Tuesday, May 30, 2006

G.W.O.T. . .

From This Modern World's Tom Tomorrow

This Modern World


[ Be sure to view the video in the "Read The Rest..." below. . . ]

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Monday, May 29, 2006

Things To Keep Your Mind On. . .

Things, Events, Happenings That Require Your Diligent Attention
by The Old Hippie Because The Fog Obscures So Much That Is Truly Important


Patriot 1.  The Fight For The Soul Of The Democratic Party

2.  They Have No Idea What's Going On

3.  Ha Ha Ha America
- All Stats Presented Verified As Accurate

4.  China Is Fortifying Its Long-Range Military Arsenal

5.  Is The National Security Agency Being "Turned Against The People"

6.  NSA Given Power To Exempt Corporations From SEC Reporting Requirements

7.  Who Covered It Up, Why Did They Cover It Up, Why Did They Wait So Long?

8.  The Growing "Political Invisibles"

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Just For A Little Fun Break - Red State Rabbit -


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Saturday, May 27, 2006

We Deserve What's Coming. . .

Because, Even In The Face Of Undeniable Reality, We "Allowed" It
by The Old Hippie Because, Not Only Did We "Allow" It, We Are Still "Allowing" It.


As the old saying goes, "No matter how you shake it," the fact remains that this administration has gotten away with the largest, fastest, and most successful theft and transfer of wealth from the many to the few, in the written history of this planet.  (Which, we as a nation, continue to "allow," even when the reality and truth of it is undeniably known to us all.)

Within its first year, 2001, they quite openly emptied the entire record surplus out of the Treasury, directly into the pockets of the few and their sycophants, through, mostly illegal, no-bid contracts.  (Which, we as a nation, continue to "allow," even when the reality and truth of it is undeniably known to us all.)

Within the first two years, 2001 and 2002, they successfully restructured all of the federal regulatory agencies so that, instead of regulating the abuse by the abusers, they now regulate the abused, and function to only protect the profits of the abusers, simply by replacing all of the top down management personnel with ex-executive officers, ex-lobbyists, and ex-lawyers of/from the very corporations the agencies were created to regulate.  (Which, we as a nation, continue to "allow," even when the reality and truth of it is undeniably known to us all.)

Even when we all became fully aware of dangerously deadly level of sneering cronyism, corruption, and lies within and by this administration, through 2003 and 2004 - This nation stunned the world by "re-allowing" the re-selection of this openly criminal administration to remain in power.  (Which, we as a nation, continue to "allow," even when the reality and truth of it is undeniably known to us all.)

Never in our nation's history have we been so clearly and purposefully divided-to-be-conquered-and-controlled.  Not even during our Civil War.  This manufactured division is still being "allowed" to continue to grow larger, and stronger.  The wealth-gap, the health-gap, the education opportunity-gap, the knowledge-gap, the 3-way media-gap, i.e. the rational and/or sane reality-based independent media, the corporatist's controlled "mainstream" propaganda/infotainment media, and the totally whacked-out "Christian" media networks.  (Which, we as a nation, continue to "allow," even when the reality and truth of it is undeniably known to us all.)

Never in our nation's history has America been "allowed" to be so un-American, as it has now been "allowed" to become, and it continues to be "allowed" to move toward being even less "American."  (Which, we as a nation, continue to "allow," even when the reality and truth of it is undeniably known to us all.)

Because, we the people, the citizens of this nation not only "allowed" it all, and continue to "allow" this administration to cause the destructions and deaths of the many, for the profits-over-even-life to the few, out of irrational and manufactured fear. . .  We undoubtedly deserve what is coming.  But not the millions of hurt, wounded, destroyed, and already killed innocents, nor those that fought hard against this tyranny of Exceptionalism and corporate military oppressive empire.  (Which, we as a nation, continue to "allow," even when the reality and truth of it is undeniably known to us all.)

There is no longer doubt in my mind, that without open, in the streets, real protests, and/or open sustained and massive real revolt against these opportunistic criminals - America will be, (and right now is too close to being,) some ugly form of an oppressive un-America.  Oligarchical pro-corporatist/theocratic fascist/totalitarian criminal and opportunistically tyrannical Empire of, by and for the very few, and their sycophants, minions, and "workers."  (Which, we as a nation, continue to "allow," even when the reality and truth of it is undeniably known to us all.)

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There is no longer doubt in my mind, that without open, in the streets, real protests, and/or open sustained and massive real revolt against these opportunistic criminals - America will be, (and right now is too close to being,) some ugly form of an oppressive un-America.  Oligarchical pro-corporatist/theocratic fascist/totalitarian criminal and opportunistically tyrannical Empire of, by and for the very few, and their sycophants, minions, and "workers."  (Which, we as a nation, continue to "allow," even when the reality and truth of it is undeniably known to us all.)

The repetitive simplistic complexity of the redundantly complex simplicity of America, even now, at its worst, still amazes me with all of its repeating simple complexities of its own hallucinatory denials.


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Thursday, May 25, 2006

Nah. . .

From This Modern World's Tom Tomorrow

This Modern World

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Slowpoke by Jen Sorensen


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Even More Reality Observed. . .

Some Have The Ability To "Put It All Together" - Here Are A Few More
by The Old Hippie Because The End Of Our Representative Constitutional Republic Is Possible.


  1.  "This Report Proves That This Administration Is Owned
        And Operated By Big Oil."
- Sen. Barbara Boxer

  2.  Speaker Of The House Dennis Hastert Under Investigation
        By FBI
- ABC News - Are there any GOP "leaders" not being
        investigated, or indicted, or jailed?

  3.  Read About It -And- Watch It - Delay Is Using Colbert?!?

  4.  Review of "Baghdad ER" - Mike Farrell via Crooks & Liars

  5.  ES&S Meltdown: - Even State GOP Agrees! - The Brad Blog
 Your Right

  6.  Just Don't Tell 'Em You Know Me - William River Pitt via Truthout.org


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Sunday, May 21, 2006

Seriously. . . (Reprised)

What Part Of The "Still Allowing" - Do You Just Not Understand?
by The Old Hippie, Because It Is So Beyond The Pale, And So In Our Collective Face


The spin, propaganda, bullshit lying just continues on, and you keep "allowing" them to continue to get away with it, without real protest or revolt.  Just as they are continuing to be "allowed" to change the very structure of what used to be "our" America, its laws, its ideals, even its definition,

Hacker
{-The Way Many Picture Me-}
 into an openly criminal, and proven corrupt, arrogantly opportunistic theocratic corporatist profiteering single-party-ruled imperialist oligarchy, of, by, and for, the few.  All of the born-again imbeciles that actually wanted this, do truly deserve what's coming much more than the "we" that have fought this from its beginnings, even though it is now obvious we just didn't fight hard enough. - Most of "us" actually believed, right up to the end, that our democracy was still intact, and its structure of checks and balances would weed out the truly insane religious zealots, and the criminally opportunistic corporatist politicians - with the vote - What a joke on us - But the "why" of our deserving what's coming?  It is because - "We" knew private corporations, run by two arrogant "Bush Pioneers," - "We" knew the two brothers heading both corporations, had "opportunistic" control of "our"
voting computers - without any "checks and balances" on their manipulations, and "we" knew these same corporations had 23 convicted felons in positions of management, and software control, of the programs that control the "count," without any traceable paper trail.  "We" knew it, and allowed it to happen anyway.  And even more mind-boggling, is "we" are still "allowing" them, these proven corrupted machines to be used in the upcoming national elections.

And Now. . . ?  The voting machines have spread even further in the states, We know that they corrupted all of the last three national elections, (2000, 2002, and 2004.) - But yet - Even in the face of all the expose facts of criminal corruptions - We continue to "allow" their use?!?  Seriously - What part of the "allowing" do you just not understand?

Are we, as a nation, insane, or simply stupid???

Yes - I'm angry at "them" for bringing this about - BUT - I'm much more pissed off at the "we" that "allowed" this to come about.  No matter how you reason it, or justify it, or deny it, the "we" are more at fault, than the "them," of our divided nation.

"We" were not deluded by insane religious rapture, "we" were not lost within the throes of profit and power of neo-con'ed aggressive Empire, "we" were not members of the corporate criminal cronies - "we" were/are simply naive Americans that believed our Constitutional Republic actually was still a reality.  Believed it would protect us.  But the reality is our government is now, and has been for the last six years, run by the combination of insane fundamentalist zealots, delusional neo-con imperialists, and opportunistic corporatist criminals taking every advantage of the other two's insanity.

No matter how you twist it - It is a conspiracy that is so obvious that it's invisible within the denial.
Every day we look more and more like Germany of the late 1930s, or a least not different enough.

We deserve what is coming. . .

The rest of the innocents on the planet do not.

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Note:  From the original - "Seriously" - posted two months ago to the day - March 21, 2006.

And still. . .  Nothing has changed - They are still "allowed" to be in power, still destroying the very concepts and ideals of our nation, for nothing more than profitsAnd still. . .  With all that has now been proven, over and over again - They are still "allowed" to continue their deadly destructions.  And still. . .  The proven-beyond-the-pale corporatist's corrupted voting machines are being "allowed" to continue to spread, and will "count" the votes in the upcoming national elections.  And still. . .  People ask me why I am becoming so cynical, becoming so much less positively hopeful. . .  And still. . .  I continue to answer, with the question. . .

"Seriously - what part of the "allowing" do you not understand?!?"


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Friday, May 19, 2006

This I Don't Get. . .

Why Are So Many Politicians Kissing The Lunatic Fringe's Asses?!?
by The Old Hippie Because The Fact That So Many Are - Scares me.


The whole of the GOP, and even, (too many,) of the loyal-opposition Democrats, are literally kissing the right-wing-nutjob's, and the born-again lunatic fringe's asses, and ignoring the "us" of the reality-based, and rationally sane of America - Why?!?  Is it because they actually believe they, the seriously ignorant and insane, outnumber the rest of us, the sane and rational?!?  And that they "know" that without the voting support of the American born-again ignorant masses they will lose their elections?!?

May be.  Since only about 25% of eligible voters actually voted in 2000 for Gore or Bush, (~12.7% for Gore, ~12.4% for Bush, and approximately the same in 2002, and 2004, and not including or marginalizing the impact of the proven crininalization and corruption of the voting machines in all 3 of those elections,) they may be correct.  The large majority, of that minority, were/are those nutjobs and lunatic fringe that only listen to the large born-again media networks, and the media they were/are "told" is okay to listen to, (i.e. FOX.)

We in the progressive media, and the reality-based blogosphere, are hearing how much impact we are having - But - It is an impact that has, so far, only impacted the "us" of the reality-based rational and sane Americans, not the majority of the voters that completely ignore "us."  It is way too obvious that politicians today "know" where the votes are.  They are with those they openly court, whether reluctantly or not.  And right now - It is the "nutjobs and lunatics" of America that they are openly courting.

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It has become blatantly obvious - What I don't get - Is why have so many rational Americans, (the "us" of the supposedly rational, sane, reality-based, and not-blinded-by-the-propaganda,) "allowed" it to get to this point?!?  Why?!?

This memorable quotation is from Sir Alex Fraser Tytler (1742-1813.)  Scottish jurist and historian, he was widely known in his time, and was professor of Universal History at Edinburgh University in the late 18th century.  The quotation is from the 1801 collection of his lectures.

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government.  It can only exist until
the voters discover that they can vote themselves largess from the public treasury.

From that time on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most
benefits from the public treasury, with the results that a democracy always collapses
over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.

The average age of the world's great civilizations has been 200 years.

These nations have progressed through this sequence:
from bondage to spiritual faith;
from spiritual faith to great courage;
from courage to liberty;
from liberty to abundance;
from abundance to selfishness;
from selfishness to complacency;
from complacency to apathy;
from apathy to dependency;
from dependency back again to bondage."


Do you believe that the nutjobs, the lunatic fringe, and/or those that profit from their ignorance and bigotry, and/or the dangerously opportunistic corporatist profiteers, and their sycophants. . .

Care that you care?

[Disclosure: This is cross-posted at Truthout.org's "the town meeting" forum - Linked Here.]
[A Blatant Plug: Also posting "Comments" there, will help "the town meeting" forum's rankings.]


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Thursday, May 18, 2006

It Seems. . .

Truthout,org's Breaking News Of "The Indictment Meeting" Is Accurate
by Marc Ash, Truthout.org - May 17, 2006


Update on the Rove Indictment Story
By Marc Ash, Wed May 17th, 2006 at 12:52:48 PM EDT :: Fitzgerald Investigation

For the past few days, we have endured non-stop attacks on our credibility, and we have fought hard to defend our reputation.  In addition, we have worked around the clock to provide additional information to our readership.  People want to know more about this, and our job is to keep them informed.  We take that responsibility seriously.

Here's what we now know:  I spoke personally yesterday with both Rove's spokesman Mark Corallo and Rove's attorney Robert Luskin.  Both men categorically denied all key points of our recent reporting on this issue.  Both said, "Rove is not a target,"  "Rove did not inform the White House late last week that he would be indicted,"  and "Rove has not been indicted."  Further, both Corallo and Luskin denied Leopold's account of events at the offices of Patton Boggs, the law firm that represents Karl Rove.  They specifically stated again that no such meeting ever occurred, that Fitzgerald was not there, that Rove was not there, and that a major meeting did not take place.  Both men were unequivocal on that point.

We can now report, however, that we have additional, independent sources that refute those denials by Corallo and Luskin.  While we had only our own sources to work with in the beginning, additional sources have now come forward and offered corroboration to us.

We have been contacted by at least three reporters from mainstream media - network level organizations - who shared with us off-the-record confirmation and moral support.  When we asked why they were not going public with this information, in each case they expressed frustration with superiors who would not allow it.  [ Emphasis mine, not the author's. ]

We also learned the following:  The events at the office building that houses the law firm of Patton Boggs were not in fact a very well-guarded secret.  Despite denials by Corallo and Luskin, there was intense activity at the office building.  In fact, the building was staked out by at least two major network news crews.  Further, although Corallo and Luskin are not prepared to talk about what happened in the offices of Patton Boggs, others emerging from the building were, both on background and off-the-record.  There were a lot of talkers, and they confirmed our accounts.  We do have more information, but want additional confirmation before going public with it.

THE 24 HOUR THING

We reported that Patrick Fitzgerald had, "instructed one of the attorneys to tell Rove that he has 24 business hours to get his affairs in order...."  That does not mean that at the end of that 24-hour period, Fitzgerald is obliged to hold a press conference and make an announcement.  It just means that he has given Rove a 24-hour formal notification.  Fitzgerald is not obliged to make an announcement at any point; he does so at his own discretion, and not if it compromises his case.  So we're all stuck waiting here.  Grab some coffee.

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Nothing else at this time.


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Wednesday, May 17, 2006

And More Reality Observed. . .

Some Have The Ability To "Put It All Together" - Here Are A Few More
by The Old Hippie Because The End Of Our Representative Constitutional Republic Is Possible.


  1.  Bush dispatches National Guard... Bob Harris (ironical satire?)

  2.  West Point Graduates Against The War - by The Graduates

  3.  "Hands Off The Internet" - Is a Telcom Front Group (2nd Link)

  4.  Supreme Court Officially Emasculates Taxpayers - Sirota

  5.  Phone Logs and Fox Pundits - Jon Stewart & Team

  6.  The Poem That Changed America - NYT, Book Review
 Your Right

  7.  Dixie Chicks, Valerie Plame & Bush - Robert Parry, Consortium New, May 16, 2006


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Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Okay - Okay - I Get It. . .

As Bush Said, "The Constitution Is Just A Goddamn Piece Of Paper."
by The Old Hippie Because It Really Pisses Me Off That Many In America Seem To Agree.


Too many Americans must agree with him, or at least "enough," because America continues to allow the flagrantly open "in-your-face" Constitutional crimes to be "seemingly challenged," but in reality... un-answered, un-stopped, and un-punished.

Please - Please - Prove to me that I am wrong.  Just Do Something - Anything - To Stop Them.

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[Disclosure: This is cross-posted at Truthout.org's "the town meeting" forum - Linked Here.]
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Saturday, May 13, 2006

I Believe That. . .

Sometimes - I Hate Being Right - More Than I Hate Being Wrong.
by The Old Hippie Because - While I still Can Say It - This Has To Be Said.


I use to be a Republican.  It took the reality of the "slap in the face" by the Nixon Administration, after the Navy (mid '60s,) getting married, having a child, using the G.I. Bill, to finally be able to get an excellent education, (Zoology & Chemistry, Dental School (dropped out "in good standing" after 2 years,) spending every weekend with my son, plus large chunks of quality time with him throughout the year, (after the divorce.)  In other words, after I grew up. . .  I realized how wrong I was to support the slow corporate take over of my nation, which is what being a Republican causes one to do.  Which is more true today, than when I realized I was wrong.  My slow and awakening realization began two weeks after I voted to re-elect Nixon.

The anger and frustration of realizing that one's "heros" had lied, and deceived, and caused untold innocent deaths, all for nothing more than political gain, and "power," and wealth, was maddening, during the time of my transition from apathetic blind support, to "becoming aware" while finally digging-in and doing the research that my education had given me the ability to do.

Throughout all of history, as far back as the Roman Republic, entire civilizations, and nations, and governments, had successfully fought the encroaching controlling powers of corporations.  Then, in the 1886 Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Supreme Court case, everything changed.  Our nation allowed a court reporter, a sycophant of the corporations. . .

"...based on the Reporter's headnotes (and ignoring the actual ruling), subsequent Courts have expanded those human rights for corporations.  These now include the First Amendment human right of free speech (including corporate "speech" to influence politics - something that was a felony in most states prior to 1886), the Fourth Amendment human right to privacy (so a chemical company has successfully sued to prevent the EPA from performing surprise inspections - while retaining the right to perform surprise inspections of its own employees' bodily fluids and phone conversations), and the 14th Amendment right to live free of discrimination (using the free-the-slaves 14th Amendment, corporations have claimed discrimination to block local community efforts to pass "bad boy laws" or keep out predatory retailers)."  [A direct quote from above linked article.]


From that point on, it has been a downhill battle, and the corporations controlling powers have constantly gotten stronger.  Then, In 2001, this current administration, the corporations' power-profiteers' wet-dream came true, stepped into control of the wealthiest, most powerful military government in this planets history.

I began an email e-list, back in the '80s, to "spread the word" to family, friends, associates, of what I found in my research of the corporate "politics" effects and affects on our nation's, and the world's environment - Including the physical, social, and emotional "things" that I had been unaware of - And therefore, maybe the e-list members were also unaware of.  In the early-mid 90s I started my web site, and in late August of 2004 I started the Blog, both for the same reason, to spread my ability to "spread the word" to others.

With the research, and input from others, came findings which led to predictions and educated conjectures, that were at first worrisome, then scary, and finally horrifying - All of which I hoped I was really wrong about - But all of it has now come true, or at best, is on the cusp of becoming reality.  Our once great Constitutional Democracy is now but a shadow of what is was.  Our nation is now, or again at best, on the cusp of being, an opportunistic and insane corporatist, openly criminal, dangerously destructive, regime of "the few over the many."

I do hate that I, and others, were right all along.  Believe me - I wish I had been wrong.

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Read through my Blog's postings - Let me know any fact I have wrong, with links to your sources of correction, and I will publicly apologize, and correct the facts, giving credit where credit is due.

If you hit me with sycophantic "troll bullshit," without reliable sources - I will delete your words.

[Disclosure: This is cross-posted at Truthout.org's "the town meeting" forum - Linked Here.]
[A Blatant Plug: Also posting "Comments" there, will help "the town meeting" forum's rankings.]


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Saturday, May 06, 2006

It's Not The Lies. . .

It's My Nation's Citizens Continued Acceptance & Allowance That I Fear
by The Old Hippie Because It Isn't Getting Better - It's Getting Worse.


I've seen and heard the lies exposed, reported, re-reported, proven beyond doubt, talked about, sometimes even in the mainstream media. . .  Lies that have cost so many lives and livelihoods, lies at a level and preponderance never experienced previously within our nation's history, lies that have allow the corporate take-over of all of "our" governmental structures, lies that have allowed the destruction of all of "our" sane environmental regulations in favor to corporate profits, lies that have allowed the acceptance of "our" legalization of the torture as an officially sanctioned technique even though it has been proven, over and over again, to not produce any accurate intelligence, lies that have destroyed the credibility and careers of anyone, within and/or without of this administration who dares to even try to speak truth to the citizens, lies that have allowed a historic swift of power to the unitary executive from both the judicial and congressional branches of "our" government, lies that now allow 32% of Americans to agree with the president that the Constitution is "just a goddamn piece of paper."

I do fear you 32%  [Now 29% - Updated: 5/13/06], and the others of my citizens that are also still in borderline-denial of the reality of the effects and affects of their insane continued acceptance and allowance of the lies.  I do fear the citizens who only get their news/info from the large born-again religious media networks.  I do also fear, almost as much, those citizens that have completely bought into the corporate propaganda of "there's nothing you as an individual can do about any of it..." because it is getting dangerously close to that point.

I do not fear the terrorists.  I fear what "our" nation's citizen's denial, acceptance, and allowing of the proven lies will force the "terrorists" to do in desperation to our citizens lack of "stopping and punishing" the openly criminal profiteers that now use "our" governmental structures to enforce their lies, to crush dissent, to profit-even-over-life, and to kill/destroy anyone in their way.

I also fear, deeply, what "our" corporate government's responses will be to the desperate acts of the "terrorists."

If you don't - Then you really haven't been paying attention - And I fear your ignorance.

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Nothing else at this time.


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Wednesday, May 03, 2006

The Net Neutrality Act. . .

It's Not The Wars, Or Environment, Or Security, But It's Very Important
by Several People Of Knowledge Because This Needs To Be Known By All Of Us


The Net Neutrality Act
- [Original at Crooks and Liars (5/2/06) - Linked Here]

Alternet:

"Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) threw down the gauntlet just moments ago, introducing the Network Neutrality Act of 2006...read on"

NY Times:

    Net Neutrality is a concept that is still unfamiliar to most Americans, but it keeps the Internet democratic. Cable and telephone companies that provide Internet service are talking about creating a two-tiered Internet, in which Web sites that pay them large fees would get priority over everything else.

    "One of the Internet's great strengths is that a single blogger or a small political group can inexpensively create a Web page that is just as accessible to the world as Microsoft's home page. But this democratic Internet would be in danger if the companies that deliver Internet service changed the rules so that Web sites that pay them money would be easily accessible, while little-guy sites would be harder to access, and slower to navigate. Providers could also block access to sites they do not like."

[And from the original at MyDD - Linked Here] - by Matt Stoller, Fri Apr 21, 2006

I've written a bunch about the importance of network neutrality. The pro-net neutrality coalition SavetheInternet.com is launching on Monday with such participants as Instapundit, Gun Owner's of America, Moveon, and Vint Cerf (known as the 'father of the internet').

Libertarian Alex Curtis at Public Knowledge prepared the following two minute video clip, and it does a much better job than I could in explaining the stakes of this fight.

              


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Nothing else at this time.


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