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Senator Wyden’s going to be reading names of censorship opponents from the floor of the Senate during his expected filibuster of the PROTECT IP Act. You can ask to have your name read — and ask your Senators to vote no — by visiting StopCensorship.org.
The hope is that the uglier we make a prospective filibuster look, the less likely it becomes that leadership will call for a vote before Christmas break. It’s already passed through Senate Judiciary, and the understanding is that Reid wants to push for a vote soon, so he can claim a bi-partisan victory on a (bogus) jobs bill.
The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) would ruin so much of what’s best about the Internet: They will give the government and corporations new powers to block Americans’ access to sites that are accused of copyright infringement, force sites like YouTube to go to new lengths to police users’ contributions, and put people in prison for streaming certain content online.
Senator Wyden just issued this new statement on the fight against Internet censorship, and you can check out his call-to-arms video at StopCensorship.org
The filibuster affords senators an opportunity to stand up for what they believe in and there are few things I believe in more than ensuring that every American has a voice and an opportunity to get ahead.
Right now, the Internet gives every American that voice while making it possible for every entrepreneur, thinker and innovator to compete alongside the biggest and most moneyed interests.
It is my hope that — with your help – my colleagues in Congress will realize that a free and open Internet is something that we as Americans should celebrate and not allow those special moneyed interests to quash.
It is my hope that – with your help – my colleagues in Congress will realize that PIPA/SOPA are the wrong way to protect intellectual property because the price they exact on the Internet is too high.
With your help, I believe we can get that word out and prevent these misguided bills from every reaching the House and Senate floor, but if they do reach the floor you can count on me to stand up and make our voices heard.
16 Comments
Thank you for the post. I have signed the petition. Passing this bill could make the Internet a much smaller, censored place.
Wyden he just(ly) deploy his Senate “Secret” HOLD on this or any other Obamanable or Miserepubilkan legislation?
Wyden did place a hold on this bill six months ago.
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/11/wyden-pipa-filibuster/
Now there is a threat that the hold can be over ridden with 60 votes next week. Time is of the essence.
The Internet has become a place the PTB have decided has to be Occupied, by them.
psst, Wyden … failing the fili, buster; deploy your DEM Senate “Secret” HOLD!
It’s really comical how these two sentiments are in the same sentence. The moneyed interests are precisely the reason why no “realization” is going to happen. Because affirmation of this legislation isn’t on principled grounds, it’s on monied ones.
People will riot in the streets. If they think people are pissed about having no money, wait until they yank their data flow. People are going to FAAAAAAAA-REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!
Thanks for the post and the link – I added my name to the list.
Folks you really think most of the people in congress
wants us to have a medium where we can freely express our opinions
& organize against the corruption of our Govt ?
And for the most part we all know whom they(congress) work for ?
Just look at the wholesale assault on peaceful protest participants,and there lies your answer.Ask yourselves if this assault was an occurrence in another country,we all know the condemnation would be swift from our politicians.Here any one of thses so called corrupt politicans who so cares about the welfare
of the American people condem the brutal beatings & torture.
Somehow this all seems like Kabuki…..but I hope I am wrong.
I added my name yesterday. The PTB don’t know what to do about the internet. Most are too out of touch to really understand it. I’m cautiously optimistic that workarounds can be put in place around any government censorship efforts but I’d much prefer that faith were never tested. I know people in China have figured out plenty of ways past the Great Firewall and the snoopers, and that the Chinese net censorship is truly state of the art technologically and carries the full weight of the state.
I find myself more cynical about the prospects of a free and open internet. Government wants control, so they will take it. No amount of protesting will make a difference, because protests can’t gain enough steam under the constant media misrepresentation. I think the American people, by and large, will let their rights and privacies be taken away, as long as they are taken slowly.
Wonder where Al Franken is?
He sure talks a lot about protecting the internet, but is never around to do it.
Good for Sen Wyden, but I’d bet he’s treading water on this.
More on 1984 in our time:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203611404577044192607407780.html
http://projects.wsj.com/surveillance-catalog/
OK! Keep the Lines FREE on the Homepage of The BRAVE!! Peace With Justice!!!
Beware of the Wyden, he will cave or disappear at a moments notice, if the threat to his re-election is in the air. His show of any guts, is itself a miracle. To bad he showed none of these guts when it came to stopping various, egregious SCOTUS nominees.
I am with you….almost all these guys don’t give a hoot about ordinary Americans both Dems & GOP…..but they talk a good game that plays well to most.
We are not going to get any meaningful change unless most of these creeps are tossed out on their rear end.
The occupy movement is a start,and lets hope they don’t get co-opted
by any of these creeps who get on TV and pronounce that they don’t agree with what the the Prez is doing but they are going to go out & work for his re-election……