Surreal Escapes

I’m scared, terrified actually. It’s not the so-called pirates that I fear, I’m friends with enough of them. Nor have the terrorists succeeded in their goal to scare me. No, it’s the simple fact that a bill worse than the DMCA could even be conceived. The only thing keeping the Thought Police from knocking down my door because I was wondering if I should download the latest Godsmack album is the lack of technology to read my mind. The bill goes nearly that far though, as it seems to suggest that the simple attempt to rip a legally purchased CD to my MP3 player could be penalized by 10 years in prison. Whatever happened to an eye for an eye?

It might seem like something so ludicrous could never become law, but don’t be so sure. Attorney General Gonzalez thinks that “quite frankly, IP crimes fund terrorism activities.” I’m more inclined to believe that my tax dollars fund terrorist activities. The Bush administration seems to be doing a pretty good job of terrorizing the American public with just the word ‘terrorism,’ scaring people into giving up their liberties. This latest attempt is trying to strip us of our fair use rights in regards to intellectual property. I, as a consumer, have the right to listen to purchased music whenever, wherever, and however I want. I, as a human being and posseser of a sentient mind, have the responsibility to stand up for this right, among others. Maybe the Canadians aren’t so bad afterall.