Paul

Bush as Dictator in Vaguely Worded “Catastrophic Emergency”?

This little gem flitted across my feed reader a moment ago and made me completely speechless. I don’t even know what to say. I know how the mainstream media missed it – they miss quite a bit these days, being so busy puckering up for the Presidential Ass. I must say I’m surprised it hasn’t been burning up more of the blogosphere and “citizen journalist” sites. What is this news item that has me so floored? A sneaky little thing that just passed, the National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive.

In this directive, Bush declares that in the event of a “Catastrophic Emergency” the President will be entrusted with leading the activities to ensure constitutional government. The language in this directive would in effect make the President a dictator in the case of such an emergency.

I would comment further on this, but my head hurts just thinking about it. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

Now Listening: HBO Boxing on TV

Tags: Dictator, President, Bush, Homeland Security

Ron Paul in His Own Words

For those of you asking me about Ron Paul, here is a clip of him in his own words, responding to an attack by Rudy Guiliani earlier in the week:

(If the video does not work, click here)

From the Ron Paul Wiki:

Positions and Views

Ron Paul joined the Libertarian Party as a lifetime member, though he is technically a Republican member of Congress. Paul remains on good terms with the Libertarian Party and has addressed its national convention as recently as 2004. Paul professes a limited government paleolibertarian ideology (a libertarian ideology mixed with some social conservatism).

Paul’s Libertarian economic views lead him to oppose nearly all government intervention in the market. He regularly votes against almost all proposals for government spending, initiatives, or taxes, and his frequent dissents in otherwise unanimous votes, have irritated some of his Republican colleagues and have earned him the nickname “Dr. No”.

He criticizes the United States’ intervention in Iraq and what he charges is the use of the war on terror to curtail civil liberties. He supports the abolition of the income tax, most Cabinet departments, and the Federal Reserve, and favors the legalization of marijuana and American withdrawal from the United Nations. He also endorses a non-interventionist foreign policy and defederalization of the healthcare system, opposes the death penalty and abortion, and is strongly opposed to a military draft. He has voted against amending the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage and also against an amendment to prohibit flag-burning. He has also broken with his party by voting against the Patriot Act in 2001 and again in 2005. Paul’s campaign slogan for 2004 was “The Taxpayers’ Best Friend!,” and he has earned praise from the National Taxpayers Union and the National Federation of Independent Business [4].

His base of support has been among conservative Republicans, but after 9/11 he has gained some strong support from liberal Democrats in central Texas due to his consistent, principled opposition to the war in Iraq. As an example of this shift, the Austin Chronicle newspaper, a liberal, alternative weekly newspaper in Austin, Texas described his views as “erratic” in 2000 [5]. After 9/11, though, the Chronicle took a much more favorable view of Paul, praising him for his opposition to the war in Iraq.

Read the rest of the Wiki here (Wiki includes a link to his congressional voting record, which has been predominantly in keeping with Libertarian views).

The other candidate I am liking more and more is Mike Gravel. I had not kept either of these men on my political radar until they entered the race for president, and since they have caught my attention I would love nothing more than to see them break new ground by being the first candidates elected to office on a bipartisan ticket. I am having trouble getting behind Obama, Clinton would be more divisive in a time when we need unity in my opinion, and the other Republican candidates are mini-Bushes only able to make our problems worse.

Now Listening: The Sound of Rushing Deadlines

Tags: Ron Paul, Mike Gravel, Bipartisan Ticket 2008, Presidential Race 2008, Libertarian, Democrat, Paul Gravel Ticket

Technorati Tags: Ron Paul, Mike Gravel, Bipartisan Ticket 2008, Presidential Race 2008, Libertarian, Democrat, Paul Gravel Ticket

Today is the Day Big Brother is Watching

I can’t improve on the succinct article from the Wired blog on this day of technological spying on our citizens. Please click here and read their full article: “Today Is Wiretap The Internet Day”.

It’s worth noting that the new requirements don’t alter the legal standards for law enforcement to win court orders for internet wiretaps. Fans of CALEA expansion argue that it therefore won’t increase the number of Americans under surveillance.

That’s wrong, of course. Making surveillance easier and faster gives law enforcement agencies of all stripes more reason to eschew old-fashioned police work in favor of spying. The telephone CALEA compliance deadline was in 2002, and since then the amount of court-ordered surveillance has nearly doubled from 2,586 applications granted that year, to 4,015 orders in 2006.

Now Listening: Bill Maher Rerun from 5/11/07

Tags: Internet Surveillance, Homeland Security, Patriot Act, Illegal Spying, FBI, Big Brother

Technorati Tags: Internet Surveillance, Homeland Security, Patriot Act, Illegal Spying, FBI, Big Brother

Ron Paul Speaks Out Against National ID

Ron Paul, presidential candidate for 2008, speaks out against the National ID card, and talks about our last chance to band together to defeat this asinine legislation.

Absent a political miracle in the Senate, within two years every American will need a conforming national ID card to participate in ordinary activities. This REAL ID Act establishes a massive, centrally coordinated database of highly personal information about American citizens: at a minimum their name, date of birth, place of residence, Social Security number, and physical characteristics. The legislation also grants open-ended authority to the Secretary of Homeland Security to require biometric information on IDs in the future. This means your harmless looking driver’s license could contain a retina scan, fingerprints, DNA information, or radio frequency technology.

…reveals that states will be required to participate in the “Driver’s License Agreement,” which was crafted by DMV lobbyists years ago. This agreement creates a massive database of sensitive information on American citizens that can be shared with Canada and Mexico!

Terrorism is the excuse given for virtually every new power grab by the federal government, and the national ID is no exception. But federal agencies have tried to create a national ID for years, long before the 9/11 attacks. In fact, a 1996 bill sought to do exactly what the REAL ID Act does: transform state drivers’ licenses into de facto national ID cards. At the time, Congress was flooded with calls by angry constituents, and the bill ultimately died.

The ever so scary Real ID Act, full text here.

Where to fight back against the Real ID Act while there is still time, here.

One overriding point has been forgotten: Criminals don’t obey laws! As with gun control, national ID cards will only affect law-abiding citizens. Do we really believe a terrorist bent on murder is going to dutifully obtain a federal ID card? Do we believe that people who openly flout our immigration laws will nonetheless respect our ID requirements? Any ID card can be forged; any federal agency or state DMV is susceptible to corruption. Criminals can and will obtain national ID cards, or operate without them. National ID cards will be used to track the law-abiding masses, not criminals.

FIGHT BACK WHILE YOU CAN.

Now Listening: Extreme Home Makeover on DVR

Tags: National ID Card, Real ID Act, Ron Paul, Vote, 2008 Election, Big Brother, Homeland Security, Patriot Act

Bush, Overstepping His Bounds By Leaps And Bounds

Bush has overstepped his boundaries as President, ignoring checks and balances in myriad ways. One of the ways he does this is by vetoing or outright ignoring laws passed by Congress. Read more here.

President Bush has quietly claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the Constitution.

Among the laws Bush said he can ignore are military rules and regulations, affirmative-action provisions, requirements that Congress be told about immigration services problems, ”whistle-blower” protections for nuclear regulatory officials, and safeguards against political interference in federally funded research.

Now Listening: House, MD on DVR from last week

Tags: bush ignores laws, bush vetoes congress, presidential signing statement, abuse of power

Candidates I’m Watching

I’m a Libertarian. That means that it is rare that I get a viable candidate who is a declared Libertarian. Most of the time I must try and choose the best candidate from one of the other more viable parties. Often, I find the Democrats to produce the lesser of two evils. This election has a few promising candidates on both sides of the fence right now.

So who am I following? First and foremost I am keeping an eye on Ron Paul (hat tip to defective yeti for alerting me to his presence on the radar). Ron Paul may be running under the Republican ticket, but his voting record screams Libertarian. He also drew my eye at the Republican Debate, as seen here.

On the Democratic side, no one has really grabbed me yet. I keep hearing people toot Barack Obama’s horn, but I have yet to be as captivated as they seem to be. defective yeti recommended a Mike Gravel/Ron Paul ticket, and I must say I don’t know much about Gravel. I’ve been a little too busy to research him, but I think I will make the time. Enough people I respect in real life have said the same thing about a bipartisan Gravel/Paul ticket being ideal that I’m inspired to do a little research. Find out more about the Democratic debate here.

Tags: Presidential Candidates 2008 Libertarian Republican Democrat

Bills Treat Bloggers As “Legitimate” Journalists

Good news is coming on the political front via some new bills being trotted out that would treat citizen journalists (bloggers) with some of the same protections afforded print journalists for traditional media. Read more here. You can rest assured we’ll be tracking the progress of this here on Smoke Rings, so stay tuned!

Bloggers engaged in journalistic pursuits would be granted immunity from divulging confidential sources under a new bill pending in both chambers of Congress.

Tags: Citizen Journalists Bloggers Legal Rights