Political Humor

In our continuing effort to bring you the most unabashedly biased astroturf conservative politics, I was the on the beat reporter today in Washington DC for the 9 12 rally.

Now, since I don’t watch the news, I didn’t know anything about it, but it seems that I inherited my penchant for astute political observation from somewhere. That would be my Mom.

She invited me to go with her to the Nation’s Capitol to check out the angry mob. I agreed, mostly because I hear that all us Tea Party attendees are getting paid to be there. I hope the check comes soon. I could really use the spare change.

Unfortunately, since I don’t actually like talking to people, because that involves actually talking… to people – Neither of which I particularly enjoy – I don’t have much to report on aside from the signs.

Who needs reporting anyway? Pravda was there.

I”m going to answer “no.” The French are more courageous.

My Mom was particularly amused by this one which declares that “Conservatives don’t just have all the hot chicks. They have all the smart ones.”

I think she was testing the hypothesis.

The Ghost of Health Care Future was there.

So was this gentleman, who wants us to be more environmentally conscious. I don’t think he understands the meaning of the word “Recycle.” The last thing I want to do is use these idiots forever. Then again, perhaps he means we could use them as compost. I would be okay with that.

This fellow sees an optimistic future. The sky is the limit.

All you need is love.

The Libertarians expressed their point of view while our very own Les James referees.

The main problem with politicians is that they actually want to be politicians instead of contributing to society.

This was probably the best of all the protest signs. Make sure to take a deep breath before looking at it.

If you know of any 9-12 March related posts, please link them in the comments.

It has come to my attention that CNN, the Communist News Network, has issued a copyright infringement claim against the Founding Bloggers, who posted a video of Susan Roesgen badgering and arguing with Chicago Tax Tea Party Protesters. Jim Treacher brought it to my attention.

The first part, you will recognize. The second part, you may not. You see Roesgen arguing with a woman that is confronting her for not interviewing the regular people attending the rally. Roesgen responds with bewilderment that attendees are not protesting Obama, or even the Democrats, but Republicans as well.

Now, beyond that, this has really touched a nerve, because I am against copyright. Period. I don’t see copyright as a valid law. Back in the days of printing presses, you had to own a medallion that indicated that you were approved by the Crown to own a printing press. This way, they could keep an eye on those who were allowed to own the means of distribution of information, and prevent the mass creation of subversive materials.

Copyright was invented as a limitation on free speech. Today, we see an example of CNN using copyright for what? To limit free speech. Copyright is wrong. Plain and simple. I find the idea of “Intellectual Property” to be complete and utter bullshit. What is the premise of “Intellectual Property?” It’s that someone owns, not a physical item, not a physical plot of land, not a physical structure, but that they OWN an idea. How the fuck can you own an idea?

You can own a means of production of an idea. You can own a physical replicant of certain ideas, like books and dvds. You can own a means of distribution of an idea. But you cannot own the idea itself. But that is why copyright exists. It exists to say that MY means of production is the only legitimate one. MY means of distribution is the only legitimate one. MY physical replica is the only legitimate one?

Why?

You may have bought into arguments that the producer of that “Intellectual Property” needs to earn a living, and that by “Stealing” their work, you are taking their income. Bullshit. Business is more than just products. It’s also marketing and distribution.

In order to have a successful and thriving business, you need to be good at all of these parts. You can make the best product in the world, but if no one knows about it, you will fail. You can make crap, with no real world value to anyone, but if it is marketed right, you get elected to public office. Isn’t that right, President Obama?

Another form of “Intellectual Property” is patents. Patents allegedly protect someone who invents something from having their idea “stolen” from someone else. What patents really do is stifle technological growth. They were an okay idea when we wanted to inspire people to take up and develop technology, and wanted to offer an incentive. We are now to a place where technology is no longer being advanced by patents, but is being hindered instead.

Imagine if the producers of technology were able to look at the designs of competing firms and say, “I know how to make that better.” Instead, we demand that they come up with their designs in spite of their competition. In fact, they better not come up with anything even close, because that is how patents work. Even if you were to accidentally create something similar to someone else, too bad. They’re “protected” from your design improvement. We demand that every technology company reinvent the wheel with each advancement, rather than competing in the marketplace.

Who does intellectual property really protect? They protect the big, slow, backward, stupid, failed corporations that are too big, slow, backward, and stupid to compete in the marketplace. You know these businesses. They are the very same ones on the receiving end of the extortion payment that was being protested in Chicago. The very same bailout recipients that our Socialist government rewarded for their failure. They are protected by our Powermad politicians, using their laws, designed to control people, to reward the failure of businesses at our expense.

Then, when the wonder of the Internet allows the actual FREE and unfettered distribution of information, out comes this unjust law. Cease and desist! You’re embarrassing us, and this simply won’t do. To the degree that CNN’s footage has been used, It has already been aired!

They already used it. They already got paid by advertisers who had spots during that segment. They have lost nothing, except the control of the audience.

And that is the real issue here. It’s control. If you control the distribution of information, you control the audience of that information. If you can keep them ignorant of subversive ideas, they may not think them on their own. Alternately, they may not realize how many others are thinking those things. They may not know how many are there with them. These things are dangerous to those who rule by fear. Those who rule by fear tend to do so because they rule IN fear. In fear of losing their grip on power. So they want to control who has access to what.

This site does not seek to limit it’s distribution. That is why we operate under a license that allows you to modify, adapt, or build upon, for commercial or non-commercial use. All we ask for in return is attribution. That is why we allow you to subscribe to email updates, or your RSS aggregator, and give you the FULL feed. It’s more important to be distributed than to control the means of distribution. You don’t even need to visit the site. You can get your email update, and be done without missing a thing.

Someone who really understands the Internet would understand that traffic is actually a cost. If you’re not seeing that, it’s because you are not getting as much traffic as you are paying to allow for. Get a little more, and you will see that web traffic costs money. If you understand marketing, you know that it is good to be a ubiquitous brand. Demanding people visit the actual site is bad on both counts.

What is the most sold book ever? It’s the Bible. Who holds the copyright to it? No one. It is more important to distribute the ideas inside than it is to make a profit from it. Yet, every publisher is able to make a killing selling it. You can get it for free on the internet. Yet people continue to pay to own a copy, and it continues to be a best seller. No one is sitting there thinking, “Wait, what’s this book you’re talking about?” Everyone knows about it, because it’s not “protected” by a copyright, and publishers compete in the marketplace for sales.

About one third of visitors to this site use the Firefox web browser. Most of the rest use Internet Explorer, and the majority of them use it because it’s just there, on their computer when they buy it. They don’t think to change it, or don’t meet a convincing enough argument to change it. Maybe they are even afraid of their computer to such a degree that they fear changing their browser. But the point isn’t why people won’t use Firefox. It’s why do a full ONE THIRD of the market share use it?

Those one third will tell you it’s better. One feature they will point to is all the customizations that are available. The reason there is such a high availability of features is that Firefox is Open Source. This means anyone can make any copy or any improvement at any time for any reason. They just need to attribute the source code.

This should challenge you to ask a few questions, such as, how is Firefox even a business model if they don’t “protect” their “intellectual property?” Why aren’t there two gazillion thriving knockoffs? There may be two gazillion knockoffs, but they are not thriving. Why? Because they know how to compete on the finished product, it’s marketing, and it’s distribution. So far, they have won. In fact, they are so competitive, they have stolen one third of Microsoft’s market share. That’s one third of the market share of the biggest software company in the world. Could they have done this if they were “protecting” their “intellectual property?” I doubt it.

Firefox is winning because they have competed in the marketplace, and have done so successfully. Yet we don’t ask everyone to do this. We exempt some. More often than not, those we exempt are the big, slow, backward, stupid, failed corporations. Like CNN.

What do you think?

Also on this topic: CNN Using BS Copyright Argument to Bump Video

Here are more pictures from the Manchester New Hampshire Tea Party but first a little something about the media coverage…

I loved how the media played dogpile on the rabbit when it came to the Tea Parties. And the liberals call themselves animal lovers?

Some seemed excited, even giddy to oblige of course.

The way he was panting and salivating, I wondered if Keith Olbermann hit his head on the bashing bandwagon ceiling on the way into the MSNBC studios Wednesday.

There is no truth to the rumor this caused another tingling in Chris Matthews’ leg however.

Can you blame the reporters of CNN though?

They had to take time out of their busy schedule writing up exposes of Obama’s new dog (no not Olbermann) or noting Barack’s awesome talent for gift-giving to cover the rallies of the radicals.

CNN Reporter: “They call this a protest? They didn’t even have bottled mineral water. Wait until the boys at the yacht club hear about this travesty.”

Oh the humanity!

No wonder why they were so edgy covering the American extremists.

I just hope someone handed Susan Roesgen a Midol after her Tea Party interview. Lord knows she could have used one.

On with the pics…

You know someone was going there eventually with a Hitler/Obama comparison. Then again, organizing a community to hate another group of people could technically be considered the job duties of a community organizer.

Oh geez I just went there too. Whoops.

How can you tell this is not a liberal rally? The United States flag of course.

To borrow a phrase from the liberal moonbats: “Yes we can!”

From within the eye of the tax revolt storm. And what’s up with the “glowing” church in the background?

Because Obama’s team cares about us. Really they do. Just ask them.

The best sign contest at the end of the Tea Party. In the foreground are some of the Drunken Sailors.

Too late. Our tax dollars are already hard at work helping ACORN, the liberal organization with the acronym for a type of nut recruit people for their evil bidding.

The sign on the left reminds me of a great quote from talk show host Jerry Doyle:

“The opposite of pro is con and the opposite of progress is Congress.”

No that shadow is not me. It is the shadow of Tax-You-To-Death lurking at our doorstep. It also might have been the guy next to me taking a picture though. Not sure 100%.

It means something but I still don’t get the blanket part. Wish I had thought to ask her about it then.

On a side note is that a 1984 sign in the background? If not it is 1994 which should send chills down Democrats’ spines. 2010 is not far away…

Not to worry, it still exists. We are personally responsible for giving our tax dollars to the government to squander.

This was the Coalition of New Hampshire Taxpayers‘ booth, one of the many political groups in attendance.

Wait, you mean Tim Geithner printing money in the middle of the night in the Treasury’s basement is counterfeiting? Obama said it was legal.

This was one of a rotating set of signs on a billboard on a pickup truck parked alongside the Tea Party. Nice of Nancy to feel something for NH being that she can’t feel her own face but I concur with the sentiment of course.

And finally one of my favorite pictures from the Tea Party…

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Chris Cameron is a writer for Radioactive Liberty. You can read his Quick Hits political humor column every Tuesday and his other weekly column every Wednesday here at RL. He also writes insane and judgemental funny stuff at his own humor blog Angry Seafood.