Teedledee and Tweedledum

[Walter Dnes]

  Before anyone asks what relavance the following has to this list, let
me point out that CRIA's American counterparts were supportive and
lobbying for Fritz Hollings' SSSCA which, amongst other things, would've
outlawed linux as we know it, not to mention any computers capable of
running linux as we know it.  Be very afraid of these people.

  Meet the new boss; same as the old boss.

  In http://michaelgeist.ca/component/option,com_content/task,view/id,1289/Itemid,85/nsub,/
Michael Geist mentioned the similarities between the list of
contributors to former Liberal heritage minister Bulte, and her CPC
counterpart, Bev Oda.  The way things are going on at the top, you'd
never know that Canadians had thrown out the Liberals in revulsion to
their corruption.  Some snippets from...

http://www.michaelgeist.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1292

> At 10:01 in the morning of February 6, 2006, at the precise moment
> that a new Conservative cabinet was being sworn into office at
> Rideau Hall, David Dyer, a senior consultant with the Capital Hill
> Group and a registered lobbyist for the Canadian Recording Industry
> Association, sent an email to Patricia Neri, the Director General
> of Canadian Heritage's Copyright Policy Branch.
> 
> The email included a suggested outline for a March 2nd event focused
> on copyright reform.  It envisioned a meeting with the Canadian
> Heritage Deputy Minister Judith LaRoque, two hours of presentations
> from speakers sympathetic to CRIA's position, lunch with deputy
> ministers from Heritage, Industry, and International Trade, and a
> private meeting with the soon-to-named Minister of Canadian Heritage.
> 
> One month later, virtually the identical scenario played itself out
> in Canadian Heritage's Gatineau offices and in the private dining
> room of a swank nearby restaurant.

  CRIA is the so-called "Canadian" Recording Industry Association.  Its
board is composed of Graham Henderson and one representative from each
of the four largest multinational recording industry conglomerates.  All
independant Canadian labels have withdrawn from that body in disgust.

  How many of you have sent an email to the government asking for a
meeting with specific ministers and deputy ministers?  Those of you
who've done so *AND HAD THE REQUEST FULFILLED* please raise your
hands... I thought so.  But wait, it getters better/worse...

> In the weeks following the Dyer email, CRIA worked closely with
> Canadian Heritage to develop the copyright policy event.  An invitation,
> drafted with CRIA's assistance, was extended to seven different
> government departments and agencies.  The invitation set the stage for
> the reform process by stating that "Canada's copyright law has been
> criticized by the Supreme Court and a range of stakeholders, for not
> having kept up with the challenges posed by new technologies." This
> characterization is subject to challenge since the Supreme Court of
> Canada has in fact repeatedly focused on the need for a balanced
> approach to copyright reform, one that recognizes the interests and
> rights of both creators and users.

  So not only did CRIA snap their fingers, and the government jumped,
but CRIA also *HELPED DRAFT THE INVITATIONS* and used the invitations as
platforms for their propaganda.  Just when you think things can't get
any sleazier...

> Dyer also warned that CRIA would be coming to Ottawa with a financial
> request.  The music lobby group was planning a study on the Canadian
> music industry and was seeking $50,000 in funding from Canadian
> Heritage to help support the project.

  Ex-bleeping-scuse me... four multi-billion-dollar multi-nationals want
a government grant to pay for expenses they incur in lobbying the
Canadian government ?!?!?!?!

  It's hard enough for the average citizen to counter the lobby efforts
of multi-billion-dollar multi-nationals.  But when the foreign companies
get *FREE LOBBYING* (contents of the invitation to the meeting) and
*THEIR LOBBYING EXPENSES ARE PAID FOR BY THE TAXPAYER*, guess who ends
up running the country.  Hint, it ain't you and me.  Another point to
consider is any reporting requirements and spending limitations for
lobbyists.  Because the CRIA propaganda blast was on an invitation from
one arm of government to another arm of government, I doubt that the
cost of printing that propaganda will show up in any lobbyists' spending
disclosures.  Ditto for the $50,000 grant, which won't officially be
lobbyists' money that they're spending.

  What I'm afraid of is a Canadian SSSCA.  It can happen.  It will
happen if you don't write your MP.

-- 
Walter Dnes <waltdnes-SLHPyeZ9y/tg9hUCZPvPmw at public.gmane.org> In linux /sbin/init is Job #1
My musings on technology and security at http://tech_sec.blog.ca
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