Obama's State Of The Union 2012 Part 6

Part 6

“We can also spur energy innovation with new incentives. The differences in this chamber may be too deep right now to pass a comprehensive plan to fight climate change. But there's no reason why Congress shouldn't at least set a clean energy standard that creates a market for innovation. So far, you haven't acted. Well tonight, I will. I'm directing my Administration to allow the development of clean energy on enough public land to power three million homes. And I'm proud to announce that the Department of Defense, the world's largest consumer of energy, will make one of the largest commitments to clean energy in history - with the Navy purchasing enough capacity to power a quarter of a million homes a year.”

This whole statement makes me laugh.  I mean, come on, everyone knows that Global Warming, err, that is to say, Climate Change, is a myth that has been propagated by years of falsified data and research.  I am not saying that we shouldn’t try to be good stewards of the planet, but we don’t need to base what we do on lies that have been spread by people who have an agenda to promote their cause by falsifying information.  As for the rest of Obama’s statement here, I just find it funny.  I’ll let you figure out why.

“Of course, the easiest way to save money is to waste less energy. So here's another proposal: Help manufacturers eliminate energy waste in their factories and give businesses incentives to upgrade their buildings. Their energy bills will be $100 billion lower over the next decade, and America will have less pollution, more manufacturing, and more jobs for construction workers who need them. Send me a bill that creates these jobs.”

Wow, he is delusional.  Oh well, I guess that is why they call it a wish list.  That is what this entire speech is, a wish list.  It sounds good but you know none of it is feasible nor will it ever get done.

“Building this new energy future should be just one part of a broader agenda to repair America's infrastructure. So much of America needs to be rebuilt. We've got crumbling roads and bridges. A power grid that wastes too much energy. An incomplete high-speed broadband network that prevents a small business owner in rural America from selling her products all over the world.”

Actually, our infrastructure is not that bad compared to the rest of the world.  A lot of people like to show pictures of a bridge that collapsed in the central northern US to say we need the Federal Government to invest more in American Infrastructure then they off set it with pictures of brand new bridges built in Germany and China.  What they don’t tell you it the American bridge collapsed when there was an earthquake (something that doesn’t often happen in that region) that was worse than the bridge was designed to withstand.  Meanwhile the Chinese and German bridges are not typical bridges that are seen in those nations.  If you were to take the percentages of bridges that are advanced in design and in good repair compared to the ones that are not, you would see that despite the fact that China and Germany spend 4 times as much money (percentage wise) on infrastructure as the US does, the US is far better off.

“During the Great Depression, America built the Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge. After World War II, we connected our States with a system of highways. Democratic and Republican administrations invested in great projects that benefited everybody, from the workers who built them to the businesses that still use them today.

In the next few weeks, I will sign an Executive Order clearing away the red tape that slows down too many construction projects. But you need to fund these projects. Take the money we're no longer spending at war, use half of it to pay down our debt, and use the rest to do some nation-building right here at home.”

How about use all of that money to pay down the debt and let the states worry about their own roads and bridges.  The only money that the Federal money that is needed is for the interstate road way systems, which is already over funded though you wouldn’t know it due to the wasteful spending of the people who run it.  Why not take the existing money and (as Obama puts it) clear some of that red tape away.  I think that then they would find out that they have more than enough money for what is needed. 

“There's never been a better time to build, especially since the construction industry was one of the hardest-hit when the housing bubble burst. Of course, construction workers weren't the only ones hurt. So were millions of innocent Americans who've seen their home values decline. And while Government can't fix the problem on its own, responsible homeowners shouldn't have to sit and wait for the housing market to hit bottom to get some relief.

That's why I'm sending this Congress a plan that gives every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgage, by refinancing at historically low interest rates. No more red tape. No more runaround from the banks. A small fee on the largest financial institutions will ensure that it won't add to the deficit, and will give banks that were rescued by taxpayers a chance to repay a deficit of trust.”

This really does sound good, as a homeowner myself that has been effected by the housing decline; I can see the benefit of this.  But, I am hesitant to believe this or to trust that it will truly help.  The reason for this is the money that will fund this has to come from somewhere.  The unfortunate truth is that it is most likely going to be gained by raising taxes or cutting the tax breaks that home owners get.  Either one of these is almost guaranteed to be worse than what we currently have to pay, effectively not saving us, the homeowners, anything.

Let's never forget: Millions of Americans who work hard and play by the rules every day deserve a Government and a financial system that do the same. It's time to apply the same rules from top to bottom: No bailouts, no handouts, and no copouts. An America built to last insists on responsibility from everybody.

“We've all paid the price for lenders who sold mortgages to people who couldn't afford them, and buyers who knew they couldn't afford them. That's why we need smart regulations to prevent irresponsible behavior. Rules to prevent financial fraud, or toxic dumping, or faulty medical devices, don't destroy the free market. They make the free market work better.”

What Obama is saying here is true, but it is also misleading.  Rules and regulations do help the free market to work better, but only when they are used in moderation.  The biggest thing that is hurting the free market today is overregulation.  This is the whole reason that we had the trouble that led to the recession and the housing market collapse.  When you overregulate, things either can’t get done that need to get done or the multitude of rules gets abused by playing the rules against themselves.

“There is no question that some regulations are outdated, unnecessary, or too costly. In fact, I've approved fewer regulations in the first three years of my presidency than my Republican predecessor did in his. I've ordered every federal agency to eliminate rules that don't make sense. We've already announced over 500 reforms, and just a fraction of them will save business and citizens more than $10 billion over the next five years. We got rid of one rule from 40 years ago that could have forced some dairy farmers to spend $10,000 a year proving that they could contain a spill - because milk was somehow classified as an oil. With a rule like that, I guess it was worth crying over spilled milk.” 

Actually, over all, Obama has approved passed more regulations in his first 3 years then Bush did in his 8.  As for his administration reforming regulations that are out dated, Obama has shown in the past that he isn’t really interested in true reform of these regulations; he wants to expand upon them.  If, he is telling the truth (and I doubt it, though I will admit I don’t know the truth about this claim.  I cannot find anything to reference his claim) about the rule for dairy farmers that he talks about here, then I say, good for him, but there is so much more that needs to be done.  Also if he is telling the truth, then how many regulations did he impose to offset that rule’s removal?  I bet the answer is more than one.

“I'm confident a farmer can contain a milk spill without a federal agency looking over his shoulder. But I will not back down from making sure an oil company can contain the kind of oil spill we saw in the Gulf two years ago. I will not back down from protecting our kids from mercury pollution, or making sure that our food is safe and our water is clean. I will not go back to the days when health insurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your policy, deny you coverage, or charge women differently from men.”

Ok, where to start… I guess I will start with the gulf oil spill…  Obama, you really dropped the ball on that one.  You took over 90 days to respond to it all the while, blocking all outside help that was trying to lend a hand to help contain and clean it up.  That spill was your Katrina and you just used it to play class warfare politics by taking the opportunity it presented to you.  You used it to shut down a good portion of the industry that refines oil, hurting thousands of families in the process, and to promote your environmental agenda that does not take the US citizen into consideration. You could care less about clean air or clean water, all you care about is if promoting them promotes you and your agenda. 

Also, stop lying about the health insurance companies; I am sick of hearing you tell the same lies about them over and over.  As for the health insurance companies charging more for women over men, (and I know I am going to catch flak for this one, but bear with me) they should charge more.  Women have more expensive testing (and they are tested more often than men) that they need to have done simply because they are women.  Men’s healthcare, in general, is less expensive; therefor they should charge less for men.  It isn’t that men are better than women or vice versa, it’s just that our bodies are made differently therefor testing is done differently and costs differing amounts. 

So on that note Mr. Obama, shut your mouth, you will be more honest that way. 

More in Part 7.

Obama's State Of The Union 2012 Part 3

Part 3

“What's happening in Detroit can happen in other industries. It can happen in Cleveland and Pittsburgh and Raleigh. We can't bring back every job that's left our shores. But right now, it's getting more expensive to do business in places like China. Meanwhile, America is more productive. A few weeks ago, the CEO of Master Lock told me that it now makes business sense for him to bring jobs back home. Today, for the first time in fifteen years, Master Lock's unionized plant in Milwaukee is running at full capacity.

So we have a huge opportunity, at this moment, to bring manufacturing back. But we have to seize it. Tonight, my message to business leaders is simple: Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed.”

While it is getting more expensive to do business in places overseas, the reason for that is simple.  The global economy is suffering.  Therefor the costs of doing business anywhere is going up, including here in the US.  Obama wants to know what it will take to bring manufacturing back to the US, that is simple too.  Get rid of him and every politician that thinks like he does when it comes to over regulation, that will bring more jobs back to the US because it will make it easier for manufacturing businesses to do business here in the US.  Also, make the entire US right to work so that unions can’t force people to join them if they want a job.  Unions have been one of the biggest hindrances to the manufacturing market for a long time.  I am not saying to do away with the unions because they can be a good thing when they do what they are supposed to do, but give the hard working Americans a choice whether or not they want to join.

“We should start with our tax code. Right now, companies get tax breaks for moving jobs and profits overseas. Meanwhile, companies that choose to stay in America get hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world. It makes no sense, and everyone knows it.”

For the record, the Dems are the ones who wrote, promoted and passed the laws that set the system up like this.

“So let's change it. First, if you're a business that wants to outsource jobs, you shouldn't get a tax deduction for doing it. That money should be used to cover moving expenses for companies like Master Lock that decide to bring jobs home.”

I’m all for taking away the tax deductions that he is talking about.  The money that a business saves just from going overseas won’t be affected so they will still go overseas.  But what we should not do is have taxes raised on businesses that choice to operate in a friendlier environment so that the money can then be sent to businesses that chose not to go overseas.

“Second, no American company should be able to avoid paying its fair share of taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas. From now on, every multinational company should have to pay a basic minimum tax. And every penny should go towards lowering taxes for companies that choose to stay here and hire here.”

American companies pay more than their “fair share” (by the way, I am getting sick of hearing that phrase, it is a stupid thing to say) in taxes.  They still pay taxes when it comes to importing and exporting goods.  We should not be taxing operations in in foreign countries.  The countries that those businesses operate in tax them for what is done there we should not penalize the company for trying to make an extra profit because that does come back home to make more jobs here in the US.  I agree that we should incentivize businesses to stay here in the US, but we don’t need to do it by raising taxes on multinational businesses just so we can subsidize businesses that won’t go overseas.  The business model that a business uses should be based off of where they can get best quality work for the lowest price so that they can them turn around and invest in the economy.  Doing what Obama suggests will kill our import export trade and make the economy even worse.

“Third, if you're an American manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax cut. If you're a high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax deduction you get for making products here. And if you want to relocate in a community that was hit hard when a factory left town, you should get help financing a new plant, equipment, or training for new workers.”

Once again, don’t have much of a problem with what he is saying here but I think he wants to go about it all the wrong way.  As for the subsidizing he is suggesting see my previous comment.

“My message is simple. It's time to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs overseas, and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in America. Send me these tax reforms, and I'll sign them right away.”

But that is not what he is saying; he is saying he wants to punish businesses for going overseas.  As for him signing tax reforms right way… Why hasn’t he or the Senate Dems back any of the tax reforms that are currently sitting in the senate because Harry Reed won’t even let them be brought to the floor?  If you are going to say it Obama, you should at least look like you are trying to what you claim you want to do.

“We're also making it easier for American businesses to sell products all over the world. Two years ago, I set a goal of doubling U.S. exports over five years. With the bipartisan trade agreements I signed into law, we are on track to meet that goal - ahead of schedule. Soon, there will be millions of new customers for American goods in Panama, Columbia, and South Korea. Soon, there will be new cars on the streets of Seoul imported from Detroit, and Toledo, and Chicago.”

That is just a dream as long as Obama and the Dems keep up their policies when it comes to taxation.  The fact of the matter is when it comes to exporting you have to create a friendly environment for businesses here in the US, including the ones that are forced to import due to regulations.  Until you do that, the costs of American products are going to be too high in an overseas market and you will be throwing money down a hole while trying to succeed, especially since most other nations see our good as inferior with the exception of our food exports.

“I will go anywhere in the world to open new markets for American products. And I will not stand by when our competitors don't play by the rules. We've brought trade cases against China at nearly twice the rate as the last administration - and it's made a difference. Over a thousand Americans are working today because we stopped a surge in Chinese tires. But we need to do more. It's not right when another country lets our movies, music, and software be pirated. It's not fair when foreign manufacturers have a leg up on ours only because they're heavily subsidized.”

This statement makes me laugh.  Obama knows that he only goes all over the world to take vacations.  As for bringing cases against our competitors in other nations, so what, the fact of the matter is if China or Russia are going to abuse the rules then that is what they will do.  Obama and his administration can’t stop that.  Their bringing cases against foreign imports has not created jobs, it has just raised the cost on those imports that has actually hurt production in the US.  The only reason that unemployment is starting to drop is because despite what his administration has done the American market is strong and will recover, just at a slower rate. 

By the way, did you notice the little nod toward SOPA and PIPA?  For more on that you can read my post about those two bills. 

As for the last part of this statement, the reason that foreign manufacturers have a leg up on us isn’t subsidies, it is the fact that labor is significantly cheaper, which is one of the things that is killing manufacturing here.  There are some companies here in the US that, due to unions, have to pay their lowest paid workers a minimum of $25 an hour plus provide a complete benefits package.  If these manufacturers were allowed to either cut wages or make the work pay for part of their benefits then they would have an easier time competing worldwide.

“Tonight, I'm announcing the creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit that will be charged with investigating unfair trade practices in countries like China. There will be more inspections to prevent counterfeit or unsafe goods from crossing our borders. And this Congress should make sure that no foreign company has an advantage over American manufacturing when it comes to accessing finance or new markets like Russia. Our workers are the most productive on Earth, and if the playing field is level, I promise you - America will always win.”

Umm, we have laws and departments in the government that already do this why do we need another?  Make the ones that are supposed to be handling this do their job of get rid of them.  As for what Obama is saying Congress should do, they have been trying to accomplish that but Obama and the Senate have been stonewalling them. 

“I also hear from many business leaders who want to hire in the United States but can't find workers with the right skills. Growing industries in science and technology have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job. Think about that - openings at a time when millions of Americans are looking for work.

That's inexcusable. And we know how to fix it.”

Once again, yes we do.  Get rid of Obama and elect someone who cares about America.  The main issue when it comes down  to this is education.  We need to turn education back over to the states instead of dragging all states down to the lowest common denominator.  The Department of Education has done more to hurt education in this country by introducing programs like “No Child Left Behind” (more like no child gets ahead) which was passed under Bush.  We need to challenge our children in order for them to succeed, but until he stop holding them back until the ones that struggle catch up, that is not going to happen.

More in Part 4.

Obama's State Of The Union 2012 Part 2

I hope you enjoyed Part 1.  I am going to be a bit more pithy for part 2 so that hopefully I can get through more of this speech because otherwise it is going to take me about 10 parts to finish it.  Here is Part 2 for your viewing pleasure.

“Let's remember how we got here. Long before the recession, jobs and manufacturing began leaving our shores. Technology made businesses more efficient, but also made some jobs obsolete. Folks at the top saw their incomes rise like never before, but most hardworking Americans struggled with costs that were growing, paychecks that weren't, and personal debt that kept piling up.”

Ok, I agree with Obama on the first part of this statement, long before the recession jobs were leaving our shore to go to foreign soil.  This mainly happened during the Clinton years when the Dems had control of the House and the Senate.  When bush came into office he killed some of the Clinton taxes and regulations which then started to pull us out of the hole that Clinton had put us in.  Yes the wealthiest in the country got wealthier from it but we also say them hiring more people once they had more money to do so.  It was Reganonics in action.  Then once the Dems got control of the House and Senate during the Bush years that is when we saw the tide start to turn toward the negative which led us to the recession.  A lot of people, Obama included, want to blame Bush for this but if you look at the facts, while Bush didn’t help, the Dems are the reason the recession happened, after all the House has the power of the purse.  While Obama says that technology has made some jobs obsolete, he neglects to say that it also created countless new jobs.  He wants to blame kiosks and ATMs for unemployment which is just silly.  Also, when he talks about cost growing and paychecks not for most Americans he needs to realize that the core reason for that is him and his party.  They income killing regulations that they have introduced along with refusing to pass a budget when the Republicans have offered multiple budgets has created an uncertainty that has prevented growth and increased costs.

“In 2008, the house of cards collapsed. We learned that mortgages had been sold to people who couldn't afford or understand them. Banks had made huge bets and bonuses with other people's money. Regulators had looked the other way, or didn't have the authority to stop the bad behavior.”

Thank you Barney Frank.  That is all, look it up if you don’t get it.

“It was wrong. It was irresponsible. And it plunged our economy into a crisis that put millions out of work, saddled us with more debt, and left innocent, hard-working Americans holding the bag. In the six months before I took office, we lost nearly four million jobs. And we lost another four million before our policies were in full effect.”

Once again, thank you Barney Frank.  Now, for that last sentence…  Actually the recession could have been avoided if the Dems would not have gotten in the way of some of the stuff that the Republicans managed to squeeze through at the end of the last Bush term.  Obama and the Dems policies actually slowed the recovery by allowed us to slip into the recession that they themselves had constructed in order to create an atmosphere of uncertainty so that Obama could get elected.  To put in in the words of one of Obama’s key advisors “Never waste a crisis.” 

“Those are the facts. But so are these. In the last 22 months, businesses have created more than three million jobs. Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005. American manufacturers are hiring again, creating jobs for the first time since the late 1990s. Together, we've agreed to cut the deficit by more than $2 trillion. And we've put in place new rules to hold Wall Street accountable, so a crisis like that never happens again.”

Poor, poor, Obama.  He really needs a fact checker.  Businesses have not created more than 3 million jobs, they have reopened those positions… and in some cases those jobs can be counted multiple times due to reopening, then having to close the position again, then reopening again.  It makes it sound good if you count if all like that but it is not realistic, otherwise unemployment would be much lower.  Also, it is not the most jobs since 2005 (which is right before the Dems took control of both the House and Senate) it is the most since 2008, when Obama took office

As for the line about American Manufacturers hiring again for the first time since the 90’s… That is utter BS and I am calling Obama on that.

The truth behind the deficit cut is simple.  It wasn’t cut.  They agreed to reduce spending not cut spending; there is a big difference there. On top of that the reduction turned out to be in the million not the trillions, I did a post on this when it happened, go read it please.

As for the Wall Street thing… They were just playing by the rules and regulations that the Dems placed there for them; can you blame them for wanting to make more money?  So when you think about it, this is really all the Dems fault for making rules that they didn’t like.  So what do they do, they change them which shakes things up so much that they have now gimped Wall Street which is one of the things that is slowing the economic recovery.

“The state of our Union is getting stronger. And we've come too far to turn back now. As long as I'm President, I will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum. But I intend to fight obstruction with action, and I will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place.”

This is to you Mr. President.  No it isn’t and no we haven’t.  You need to stop lying about being willing to work with anyone that was in that chamber because you have purposefully obstructed anything the Republicans have tried to do because it didn’t fit your vision of how things should be.  As for your fighting obstruction with action… learn your place.  You do not have the power to go over Congresses head unless they let you and you have overstepped your bounds way to many times for most Americans to feel comfortable with.  You have been the obstructionist and you, while you were in the Senate, were one of the people that wrote the policies that brought about this “economic crisis”.  So get over yourself you narcissistic fool.

“No, we will not go back to an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad debt, and phony financial profits. Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that's built to last - an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.

This blueprint begins with American manufacturing.”

This would be all fine and dandy if I thought Obama really believed the words that he was reading off of his teleprompter but the facts are very simple if you look at Obama’s past performances.  This is the exact opposite of everything he has done in the past.  Could it be possible that the man has had a change of heart?  Yes, but not likely.  Obama is only saying this now because he knows that he has severely hurt his chances at reelection and he is trying desperately to get the American people back on his side otherwise he knows that he will be a one termer that will be known as he already is as the worst President in American history.

“On the day I took office, our auto industry was on the verge of collapse. Some even said we should let it die. With a million jobs at stake, I refused to let that happen. In exchange for help, we demanded responsibility. We got workers and automakers to settle their differences. We got the industry to retool and restructure. Today, General Motors is back on top as the world's number one automaker. Chrysler has grown faster in the U.S. than any major car company. Ford is investing billions in U.S. plants and factories. And together, the entire industry added nearly 160,000 jobs.

We bet on American workers. We bet on American ingenuity. And tonight, the American auto industry is back.”

Obama left out some key details in this.  The bailout of General Motors and Chrysler began under Republican President George W. Bush, something Obama failed to mention.  Obama then picked up the ball once he was elected and earmarked more money which then finished the job.  But Ford, which Obama mentions, never asked for a federal bailout nor did it receive one.  Ford has managed to get along quite well on its own without a bailout as the other auto companies should have been able to as well.  Also, as part of its restructuring, Chrysler is not really a U.S. automaker anymore.  Italian automaker Fiat now owns a 30% share, and it will eventually go to 51% under terms of the U.S. bailout and its bankruptcy restructuring.  On top of that, I think that Volkswagen would have a problem with the claim that GM is on top as the world’s #1 automaker.  Volkswagen has outperformed everyone else on the world market and is proud of it; GM hasn’t even come close to their numbers.

Once again I think Obama either needs to hire a new fact checker or quit lying.  The American people are sick of this kind stuff from our politicians.

More to come with Part 3.

SOPA and PIPA - The Path To Obstruction

Ok, I know I am a little late to the game with this piece, but I feel this needs to be said therefor I am saying it.  The subjects I am going to talk about are the now infamous SOPA and PIPA bills that have yet to be presented in Congress.  Luckily SOPA has been set on the back burner for now while congress tries to figure out a way to change the language so that it is not as intrusive as it is in its current form.  At least that is the story that is being fed to us.  I believe that Congress is just waiting for our short term memories to forget about SOPA so that they can try to pass it again under a different name.  PIPA is still up for a vote soon unless something drastic happens.  Hopefully, the internet wide protests that occurred when SOPA was about to be brought up will have had an impact on PIPA, if not, then maybe we will have another protest only wider spread.  Ok, I guess since not everyone out there keeps up with current events, I need to start out by telling you all what SOPA and PIPA are.

I will start with SOPA, which stands for “Stop Online Piracy Act”.  Of the two bills, SOPA is the more extreme in its language and potential execution.  It intended to help fight copy right infringement on foreign websites.  One of the tools SOPA provided allowed the U.S. Department of Justice could seek court orders requiring Internet service providers such as AOL, Comcast and Charter to block the domain names of “infringing sites”.  For example, Comcast could prevent its customers from accessing megaupload.com.  Luckily, this was one of the parts of SOPA that was dropped due to the opposition as well as the impracticality of actually enforcing it.  The other tool would allow rights holders to seek court orders requiring payment providers, advertisers and search engines to stop doing business with an “infringing site”.  Because of this, the rights holders would also be able to request for funding to be cut off from an “infringing site”, and that all search links leading to the offending site be required to be removed. Then site in question would have five days to appeal any action taken against them.  Also, SOPA defines an “infringing site" as any site that is "committing or facilitating" copyright infringement, this blankets both domestic and foreign sites.

Now on to the subject of PIPA.  PIPA stands for “Protect Intellectual Properties Act”.  For the most part, PIPA is almost identical to SOPA with the main difference being the language.  As I said before SOPA is the more extreme of the two.  Whereas SOPA is very broad in its reach when it comes to a site that is committing or facilitating" copyright infringement, PIPA only target sites that have “no other significant use other than copyright infringement”.  What this mean is, if any website has any purpose other than providing copyrighted material it should be safe from the ramifications of the bill, though a site will still have to prove that it is for other uses other than pirating.  Sites that fileshare such as Rapidshare should, in theory, be safe from prosecution because they remove copyrighted material as soon as the owner of copyright requests it, while sites like Megaupload and PirateBay would be targeted due to their attempts to obstruct any attempts to force the removal of copyrighted material. 

Speaking of Megaupload… want to see something that should terrify you?  Go to megaupload.com and then come back here, I’ll wait…  See?  That is terrifying.  Why?  Because, Megaupload is based out of Hong Kong and the owner of the site was arrested from his home in New Zealand when the FBI had the site brought down.  Yeah, anyway, Megaupload is supposedly NOT a victim of the fallout from upset bureaucrats over the dismissal of SOPA, yet I find the timing very suspicious.  But I digress.

Now that I have given you some info on SOPA and PIPA I am going to tell you about my opinion of these two bills.  SOPA and PIPA both are good in their intentions, they are.  The main problem with them comes in the language that is used in the bills.  I am all for protecting an individual’s intellectual properties, I am, but this hits a little close to home with me in the aspect of writing, therefor I am going to approach this from that viewpoint.  After all, if someone stole the novel I wrote and distributed it without my permission and I, then, was unable take make any money off of it due to that, I would be upset.  I know some people think that authors that get published make tons of money on their books, but unless an author is extremely prolific or well sold, such as Stephen King, they are not going to make a lot of money off of their writing (unless they are very lucky).  When someone takes their book and uploads it to a site so that it can be distributed illegally that cuts into the sales of the book which cuts into the profits of the publisher and the royalties of the writer.  Lack of sales creates lack of prints which then, if taken to its ultimate end, creates lack of work for the author.  There are some companies that have found a way to profit from allowing books to be downloaded free of charge on select titles (Baen is one of them) but once again I digress.

SOPA and PIPA, like I said before are written with good intentions but they take the anti-piracy laws that we currently have and hype them up on steroids creating monstrous blanket laws that will infringe upon everyone’s life negatively in some way.  I don’t care who you are, once these laws go into effect no one will be safe from them, and if taken to the extreme that everyone is afraid they will be taken to, even the owners of the properties that these laws are meant to protects will be harmed by them.  Imagine an internet without ANY copyrighted material on it.  That is the most extreme that these laws could potentially be taken too.  I doubt they would go that far but dumber things have happened, after all look at who we currently have as President.  

A realistic example of what is most likely to come out of either of these laws being passed is something along these lines…  If you like to read or write fan fiction (fan stories based on intellectual properties such as popular books, games and TV series), you would no longer be allowed to write and distribute your stories nor could you receive and read the stories of others.  Sites like YouTube and Deviant Art would have over 90% of their content stripped from them if there were not shut down.  You could no longer read movie or book reviews online because they are based off of intellectual properties.  Keep in mind, this is a realistic scenario.  Sites that offer services like Netflix could be shut down at the whim of someone who thinks that they are not getting paid enough for the rights to be displayed by those services.  The internet as we know it would go away. 

SOPA and PIPA don’t need to just have the language changed; they need to be completely retooled in order to help strengthen our current anti-piracy laws instead of trying to override them with blanket laws that are so vaguely worded that they can be interpreted however anyone wants to interpret them to suit their desires.  As it is, the laws we currently have are not effective, but I would take what we have over having our freedoms online striped from us almost completely.  When we go down the path that SOPA and PIPA inadvertently will place us on, we will be brought that much closer to a communistic society. 

Here in America we should realize the value of freedom and work to defend that freedom.  For too long we have let the politician that sit in Washington slowly strip us from our natural born freedoms while telling us that it is for our own good.  Hell, we currently have 32% of the population of this country who are happy with a President that has effectively said he wants to be our Dictator and will do what is necessary to become said Dictator (more on that in my next post where I tear apart Obama’s State of the Union speech.) if re-elected.  We need to stand up and tell Washington DC “NO MORE!”  and then start pushing for a real change that preserves and restores our freedom to where it should be.