[SA_Dave]

What excellent articles you posted!

That the banking interest has a pernicious influence on the periodical press, on public elections, and the general course of legislation. This interest is so powerful that the establishment of a system of sound currency and sound credit is impracticable, except one or other of the political parties into which the nation is divided makes such an object its primary principle of action.

But, with every year, the state of society in the United States will more nearly approximate to the state of society in Great Britain. Crime and pauperism will increase. A few men will be inordinately rich, some comfortable, and a multitude in poverty. This condition of things will naturally lead to the adoption of that policy which proceeds on the principle that a legal remedy is to be found for each social evil, and nothing left for the operations of nature.

The above quotes, as well as the post from the Boycott RIAA site, are particularly relevant to the politics of p2p. The second quote has ominous bearings on the effects of a police-state mentatility, overpopulation and violence on society as a whole.

What remarkable foresight Mr. Gouge had! Not bad for someone who's been abiotic for nearly 140 years!

Thanks daddydirt for the link. Although I've read it before, it's still relevant. An oldie but a goodie!

I'd like to say that I think there are many people online who don't know about these issues! It's the everyday user of hotmail, AIM and porn sites who'll be the most affected by such restrictions. And what with the recent EU version of the DMCA, I don't think the legislative problems will go away. There are omens of such developments even in the South African government's behaviour, so adopting an attitude of "It'll go away as long as I know what's happening" complacency would be foolish! We need concrete solutions and to voice our concerns, however marginalised we may feel.