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A comment on UK plan to create Pirate Finder General: power to appoint militias, create laws.

Re:UK plan to create Pirate Finder General: power to appoint... by Xichekolas on Thursday November 19, 2009 @01:10PM (#950706)
Isn't the cat already out of the bag?

I mean, creating laws like "three strikes and you lose internet access" might have worked years ago, but now everyone is used to downloading media online.

Laws that effectively make the majority of citizens into criminals (America's drug laws, for instance) tend to just be ignored, no matter how draconian.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:UK plan to create Pirate Finder General: power to appoint... by cstross on Thursday November 19, 2009 @01:56PM (#950803)
They may be ignored, but they can still do a lot of damage. Consider all the folks languishing in prison for possession of small amounts of the wrong neurotransmitter agonist.

This mess -- if it goes through -- will do for your ability to keep information private what the war on drugs did for your ability to keep your home life private: that is, it'll give the cops not merely the power (which they already have) but the incentive to carry out intrusive searches.

[ Parent | on HN ]