Computing and Politics

[Anthony de Boer]

Walter Dnes wrote:
>   It's not often that I get to make almost identical posts to a
> computing mailing list and a political mailing list the same day and
> *AND* still be on topic in both lists.  So here goes...

The number of people who see your message twice should be fairly limited.

I won't identify the other list if you don't.  :-)

> http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/166397_gambing26.html 
> 
>   Executive summary... The WTO (World Trade Organization) has ruled that
> U.S. policy prohibiting online gambling violates its obligations under
> international trade law.
>  ...
> > "It's appalling," said Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va. "It cannot be
> > allowed to stand that another nation can impose its values on the
> > U.S. and make it a trade issue."
> 
>   The US is using trade as a weapon to push its policies down other
> countries' throats.  I hope that Representative Goodlatte gets his way,
> because he would set a precedent favouring Canada's independence.

The problem is that they don't necessarily perceive it as a two-way
street.  They may at the same time believe that the US should be able to
impose its values on other nations by any means they deem fit.

> For
> the linux mailing list, the immediate concern is US insistence on
> "software patents", and extending copyright on music and video to twice
> its current length, and eventually enactment of Fritz-Hollings-like
> legislation around the planet, which would effectively outlaw linux.

Linux is just the tip of the iceberg.  US interests (government and big
business) would like control of the Internet and of just about everything
else.  It's important to refuse to give it up to them and not get into a
situation where they control too much of our lives.

Things like patent and copyright law have to consider the interests of
the little guy and the consumer more, and not hand everything to
corporate interests.

Barriers-to-entry are a big issue; patents create a minefield for startups
trying to innovate, and the record companies have things locked up to the
point that new artists can't make it without signing their lives away to
the existing business model.

> For the political mailing list, the above is but a small subset of what
> the US will be demanding, whilst trying to "make it a trade issue".

On the one hand, the government has gone out of its way to be difficult
to the Americans (though the Chretienites were far worse than the
Martinites), but on the other hand Harper got painted as pro-Iraq-war for
saying we shouldn't stick our thumb in the eye of our allies.  I think we
have to pick our battles; if we're going to argue about something, we
should have figured out why first and be able to articulate a position,
not just argue for the sake of argument.

Canada does need to assert its independence, but at the same time be
willing to work with the Americans, try to understand them, and try to
explain ourselves.  It's an ongoing relationship, and Canada's next
government does need to stay engaged in it.

>   This is a golden opportunity for Canada to protect its interests.  We
> should negotiate a quid-pro-quo with the US recognizing that their
> national sovereignty trumps "trade issues" in return for affirming
> similar rights for Canada.

Agreed.

But watch out for when people start inventing national values when they
need a hammer in a tradewar.  The WTO may figure that if the US is
allowing gambling when they do have a slice of the pie, it's not an
anti-gambling value but just a protectionist value, and the WTO is
supposed to rule against protectionist measures.

-- 
Anthony de Boer
--
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