'The violence that spread over the past months is undermining democratic institutions." Miltiadis Papaioannou, Minister of Justice, Greece
Three guesses - this is such blatant Newspeak that you should only need one - as to whose violence the minister is referring to in this pathetic justification for a newly proposed law to more deeply monitor - and ultimately restrict - activists' internet use. According to Reuters, the law would prohibit bloggers' anonymity and even though it's not clear to me how, exactly, they can be certain of success (e.g. is Tycho Sierra a real or anonymous blogger? how would Greek government cyber spies determine that?) i say let them go ahead and try. The backlash is sure to be infintely more entertaining than watching them pull these ideas out of their debt-plagued asses. Mr. Papaioannou isn't fooling anyone with this claim about public unrest; the broad consensus i've encountered among Greeks is that if anyone is undermining democracy, it's the corrupt politicians and their business associates at the top of the financial food chain.
The EU is already at odds with Athens about proposals to its online gambling laws. Interesting, isn't it, how market liberalization is embraced at the same time that liberalism in speech is condemned? As one gaming commentor (i'll leave him as 'anonymous') wrote over a year ago, "these guys must really in trouble. they go from a total ban on electronic games to considering legalizing internet gambling in just 8 years. wow." Having now lost control of the debt to the point where their beautiful coastlines, islands and other natural resources are being sold off to private international 'developers', who better to blame for losing control of the streets than the anti-democratic hoards demanding to be heard? In all likelihood, the Ministers would say they can be heard, but only after being fingerprinted, DNA-swiped and digitally ID-ed. (Again, what does that actually mean: is the state going to assign people IP addresses? Here's an idea: let's make everyone pay for an IP license!) All i can say is that if this law does go into effect, i'll go to Gamble Greece Online (or wherever) immediately to bet in favor of more violent chaos, since that seems to be where the Greek government's competence ultimately lies. Democracy? Ain't nothin' but a word these daze - on all the Mediterranean shores.
The EU is already at odds with Athens about proposals to its online gambling laws. Interesting, isn't it, how market liberalization is embraced at the same time that liberalism in speech is condemned? As one gaming commentor (i'll leave him as 'anonymous') wrote over a year ago, "these guys must really in trouble. they go from a total ban on electronic games to considering legalizing internet gambling in just 8 years. wow." Having now lost control of the debt to the point where their beautiful coastlines, islands and other natural resources are being sold off to private international 'developers', who better to blame for losing control of the streets than the anti-democratic hoards demanding to be heard? In all likelihood, the Ministers would say they can be heard, but only after being fingerprinted, DNA-swiped and digitally ID-ed. (Again, what does that actually mean: is the state going to assign people IP addresses? Here's an idea: let's make everyone pay for an IP license!) All i can say is that if this law does go into effect, i'll go to Gamble Greece Online (or wherever) immediately to bet in favor of more violent chaos, since that seems to be where the Greek government's competence ultimately lies. Democracy? Ain't nothin' but a word these daze - on all the Mediterranean shores.
No comments:
Post a Comment