Topic: Mandelson steals net villain crown

[Simon]

Peter Mandelson's influence over the controversy strewn Digital Economy Act has landed him ISPA's Internet Villain of the Year award.

Lord Mandelson is widely (dis)credited for siding with the copyright industry and introducing draconian legislation into the act, which could see ISPs forced to hand over details of persistent file-sharers and compelled to block sites accused of hosting copyrighted material.

Yesterday, ISPs BT and TalkTalk applied for a judicial review of the Digital Economy Act, claiming that the legislation wasn't given due scrutiny in its whistle-stop passage through the House of Commons at the tail-end of the last parliament.

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/broadband/359323/mandelson-steals-net-villain-crown

[chorleydave]

Draconian legislation aside for a moment, I find it astonishing that over 8.5 million people went out and voted for a political party that includes Peter Mandelson as a member.  That, if anything, has got to be the ultimate condemnation of the state of UK political parties at the current time.

Military coup anyone? 

[Simon]

 

[sam]

its an awful law - stupid and its just bending over backwards to the companies and not what the people want. We should just offer the companies a fixed rate each year, like the tv licence, and let us do what we like as a population with media...

[Simon]

Would that stop the piracy, though?

[sam]

well if we paid the companies money so the whole UK could just have the material then it wouldn't be piracy.

[Simon]

Where would the money come from?  I wouldn't want my hard earned cash paying for Barry Manilow CDs. 

[GillE]

Draconian legislation aside for a moment, I find it astonishing that over 8.5 million people went out and voted for a political party that includes Peter Mandelson as a member.  That, if anything, has got to be the ultimate condemnation of the state of UK political parties at the current time.

Military coup anyone? 

More tea, vicar?



It's getting to the stage where a military coup will be the only thing that can save us from the multi-nationals and a bureaucracy that has become a surveillance society.

We've just had a large portion of our town centre demolished (including our market which has been around for centuries) and turned into car parks.  That's despite people visiting the town have no reason to visit any more because it's all been demolished.  I suppose they need the additional car parks so the new civil servants administrating the car parks have got somewhere to park.

[Simon]

They've been talking about 'revitalising' a large part of our town for over 25 years now, but they keep running out of money, or finding other stumbling blocks, like residents inconsiderately being perfectly happy where they have lived for generations, and thoughtlessly objecting to their homes being flattened.  Bloody nimbys! 

[GillE]

What is it with these obstructive, demanding subjects (yes, we're subjects, not citizens - grrrrrr!)?  Don't they realise it is their civic duty to facilitate the council and all government bodies?  Believe it or not, some people even have the temerity to whisper that local government should provide a service to the local community.  Outrageous!  Everyone knows we are here to be overseen by the various authorities.

[Simon]

Yes some people have no respect  or consideration for the authorities, who tirelessly spend their days finding new ways to invest our council tax contributions in ways which can only be for our benefit.  Think of the poor pen pusher who has to strategically coordinate road works, so as to cause maximum disruption at the busiest times, and pity the desperate plight of the town planner, who is simply running out of room in the high street for more charity shops, estate agents and carpet stores, and may have to push up the rents to drive out the useful shops, to make way for the aforementioned.

Pass the Prozac, somebody!   

[GillE]

Sorry, Simon.  Can't pass the Prozac because it's a prescription drug.  You'll have to phone your local surgery and (assuming you can sweet-talk the receptionist) see a GP of The Practice's choosing in a few days.  Assuming you get a prescription without referral to your Health Trust for an appointment as a psychiatric out-patient, you'll then have to traipse down to your pharmacist and queue for about twenty minutes to submit the prescription.  Just be grateful you haven't requested a repeat prescription; such requests have to be submitted to the surgery at least 48 hours in advance.  I hope you remembered to take your credit/debit card to the chemist.  Prescription charges will have risen since your last visit.  Of course, the pharmacy won't have sufficient drugs to meet your prescription, so you'll have to go back tomorrow or probably the day after to have the whole prescription filled.

It's a very efficient system, designed to provide the patient with the best possible care.

[Rodders]

I've begun I go a little bit stabby at the merest hint of bureaucracy just recently.  Ok, so I too have had a letter telling me I'm dead meat if I download another episode of South Park that I've already paid a bloody licence fee to watch.  More important to me is knowing exactly how much the little deviant Mandelson has made from slithering into bed with the entertainment industry during this particular sordid episode.  I suspect only time will tell in that regard.

Sod having a coup, I just want the pleasure of shaking Mandelson's hand - after it's been publicly severed.

[Simon]

I think there would probably be a Health and Safety issue there, Rod.  After all, we wouldn't want you to slip on the blood.

I'm with you on the Nazi doctor's receptionists, Gill.  On second thoughts, I retract that, as it's really not fair on the Nazis. 

[GillE]

I'm with you on the Nazi doctor's receptionists, Gill.  On second thoughts, I retract that, as it's really not fair on the Nazis. 

  I once got banned from a forum for saying something like that!  Mind, the forum was populated by very right-wing members.