Is MySpace behind proposed "social networking" website regulation?

Congress targets social-networking sites

Rep. Diana DeGette, a Colorado Democrat, originally proposed legislation (click here for PDF) in April that would require Internet service providers to retain activity logs to aid in criminal investigations, including ones involving child abuse.

Now DeGette and some of her colleagues in the House of Representatives are suggesting that social-networking sites should be required to do the same thing.

"How much would it cost your company to preserve those IP addresses?" DeGette asked at a hearing on Wednesday that included representatives from Facebook, Xanga and Fox Interactive Media, the parent company of MySpace. "You're going to store the data indefinitely?"

Of course, any successful regulation of the internet is going to come in the name of protection of children. If this regulation is passed, costs of entry for new "social networking" sites are going to be significantly higher, thereby helping preserve MySpace's monopoly power. Who is the government to define what social networking is anyway?

When I was younger, I created a massively popular rating website frequented by a number of people under the age 18. When the NY Times wrote an article about the site, but would not publish the URL because we allowed minors to use it, our investors (lawyers) and someone we worked with (grandson of a former NY senator and a Georgetown law student at the time) suggested we work with the newly elected Senator Hillary Clinton to develop legislation to protect children online. We would then create a newly mandated software that "protected" the children (anyone with children connecting to the internet would be required by law to install this software). We would then have an immediate monopoly and guaranteed riches - all in the name of the children. Clinton could paint herself as tough on child predators and we could paint ourselves as a company protecting minors. Of course, I vowed to walk away from the company if we ever went down such a path.

But that approach is not very different than what we are likely seeing today. MySpace may very well be quietly working behind the scenes for regulations that on the surface seem to harm their business, but in actuality, harm smaller websites and companies much more than MySpace. Hiring a few more employees and servers to store this sort of information is a platry investment for News Corp. But what about the 16 year old entreprenuer working on a shoe-string budget who has the next great "social networking" website idea? Using the heavy hand of the State to destroy competition is nothing new.

The internet is an even playing field, a place where children can compete with multi-nationals, and it better stay that way.

Religious Al Gore

Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Al Gore and his disciples are happy to spread their religion to gullible souls the world over. Its clear the majority of movie reviewers across the country shouted hallelujah to their preacher.

From Canada Free Press

"There is no meaningful correlation between CO2 levels and Earth's temperature over this [geologic] time frame. In fact, when CO2 levels were over ten times higher than they are now, about 450 million years ago, the planet was in the depths of the absolute coldest period in the last half billion years." Patterson asked the committee, "On the basis of this evidence, how could anyone still believe that the recent relatively small increase in CO2 levels would be the major cause of the past century's modest warming?"

Restating the case for the war in Iraq

I wanted to post a succint defense of the war in Iraq that I read on Orkut today. The author's name is Peter Lusby. I would like to see the new White House Press Secretary Tony Snow explain Iraq in terms like this.

The known facts are that, in the 1990s, Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, and programs to develop more of them. The UN call for him to stop the programs and destroy the weapons was to be enforced by inspections, but he threw the inspectors out. By 2003, there was no way for the new inspectors to determine whether or not Saddam was in compliance. No records existed of the destruction of the weapons known, on the basis of Saddam's own earlier statements to UN officials, to have existed. No documentation existed to show what had become of the facilities, materials, and organizations involved in the WMD development programs known, once again on the basis of Saddam's own admissions, to have existed. The fact that Saddam was probably being conned by his own people is irrelevant.

But, leaving aside completely the issue of WMD, Saddam's régime was a blatant, open and public supporter of international terrorism. For the world to allow this thug and his henchmen to thumb their noses at the whole world, and continue to supply arms, money, training and sanctuary to Hamas and its fellow travellers was intolerable. It was essential to send a clear message, to every government who might be tempted to use terrorism as a tool of foreign policy, that the world would no longer sit idly by and let this happen.

As a result, Erupoean terrorist groups like the IRA, the ETA, and the Corsican separatists have been largely defanged, deprived of money, weapons, and popular support. Suicide attacks on Israeli civilians have dwindled to a tiny percentage of what they used to be. Governments of countries like Pakistan, Indonesia, Libya, Columbia, have all cracked down on terrorist activities, rather than risk being the next to suffer the wrath of American outrage.

Pragmatically, this administration has achieved a watershed in the elimination of terrorism as a tool for change. The war is not yet over, and it probably never will be, but at least the problem has suddenly been cut down to manageable proportions.

Internet libre para Cuba

A hunger strike to protest the Castro dictatorship's draconian limits on internet use within the slave labor prison known as Cuba.

On a side note, I am currently enjoying Humberto E. Fontova's "Fidel: Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant." The author's pure hatred for Fidel, Che, and their supporters in the free world flows onto these pages in a way that just makes you smile. Eloquent honesty in describing not only of the sick deeds of the Cuban communists or the adoration Fidel receives from the glitterati is much appreciated. You'd be up in arms too once you understand the hypocrisy. If you have ever wondered why the Miami-based Cuban-American population was up in arms over Elian Gonzalez, check this one out.

Apparently, the free flow of information is not in the interests of the glitterati who worship Castro.

Link: The famous free health care that Cuban's enjoy

Tags: Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez, Cuba, Castro, communism

Activist Under Fire for Wal-Mart Position

Akinyele Umoja, a professor of black studies at Georgia State University, complained: "What he's doing is providing credibility and legitimacy for some of these corporations that have policies that just reinforce inequality."

In the meantime, "the new store has received more than 8,000 applicants for 500 jobs." What is Umoja's advocacy of socialism doing for those 8,000 applicants?

Tags: wal-mart, WalMart, civil rights, capitalism

Political posturing on Dubai port deal will hurt security efforts

Democrats plan bill to block Dubai port deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two U.S. Democratic senators said on Friday they would introduce legislation aimed at blocking Dubai Ports World from buying a company that operates several U.S. shipping ports because of security concerns.

Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Hillary Clinton of New York said they would offer a measure to ban companies owned or controlled by foreign governments from acquiring U.S. port operations.

"We wouldn't turn the border patrol or the customs service over to a foreign government, and we can't afford to turn our ports over to one either," Menendez said in a statement. The Senate Banking Committee also plans to hold a hearing on the issue later this month.

P&O, the company Dubai Ports World plans to buy for $6.8 billion, is already foreign-owned, by the British, but the concern is that the purchaser is backed by the United Arab Emirates government.

This is a bit more than normal political grandstanding - Hillary considers this an opportunity to look tough on terrorism in her seemingly ever-failing attempts to capture political middle she needs to ascend to the presidency. While seeing past her actions to her political aims might be easy for many, understanding the unintended consequences of a successful blockage of the port sale might require a second look.

Why do they hate us? Western culture, with an underscored respect for reason, capitalism, and individual rights for all members of society is diametrically opposed to the virus of Islamic extremism which is escalating a battle for greater control of the Arab world and beyond. Any progress in lifting the Arab world into modern western standards is not going to be achieved by bribing these regimes to not attack us or capitulating to the demands of the extremists. Our greatest weapon is appealing to the self-interest of Arab companies and workers with the mutual benefits thankfully available through cooperation in modern global markets. Shared interests and shared fortunes with the Arab world will create equal incentives for security both on our shores and theirs. An attack on America by Arabs becomes a self-inflicted wound and sets off internal forces overseas to eradicate the virus.

In the long run, free trade is a more effective diplomacy tool than any number of guns. We are open to working with the Arab world as equals, not as terrorists. Money knows no borders or race or religion.

If these Clintonian political postures are successful, we will send a clear message to the Arab world that America is xenophobic - Arabs need not apply to the modern world, leaving options such as Hamas the seemingly only viable alternative. Assuming the deal is accepted, we send the message that America responds positively to peaceful cooperation and our wrath is only reserved for attacks on the rights that make such free trade available at all.

After WWI, Europe closed the door on German participation in modern society. The unintended consequence was, of course, Hitler. We can invite Arab society into the modern world, but only so long as our interests are aligned.

Tags: hillary clinton, free trade, dubai, UAE, arabs, Terrorism

Snow Hedge

I love this!

Chicago Merc to Trade Snowfall Futures

CHICAGO (AP) -- First came temperature futures, then frost-day futures. Now - futures involving how much snow falls at Logan Airport in Boston or New York's Central Park.

The world's largest derivatives exchange said the new product, which will trade electronically starting Feb. 26, should help cities manage risk associated with snow accumulation. Insurance companies, retailers and other businesses with a lot riding on the weather also can use the futures to hedge their risk.