US Government Censoring our Internet

I hope this doesn't get passed :( That would suck

ToffeePffffahahahahaha! Freedom of speech is just a myth. Silly Akane.

You only have freedom of speech if you aren't actually saying anything.As for this censoring law.....if it actually goes into effect, then I might as well drop internet service. If all I can do online is view ads and only browse sites that expect you to PAY for everything, then it won't be useful to me anymore.

more to the point, you only have freedom of speech if you are agreeing with everything the current government are saying. Try to say anything else and you'll be subject to trial by media and relentless character assassination. Freedom of speech is indeed a myth in many western countries

Don't forget about PIPA, which is closely related. Didn't watch the video-already saw TheAmazingAtheist's video on it (he has other hilarious stuff and makes valid points, I recommend checking out his YouTube channel).
As for whether or not we currently have free speech, I think we do essentially have it. But freedom of speech does not guarantee that everyone will appreciate it. There just won't be any legal action unless it's slander/libel and there's a malicious intent or something. I guess it's not quite an absolute freedom, but then again, how would something like that work? If I were to say something that could potentially affect several thousand (or more) people, those people would be likely to have strong opinions on what I had to say.
But at least they'd be able to listen. And I'd be able to say it.
Even if I were labeled crazy and insane by many in the media, what if I embraced it? It seems to have worked for Glenn Beck and Ron Paul, who have very strong supporters. I'm not sure if Ron Paul's embraced the "crazy," but I'm pretty sure Glenn Beck has. And although I'm not sure of the number of supporters for either, it's clear that some exist and that they are quite adamant on their positions. (Attempting to remain apolitical here; Glenn Beck/Ron Paul are not the focus of my argument, merely examples that demonstrate my point) To add to this, I'm pretty sure both have more than enough money to live happily for a long time, though it's probably not quite as important to them as what they believe they are doing.
Furthermore, there are a few outlets to getting a voice out (most, if not all, coming from the internet). I don't think that SOPA/PIPA will do permanent completely destructive damage to these mediums, so it's possible they could get repealed or something if enough people on the internet get the message out after they pass (if they pass-excuse the pessimism). Or maybe we'll be able to stop them before.
Government legislation rarely has an instantaneous revolutionary affect on anything. It's always the slow and steady march in one direction or one of the other myriads of directions. But should it choose the wrong direction, it is a good idea to stop it in its tracks early.

...another bluff. I knew it from the start.... I have just about enough of this damn government...

This is like taking all the cars from people who have parked their car slightly incorrect...

Replying to #26

UK government would never do that, it would diminish one of their largest sources of income. Now if they could fine the motorist for not parking 100% squarely inside the box, they'd do it.

To any individuals eager to leave the animal farm: corporations are the backbone to SOPAs success. Get your eyes off of your fat fucking TV and stop supporting ABC, CBS, ESPN, stop paying for major label music from Capital, Universal, EMI, etc. with your iTunes gift cards and be conscious about your banking options. The difference between a world of corporate justice and one of sheer manipulation and oppression is the ability of the people to recognize and resolve a serious social issue and there's no need to be a complacent contributing pos just because you're addicted to commercialization. Thank you, goodnight.

fabviniyeah, but I heard Dilma wants to put this in Brazil too, but in the contrary of USA, what the goverment says goes!

If this happens then all hell shall break loose...
Instead of trying harder to stop drugs and dealers, they wanna go through with this crap.
God I hate my country. :/

It's possible that this bill was brought up with the intention of not passing and it's just there to get Google, Amazon etc to finally throw money at the government so they can get congress on their side.

Sounds like something the government would do...

This may sound shallow on my part, but what exactly does this all mean for, you know, the emulation scene? Will it stop right in it's tracks and be destined to become a relic (of a more civilized age)? For that matter, it is my belief that, just like love, piracy will always find a way. I really can't imagine such an annoying world, where you'd have to pay for videogames no one has touched in a decade.

good news. SOPA gets shelved:
http://www.reddit.com/tb/oixy1
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/14/white-house-sopa-pipa_n_1206347.html?ref=tw

The legislation ran into an even more significant problem yesterday when the White House announced its opposition to the bills. Though the administration’s chief technology officials officials acknowledged the problem of online privacy, the White House statement presented a fairly detailed critique of the measures and concluded, “We will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet.” It added that any proposed legislation “must not tamper with the technical architecture of the Internet.”

Hah, that's awesome news :D Good job white house!

don't celebrate yet.

Replying to #37

ymean that its still gonna try to get passed!?
Good god, some people just dont know when to give up

PIPA is still missing, and even though SOPA got shelved, maybe they will try to do something similar in the near future

Replying to #39

So were safe for now?
So that means no sites shutting down tommorow? :D