Title: Why Black Out Websites To Protest SOPA? Source:
[None] URL Source:[None] Published:Jan 17, 2012 Author:A K A Stone Post Date:2012-01-17 20:22:09 by A K A Stone Keywords:None Views:3536 Comments:9
What is the point of sites blacking out to protest SOPA? They will just be back up the next day. Seems futile.
We celebrated Monday when House Majority Leader Eric Cantor effectively signaled the death of SOPA, the Stopping Online Piracy Act. Cantor said the Internet censorship bill would not see a vote until there was consensus on the matter. As long as Darrell Issa, Justin Amash, and Jason Chaffetz are on the case there will be no consensus on sweeping Internet censorship, so Cantors position basically kills SOPA this Congress.
This was a well earned victory for conservatives, and we owe the above allies thanks for sticking up for our values against formidable opposition. Barack Obama refused to pledge a SOPA veto even in the face of a massive petition from his supporters. Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith sponsored the bill, and notable tech leaders like Marsha Blackburn co-sponsored it. Well-funded groups like AFL- CIO, MPAA, and RIAA all lined up behind it.
It took everything we had to be heard on this. Our movement could hold nothing back. Erick Erickson himself had to threaten a primary challenge to Blackburn, and he was right to do it. But we got our way, and we should be glad.
But today, as SOPA protests go on across the Internet, we should be aware that there are a few lingering pockets of resistance, and be mindful of them.
It all goes back to May 2011. RedState started work early against a new bill, called PROTECT IP (now being called PIPA in parallel with SOPA). Even as the administration was ramming Net Neutrality Internet regulation through the FCC, the RedState community knew that Net Neutrality wasnt just a threat in itself, but it was also a stepping stone to bigger, more intrusive Internet controls.
It was true, too. Net Neutrality passed, and no matter how loudly we cried out, no matter how hard Kay Bailey Hutchison pleaded for the Senate to take up the Net Neutrality repeal that House Republicans passed, it remained. And with the Internet already regulated, why not try for more?
So Patrick Leahys PROTECT IP bill grew in support, gaining shocking co- sponsors like Marco Rubio. Why a TEA Party Senator would want to give dictatorial Internet censorship powers to Eric Holder, I have no idea. If not for Ron Wydens obstruction of the bill, it might have been worse yet.
But Wyden did block the bill, and so PROTECT IP came to the House under the name of SOPA. Leahys idea found a Republican champion in Lamar Smith, and the bill backed by disgraced former Senator Chris Dodds MPAA brought in even more disappointing Republican sponsors. Marsha Blackburn has been a hero against Internet regulation, but she for some reason cosponsored SOPA.
We at RedState complained and complained, for months highlighting this bill and its dangers. But as with Net Neutrality, allies were few and far between. But slowly, we grew the coalition. Erick Erickson joined my primary threats, and Darrell Issa put together a crack team of liberty-loving Republicans to make some noise. Together we made people realize how bad this bill really was.
Now, suddenly, the whole Internet was screaming about SOPA. People who mocked and scorned us for months suddenly were rushing to be on our side. However unlike us, they put no pressure on their own side to do right on SOPA and PROTECT IP. Barack Obama, despite making no promise to veto SOPA, endures no criticism. Senate Democrats are left free of consequences to force a vote on PROTECT IP. Judiciary Ranking Member John Conyers and other House Democrats vote for SOPAs censorship and are free of public censure.
Conyers in fact laughably said The notion that this bill threatens freedom of information is insupportable, but what has the left done? They free ride on our primary threats by joining in on our attacks on Lamar Smith, whose picture is prominent in the Wikipedia page for SOPA. But today we continue to name and shame Republicans like Smith, Rubio, and Blackburn for their roles in supporting SOPA and PROTECT IP.
We stand and demand electoral consequences for censoring the Internet. That takes time, effort, and money, and Im glad our community is a coalition of the willing.
Today I thank the RedState community for working, for joining our effort and applying the pressure it took to get Eric Cantor to come down on SOPA. Im glad RedStates community is here, because if Cantor ever backslides and SOPA becomes a risk to pass, well need a full team effort once again.
Well need action if SOPA starts to move again. RedState is online today not because we support SOPA, but because somebody had to do the heavy lifting to defeat SOPA, and thats what we were part of. Thank you, RedStaters, for getting that done. Thank you Darrell Issa, Justin Amash, Jason Chaffetz, and other House members for getting this done. Thank you Orrin Hatch and other Senate Republicans for demanding against the odds that Harry Reid should stop his insistence on jamming PROTECT IP through the Senate.
But most of all thank you, RedStaters, for showing up for small government and an open Internet even when its not the cool thing to do so.
Quiz of the Day: Who made the statement "The world would be a better place if only Men were to vote?????? HINT: It was a woman!!!
Do you even know what the 4th Amendment in the Bill of Rights says?
We're past the Holidays and MLK.....not a word here about it or GingrichIsrael dissing it...;}
And now the USSAMedia can't NOT talk about World Events anymore.
Default UK. Israel torching it's borders or walling them in. No attack on Iran. USEnvoy told to stay away from Pakistan. Turkey railing at the USSAinstalled ShiaGov't in Baghdad.
Iran Sanctions EpicFail.
USSA 150 Million at or near poverty.
Federal Reserve.
DC agreeing on nothing but talking more of your Rights away.
LMFAO
Worse. The bank robber is the one closing down access.
Can you feel it? The USSA is losing. The Truman doctrine 1947 is losing across the globe as I type.
note not one word about Israel in the news? Except that Palin endorses Gingrich?
Newt has the demeanor, the charm, the knowledge and the wit to confront the Teleprompter in Chief, and make him stumble, bumble, and stutter in front of all of America today. There is no other candidate who can do this!
More than anything, we need to remove the current Occupant of the White House and send him back to Indonesia, Africa, or Hawaii as the illegal alien that he is.
ewt has the demeanor, the charm, the knowledge and the wit to confront the Teleprompter in Chief, and make him stumble, bumble, and stutter in front of all of America today. There is no other candidate who can do this!
More than anything, we need to remove the current Occupant of the White House and send him back to Indonesia, Africa, or Hawaii as the illegal alien that he is.
We need Newt. We are blessed that he is running.
Newt is the GOP money man and spreads it around. He also has Israel's backing and blessing.
Almost every country in the Middle East is awash in oil, and we have to side with the one that has nothing but joos. Goddamn, that was good thinkin'. Esso posted on 2012-01-13 7:37:56 ET
#9. To: mininggold, Fred Mertz, *Neo-Lib Chickenhawk Wars*, *Ron Paul for President* (#6)
Newt is the GOP money man
Mr Newt is a clown who's only there to siphon off enough votes for Romulin to get the nomination. He'll lose the general election, of course. The neocons need four more years of o'Bungler to help the nation forget how bad Bush and the GOP is.
"We (government) need to do a lot less, a lot sooner" ~Ron Paul
Obama's watch stopped on 24 May 2008, but he's been too busy smoking crack to notice.