Mark 'em down! These "Representatives" *cough* have GOT to go!

[Ne007]

Any of you vote for Michigan Rep. John Conyers or California Rep. Howard Berman?

How do we get these guys OUT of office, because they are the ones making laws to PUT US IN JAIL and pay bazillions of dollars for file sharing! (read news on front page).

Give me a break and vote THESE GUYS OUT OF office! POOOOLLLLEEEEEAAAAAASEEEEE!

[FileHoover]

Or refuse to buy any copyrighted material any more and not even downloading it for free if you are being a conscientious copyright objector.

That means, no more buying books, no CDs, no going to movies, no subscribing to pay cable/satellite TV.

Could you hold out?

[Ne007]

I say that we put ME into office and REPRESENT!

Or on a serious note....someone like us. I mean...WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? What reality do they live in?

[mojo-ris-in]

They live in a reality where money and the money of lobbyists rule. Sure you can vote them out but there are plenty just like them to take their place. Until P2P can get their own lobbyists out there offering the kind of perks the industry is offering, don't expect anything much to change.

[Lucian]

Get involved.,

Thats the only way to get them out. You wont get them out by sending them emails.

Right now I'm carefully watching Howard Dean, he seems to actually listen to people, but thats mainly because most of his contibutors were internet users.

So pick someone and fight to get them elected, thats how you change politics. Its one fight at a time.

I'm hoping more people follow Deans lead and allow the people to be involved in the political process.

Anyway you can post your concerns about the issue on Howard Deans blog along with the rest of them.

http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/lessig/blog/
http://dean2004.blogspot.com/
or you can donate to the eff http://www.eff.org

freenet

http://www.freenetprojejct.org
Until P2P can get their own lobbyists out there offering the kind of perks the industry is offering, don't expect anything much to change.
http://www.eff.org
but you wont get anywhere if you think that just by writing letters and complaining that suddenly it will change things. Change requires money, time and effort.

[rainbowdemon]

Originally posted by mojo-ris-in
They live in a reality where money and the money of lobbyists rule. Sure you can vote them out but there are plenty just like them to take their place. Until P2P can get their own lobbyists out there offering the kind of perks the industry is offering, don't expect anything much to change. This is just a tad cynical, but very true. At least more so than the idealist rhetoric that keeps getting thrown around. I have to agree with you!

[Lucian]

We do have lobby groups like the eff. I just dont see anyone donating to them.

[aqlo]

*squints*
Politics is a balancing act. The best thing might be to fill out as many polls as you can saying that you are going to vote for one of these guys that you hate and then not actually vote for them. That way the lobbyists have essentially thrown their millions of dollars for their campaign right into the toilet, preventing that money from going to more moderate candidates that still might have voted their way. The only danger there is that some mindless drones might see them looking good in the polls and therefore vote for them, like it was a horse race or something (this happens every year.)

But you may be assuming that what politicians Say is a reliable predictor of what they will Do, that is a fatal mistake. In general a better rule would be to pick out whatever politician who says that they are going to do things that you Don't want done, and go ahead and vote for them, because they are liars and that way at least you are getting some specific say over what Doesn't happen. Candidate A says he will crack down on drugs and you don't want that to happen? Vote for candidate A, he's a liar. Candidate B might actually crack down on drugs, particularly if that's his opponent's main plank and it's a close race. But candidate A never will, he's a politician . . . .

If you pay attention you can tell when a politician is lying
(their lips move)

[Ne007]

Well....if we consistently vote people out of office then people might start listening.

I wonder if they are reading this.

[Lucian]

You cant vote them out, you can only vote them in.

[RM115]

write to your represenatives and VOTE!!!! People, write, call, email, snail mail every government represenatative you can think of. All of them. Let your voices be heard; each voice negates the money paid to the politicians because they know the people put them in and take them out. Don't be sheeople be citizens!!


Use the following link to find information about how to write your elected representative including a sample letter.
http://www.zeropaid.com/bbs/showthread.php?threadid=12001

If you don't like that thread then visit Boycott-Riaa.com and use their sources. Just get with it people because time is not on our side anymore. We are caught with out proverbial pants down and the RIAA has the big stick. I think you know where that stick will be placed.

[Ken17625]

The only danger there is that some mindless drones

Thats the majority of the voting populous.

You can't organize any sort of change when the majority of people are mindless sheep.

[RM115]

we are lost, *sigh* totally without a doubt, beaten.

[isus]

Originally posted by Ne007
What reality do they live in?

they live in a reality where money corrupts. and they are greedy.

they also probably live in a reality where the internet is just to look at porn, send email, and check the weather, sports scores, and stock quotes.

maybe if some of them would try dl'ing an mp3 or two, they would understand that its not as bad as the riaa would have them believe, and it is just a modern convenience, not a crime.

[RM115]

We are shit to them except when election time comes round. To expect a politician to be in real time, especially one that has been in office for a while is to ask the impossible. I once read that elected leaders should be changed often like a dirty diaper and for the same reason....it's true, too much shit accumulates over time, excuse my vulgarity. Don't give up people, write and vote. Those who lead expect us to give up too soon, that is the edge we give them and why so many earn the title of sheeople..