Politics The Internets Own Boy, Web Freedom and American Injustice

[Play by Numbers]

A tragic story which has been discussed here before, the life and prosecution of Aaron Swartz, activist and tech prodigy has lost nothing in impact and relevance.





http://gu.com/p/45h3c

Aaron Swartz stood up for freedom and fairness – and was hounded to his death

http://gu.com/p/45h3c


With the rise of the TTIP/ TTP and other binding, undemocratic trade agreements, which circumvent the authority of states and create permanent, draconian and long lasting consequences for even minor transgressions, of a much beefed up copywright regime, advocating onerous state and commercial surveilance and policing, we aren't being given a choice to consider what kind of future we want, instead we are having that option removed. Aided by parties whom we pay and elect to act in our best interests.

On the flipside to the persecution of whistleblowers, advocates and social transgressors like Swartz, we are faced with the growth of the two big to fail, to big to jail culture.

A world financial services industry not only under regulated but rarely prosecuted.

So, it is one thing to submit to corporate governance by proxy, but when the same businesses are no longer held to account, for severe and prolonged lawbreaking, but instead journalists, whistleblowers, do gooders or simply the poor are, we have to start asking, is this still the same world, that functions on the same values we have been told it is and if not what can we do about it, what can arrest the change.


http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...captivating-tale-of-two-americas-9605917.html

The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap By Matt Taibbi - book review: Rich pickings in a captivating tale of two Americas

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...captivating-tale-of-two-americas-9605917.html

http://www.npr.org/2014/04/06/297857886/in-books-trial-of-u-s-justice-system-wealth-gap-is-exhibit-a

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/gangster-bankers-too-big-to-jail-20130214

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/dec/12/hsbc-prosecution-fine-money-laundering

HSBC files show how Swiss bank helped clients dodge taxes and hide millions

http://gu.com/p/45tpq

 

[kfc1]

can u give me the cliffs?

 

[Play by Numbers]

can u give me the cliffs?

Internet genius helps revolutionise web.

Decides he is more concerned with public good than profit.

Downloads JSTOR journal articles and hoardes them.

Gets caught and persued relentlessly by FBI, despite JSTOR saying they don't want to prosecute. DA pushes for 35 year sentence and begins campaign of harrassment, largely due to accuseds advocacy, which ends in his suicide.

Shows the completely unequal application of American justice.

Banks can collapse the global economy and defraud taxpayers billions, aid evasion, money laundering and all sorts of mischief and no one gets charged, but if you are poor and black, or take a principled stand against profiteering prepare for pain

 

[Play by Numbers]

If I could summarise the wider implications, it is that we are allowing these same interests to write our laws free from view, now if they are prone to law breaking, exempt from justice and the state smashes anyone who works against this end, then what kind of future have we created.

How do we author another.

 

[CountryRace]

Not surprised they knocked off th reddit dude

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Thanks for the links I'll have a read through and watch - I've heard Matt Taibbi on the Bill Simmons podcast and read some of his stuff and he's been great, always interested to look at more of his work.

 

[evo]

It's a pretty good movie.

 

[clogged]

I'm always amazed that they hounded this guy so viciously. And that MIT played along.

 

[CountryRace]

Why does it amaze you?

 

[little graham]

 

[CountryRace]

 

[little graham]

 

[Engimal]

He sure did make a s**t website, but his intention with the JSTOR journals was pretty cool.

 

[The Passenger]

He was a great programmer, and a guy with great ideals.

His work with RSS, Reddit (whether you like it or not), Web.py, TOR Proxy, wikipedia and SOPA was influential and in many ways shapes how people use the net.

The way in which he was chased down over the MIT journals was disgraceful. He probably shouldn't have done what he did, but at the end of the day releasing knowledge into the community should never be seen as a crime. Those in MIT and the Justice Department that went after should be ashamed and feel every bit like they are guilty for his death. I dare suggest they don't.

 

[Play by Numbers]

I'm always amazed that they hounded this guy so viciously. And that MIT played along.

Yep, MIT have a history of activism and heavily promote the idea that they are producing technological and social change agents.

This really exposed the university as having become just another business, and probably hurt their image as a socially significant institution

 

[Play by Numbers]

He was a great programmer, and a guy with great ideals.

His work with RSS, Reddit (whether you like it or not), Web.py, TOR Proxy, wikipedia and SOPA was influential and in many ways shapes how people use the net.

The way in which he was chased down over the MIT journals was disgraceful. He probably shouldn't have done what he did, but at the end of the day releasing knowledge into the community should never be seen as a crime. Those in MIT and the Justice Department that went after should be ashamed and feel every bit like they are guilty for his death. I dare suggest they don't.

What irks me most, is that as a fellow at another university, he had a legal right to download articles off the JSTOR repository and that cross acess also applied to MIT.

He never shared them, in fact it is only the matter that they were aquired which was contentious.

The DOJ just stacked charges against him, most of which he would or could have beaten. However, due to his profile they harassed him to the point of suicide. I also wonder if it was a mistake, letting the DOJ know how fragile he was, given they intensified their efforts, not sought to renegotiate a deal. MIT's complicity is disturbing.

 

[Gus Poyet]

If I could summarise the wider implications, it is that we are allowing these same interests to write our laws free from view, now if they are prone to law breaking, exempt from justice and the state smashes anyone who works against this end, then what kind of future have we created.

How do we author another.

Stop defending and voting for major parties would be the best way to undo that potnetial future.

 

[Long Live HFC]

He never shared them, in fact it is only the matter that they were aquired which was contentious.

yeah i didnt get it at the time and still don't get it now. what was wrong with how he acquired the articles?

 

[kfc1]

Did he also build a machine which could spy on anyone, anywhere and detect planned terrorist attacks?

 

[Play by Numbers]

Stop defending and voting for major parties would be the best way to undo that potnetial future.

It's one way.

Also bringing in a strict independant regime for coi oversight and banning private donnations.

 

[Play by Numbers]

yeah i didnt get it at the time and still don't get it now. what was wrong with how he acquired the articles?

I haven't read the charge sheet, but iirc from the articles I have read it was using a shell script to dl files en masse, accessing a service closet and using a dummy account.

They simply stacked charges, 30 odd, I don't think any were related to copyright violations

 

[Gus Poyet]

It's one way.

Also bringing in a strict independant regime for coi oversight and banning private donnations.

And who is going to set up and empower this independant regime?

 

[Play by Numbers]

And who is going to set up and empower this independant regime?

I get your point, but then all investigative agencies would be seen as useless and or fundamentally compromised.

Some are, but many aren't.

Parlimentary pensions should be contingent on not violating coi standards post retirement. So jumping ship to a business who have lobbied them directly, or who have sponsored legislation to that companies benefit.

Failing that though, banning private donations (interest groups, industry, unions) and having a public donor registry would be positive

 

[Gus Poyet]

I don't like the word ban. When you ban things they just go further underground.

And how can you actually enforce a ban on a Political party for accepting a donation?

 

[Play by Numbers]

I don't like the word ban. When you ban things they just go further underground.

And how can you actually enforce a ban on a Political party for accepting a donation?

Have a registry of all donations. Appoint an oversight taskforce managed by the AEC to moniter for discrepancies. Fine the party an equivalent sum for any breach.

Political donations are already regulated, this just evens up the scales between private interest and the public a little.