Grokster Gets Panned

In a blow to file swappers everywhere, the Supreme Court has ruled that file sharing companies can be held liable for copyright infringments commited with their software. Now this would be entirely logical if it weren't for a couple of points. For starters, the legal online music stores do not yet offer all the music available on peer to peer networks. In addition, these stores often engage in monopolistic actions. For example, the popular store iTunes, run by Apple Computer, distributes files that are only compatable with Apple products. The second problem is the obvious fact that there is a dangerous presedent to be set in allowing a company to be sued over the usage of thier product. What's next? Sueing car companies for hit and runs? However, in the end I say to the recording industry: Let the file swappers be until you are truely capable of providing an identical service to the paying public.

Supreme Madness

This morning the Supreme Court delivered a split decision on public displays of the Ten Commandments. Just as it did on Affirmative Action, the court split hairs. The court ruled that the Ten Commandments could be displayed on government property but said it could not be displayed inside a government building. In both cases the deciding vote was cast by Justice O'Connor. Can I get a resounding "Make up your mind already!" on such important rulings? Now personally, I am a huge supporter of the separation of church and state. I fail to understand why the religious right sees the removal of Christian symbols from public venues as an attack on their faith. How would they feel if it were a statue of the Budda or passages from the Koran that were being displayed on public grounds? Something tells me that they would be outraged. Religion must be entirely absent in government. If not for fairness then for the sake of allowing new ideas to form rather than locking into ancient paradigms. Furthermore, I challenge those that seem to believe that it takes such huge amounts of convincing to get a person to believe in the same faith as them. If it takes this much convincing, have you ever considered that it might be you that is in the wrong? What evangelicals must realize is that whatever spiritual path a person chooses of their own free will is the right one, for them.

Flag Burning

In Congress's endless campaign to waste time, the House of Representatives has passed a proposal to amend the Constitution banning desecration of the United States flag. Why is Congress so obsessed with constitutional amendments lately? It would seem that if this Congress were to have it's way the Constitution would be as complicated as the tax code. And this business with banning the desecration of the flag is all rather pointless because those who would desecrate a flag will continue to do so anyway. Does anyone remember what happened the last time there was a constitutional ban on something? Prohibition and gangsters ring a bell? Here's a creative suggestion: Rather than taking away people's rights, how's about giving the rest of us the right to attack anyone that is desecrating a flag? This would be far more effective than any constitutional ban.

US in talks with Insurgents

Once again the US has bothered wasting time talking to insurgents in Iraq. Beyond peaceful surrenders and informants I can't see the point behind talking to insurgents. All this does is stall our troops and make us miss a chance to apprehend them. No end to the violence can be negotiated because there is no chain of command among terrorists. This is the problem we now face after making a critical mistake during the initial invasion. Our forces swept directly into Bagdad, destroying the center of Iraqi power rather than securing the borders and laying seige to Bagdad. This strategy would have allowed for a treaty of surrender to be negotiated, the chain of command preserved, and the insurgency avoided.
However, to dewell on what should have been done is not productive. We must deal with reality and wish to change the future, not the past. The insurgency cannot be negotiated with and therefore it is best that our soldiers not waste their time talking and continue with the only solution left. Eliminate the insurgents one at a time until either the Iraqis can take over the task or there are no more insurgents to be had.