Friday, February 04, 2011

Why due process matters

Why is the Department of Homeland Security protecting us from copyright infringement?  Or rather, alleged copyright infringement, since they were able to shut down these websites without due process, based entirely on allegations that they linked to other websites where sporting events were rebroadcast.  These sites are not based in the US, and aren't meant for a US audience--however the domain registries (people who give out website names) for .com and .org are US based.

This is the problem with giving the government broad powers to fight terrorism, violence, or whatever scary excuse for expansion is current--especially giving those powers without due process and oversight.  Homeland Security should be concerned with physical threats to the people of the US--not the well-being of ESPN and other networks. Expanded powers meant to fight terrorism should be restricted to real. physical terrorism--and even then, we need to be careful that the cure isn't worse than the disease.  

3 comments:

  1. Agreed.

    "Broad powers" taken by now ex-President Geo. Dubya' Bush and VP Dick "Sure I'm Paranoid" Cheney but no one was concerned about them---except us on the Left--until a Black man became president. Nobody on the Right was pissed off when the Crackers were running the show.

    All that said, these powers should absolutely come down, no matter who's running the show.

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  2. You are wrong that nobody but leftists were concerned--I was concerned, most libertarians were concerned, and even some conservatives were concerned.

    ...and due process should apply to all rights, especially specifically enumerated constitutional rights. Due process is critical, possibly the most important of our rights.

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  3. You may have been concerned but I read no alarm when it was going on, not from the Right-wing. I heard nor saw any such concern expressed.

    I do hope I was wrong about it but, as an example, Fox "News" never expressed any concern or alarm, that I'm aware of, nor did I read of any in the WSJ.

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