Then you're saying democracy isn't a good idea? Or is it only a good idea when a party you're complacent about wins?

Suddenly the media is averse to political parties receiving money for funding: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1191424/BNP-5million-cash-boost-party-celebrates-Euro-election-successes.html and apparently violence against a party chief has become normal in Britain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQOfykEImeg

It is unfortunate but inevitable that it has come to this, but the "right wing" will become increasingly prominent until the parties who've enjoyed decade-long governances realize that it is the common man who is most affected by their social engineering attempts. I can assure you that chauffeured MP and MEPs do not often take the bus with rowdy Africans or witness first-hand the injustice of affirmative action.

To anyone who has violent objections (or any objections at all to these "right wing" parties' right to exist), please imagine you were alive 50 years ago when minorities were fighting for the right to vote or 100 years ago when women had few legal rights.

Would you have been against them? Most probably, because that was the orthodoxy at the time.

Those concepts were primitive in retrospect, but the majority thought like that. It was only by perseverance that women and minorities swayed the tides and established what are today commonly accepted principles of equality.

Imagine that in 100 years from now it turns out multiculturalism was indeed a catastrophic failure that not only destroyed once healthy societies but so diluted European culture that it ceased to exist, that dozens of countries who've contributed so much to humanity have become so ethnically identical that they've lost all discernible elements.

Suppose people like the BNP voters are correct, just as women were in the early 1900s. If most people could go back in time, I'm certain they'd at least provide the Suffragettes at least some respect and dignity.

I'd expect any civil person to exercise that same respect for ideas outside the current orthodoxy today.

If it were not for people who challenge the status quo, nothing in the history of the world would have ever changed.

"Unfortunately, the real benefits of this package risk being undermined by alarmist scaremongering that it will cause certain websites to be blocked, and consumers prosecuted for copyright abuse."

Malcolm Harbour MEP, EPP-ED Spokesman on the Telecoms Package

"Alarmist scaremongering" ... yeah, right. His Amendments 9 and 13 are best of them all.

Excerpt of Amendment 9:

In order to address public interest issues with respect to the use of communications services, and to encourage protection of the rights and freedoms of others, the relevant national authorities should be able to produce and have disseminated, with the aid of providers, information related to the use of communications services. This information should include warnings regarding copyright infringement, other unlawful uses and dissemination of harmful content(...)

Keep the aforementioned statement of Catherine Trautmann in mind, IP was not to be part of this whole charade.

Excerpt of Amendment 13:

Management of networks in order to, for example, address congestion and capacity constraints and to enable new services should not per se be considered an example of a restriction requiring intervention, and due account should be taken of the right of network and service operators to diversify their offerings in a competitive market, including through the imposition of reasonable usage restrictions, price differentiation and other legitimate competitive practices.

Comcast, anyone?

List of Amendments, etc

MEPs debated the reform of the regulatory framework for electronic communications - including mobile and fixed telephones, broadcasting and the internet. The telecoms package seeks to strengthen consumer rights and privacy protection, to ensure a consistent application of regulatory measures and to modernise radio spectrum use. The entire European Parliament will vote on the package during the second September plenary
(...)
Finally, Ms Trautmann regretted that the intellectual property rights issue had arisen now, and felt that it should be resolved without substantially changing the proposal.

Source

Strengthening privacy protection while resolving the IP rights issues in a way the industry would find acceptable seems contradictory to me.

I'm Chris, I'm 26, and I'm from Miami (a.k.a. Little Cuba), but I was born in Louisiana.

I'm a certified IT nerd, but despite that I never sought gainful employment and managed a GameStop far longer than I should have. I'm a history buff and I love reading/watching/learning about ancient and modern history. I'm also very much into politics as I was raised in a very politically active family and still retain some connections in Washington (but unfortunately, they're all Republicans and I "grew up" and saw the light of liberalism so to speak).

I also play way too many video games; I used to be addicted to World of Warcraft, hardcore raiding with one of the top Alliance guilds in the country and ruining my social life for over 3 years, but I kicked it to the curb and now I just play a ton of Xbox360. Right now, mostly Grand Theft Auto IV, Halo 3, and Guitar Hero 3, but I'm anxiously awaiting Fallout 3.

I'm joining the Air Force very soon, I have a date with MEPS coming up in about a month or so, and then I'll probably be heading out to Basic Training in September or October depending on the waiting list.

If anyone else is on Xbox Live, my gamertag is "UhOhZombies"!

Mxhanna, technically that is true, though they're leaving details out on purpose I'm sure. IRR soldiers are rarely called back after they have processed out of the military. However, being extended to finish a tour if your ETS date falls somewhere inside its deployment window is very common. My recruiter was actually very honest with me when I enlisted. He told me about extensions, deployments, and even that the unit I chose was going to most likely deploy as soon as I arrived. Also, it's always good practice to actually read something they hand you in MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) before signing it. You're not officially enlisted until you sign the contract, raise your right hand, and pledge to defend this country. I took my time, read through the contract, and was given a book of all Army MOS's to make sure I was choosing the job I wanted. The whole process took nearly 48 hours, but I never felt cheated or lied to. Enlisting is a serious commitment. Calling the IRR a backdoor draft is a bit much in my opinion. Once you sign the contract, it's on you to know exactly what you've commited yourself to.

meps! meps! we need refreshment!

mep mep mep mep mep