Free the Files, free the headlights?
7 May 2007
I myself have gone for the Creative Commons-type approach of supporting Indie bands to replace the oppressive multi-national companies, rather than filesharing. However, I do not judge people who do fileshare, having been born a Christian, I must take my moral authority from Christ alone and he does not seem to be against it. An early share-alike attribution licence was 'Take, eat, this is my body given for you, do this in remembrance of me'. Sharing is the hallmark of faith and morality (if you do not believe me read Acts 2 or the Sermon on the Mount), more on this subject another day, but suffice to say, the New Testament spread across the globe without the need of a Scripture Association of Nazareth protecting the copyright.
Your belief system may have similar concepts, for example, the sharing of manna in Exodus 16 was a radical shock to the economic values of the ancient Jews. In Buddhism, 'dana', unconditional sharing, is a core part of the route to perfection (dana-paramita).
Why I am mentioning this, well I just watched "Steal this movie", a Documentary about those Swedish pirate bay boys, it was interesting to hear their side of the story, they turn out not to be gangsters as sometimes portrayed but articulate young Swedish students with bad taste in facial hair. You can watch it on Google Video or download it from their website (you can download it from Google Video too). I will be trendy and try to embed the thing here too. Between all that there is a format for everyone.
Let there be light
In Scandinavia, there is no problem, your car headlights turn on automatically. However over the pond, Paris Hilton was not able to put her headlights on after repeated warnings and now will spend 45 days in a place where the lights will be turned on for her. One thing you have to love about America is that they will put anyone and everyone in prison, whether rich or poor, young or old, male or female, sound of mind or not. In Britain she would have just bribed her way out or bought the services of a really good lawyer. A strange type of equality, but of course, millions of Americans do not have basic services such as decent healthcare, so it is not all roses on the equality front. Freeing media files is one thing, but freeing Paris Hilton?
In Sweden of course, the Hilton family would not have this problem, as their wealth would have long been redistributed and Paris would not be able to afford fast luxury cars, but everyone else there gets great health care. Bill Gates, who in his younger years often had to talk his way out of police stations for drunk driving and speeding, now can afford to avoid further legal problems by getting a chauffeur. If Paris is really worth $50 million dollars, why didn't she just get one too?
I still do not quite get why more safety measures are not built into the cars, especially considering how many people are killed in cars. The car should detect it is dark/night and put the lights on for you. The car should just stop accelerating at the speed limit.
While there is a perverse pleasure in someone richer and prettier than me being humbled, I do not see how prison is the answer for non-violent offenders, especially women. I'm sure that there could have been punishments that are more productive for society, such as getting her to make road safety adverts, or forcing her to get a bus pass, or fining her some of her wealth and spending it on the Americans who have no health care.
1 bug says...
... I think she'd rather go in jail instead.
Posted at 5:25 a.m. on May 7, 2007
2 Zeth says...
LOL, you are probably true there, 45 days with convicts and you stay really rich. If she listened to a word the police were saying, i.e. the common people like us, or read the papers she was given, rather than stuffing them in the glove box for later, she would not have been in this mess to start with.
Posted at 10:57 a.m. on May 7, 2007