The US's powerful media lobby is manipulating foreign governments again. We have seen this before with Pirate Bay in Sweden and now again in New Zealand. The concept of free and independent states is being steadily eroded by the insane drive for control and profit.
This is a terrible trend on so many levels but can you imagine living in a world where a few private industries decided what we can and can't do... In some ways we are already there and it is sad to see how far down this dystopian path we have come. However it also makes it a very interesting time to be alive.
Hollywood's Insane Media Lobby
In the case of the Pirate Bay it was clear to many observers that the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) was lobbying the US government to influence the actions of the Swedish government. The president of the MPAA, Dan Glickman was taking every opportunity to bemoan the loss of revenue for the big movie companies because people were sharing movies on the Pirate Bay.
This was particularly visible to the Swedish youth but we could all see what was going on.
- The MPAA in an insatiable display of greed was manipulating the US government into demanding Sweden change its laws and imprison digital rights freedom fighters - all to try and squeeze every last bit of profit possible.
- Very little study or credence was given to the fact that many of those sharing files would not have purchased the media if they had to pay for it.
- Nobody seemed to be pointing out to these megalomaniacs that they have reacted in the same way with every jump in technology. They screamed about people copying audio tapes, VHS, DVDs and now digital files. In every case they were able to make more money from the new technologies but initially freaked out worrying that people would be "stealing" their media.
- This was a clear and blatant manipulation of two sovereign governments by a private industry. This is corruption!
- Nobody was talking about the viral marketing taking place through file sharing.
- These corporations make enormous amounts of profit already and are in no danger of becoming bankrupt any time soon.
An excellent synopsis of the situation is to be seen in the movies: Steel This Film I & II and can be watched on the DTube wannabe here:
They Want Kim Dotcom
A similarly epic legal battle has been waged against Kim Dotcom in New Zealand. This bizarre story centers around shutting down and prosecuting the founder of Megaupload. Megaupload was a file sharing service and there is no doubt that Kim Dotcom and his partners made a lot of money from it.
The same movie megalomaniacs insisted this service be shut down because they were worried about loss of revenue. At this point Kim Dotcom was living in a mansion near New Zealand's largest city Auckland. When the raid came on his house it had all the hallmarks of a Hollywood blockbuster with dozens of black clad agents, two police helicopters and an over the top response that is the mainstay of the action genre.
This kind of insane response is not the way things are normally conducted in New Zealand... again we see the hidden hand manipulating sovereign countries!
Sadly it seems they might get their way with Kim Dotcom. Even with the laws of New Zealand on his side and enormous financial resources to fight his cases the US is inching closer to sending him in chains to a prison cell on the other side of the world. I shudder to think how many years he might have to spend in a US prison... but that is the point!
They want to make an example of him as a deterrent to other would be digital freedom fighters.
Can they extradite me for using their logo? 😉
The Law? What Law? We Make The Laws!
The Pirate Bay and Megaupload are fascinating examples. Prohibition has never worked in any form and it does not work with digital media. If the madmen in Hollywood get their way the entire internet will be centralized monitoring us at every stage. However I would be willing to bet that even at that point there will still be pockets of resistance online. The truth is there are far to many of us to stop!
These cases have been instructive and I have deep admiration for those willing to fight for their beliefs. However the most important aspect of these actions is the fundamental manipulation by a small group of wealthy individuals of the US government and the sovereign nations of Sweden and New Zealand.
There is no other way to interpret the actions of these three governments. They are all having their strings pulled in the most appalling manner. I would go further and say that this seems like blatant cases of corruption. A few wealthy men manipulating the US government and through them any other government they want.
Those of you who have read my work know I hate hypocrisy. In this instance there is no doubt that the US as a self proclaimed defender of freedom and democracy around the world is completely hypocritical in bending to the will of the big lobbyists.
I hope Kim Dotcom can find some last minute legal move to stop his extradition to the US. If they get him there they will want to bury him alive. Sadly it seems that this is what might happen. If it does this case will stand as a stark example of how our freedoms are often only in name. Perhaps it will galvanize community resistance to further abuses - I hope so!
These cases show how our legal and governmental systems are manipulated in the most appalling manner. If Kim Dotcom is sent to prison we have all lost something. Freedom is indivisible. You can't only be a little bit free!
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