Amen brother.

The biggest lie of all...that in America...we are 'free.'
NOTHING is free in America. lol

skullaria wrote:
NOTHING is free in America. lol

Well, I was being sarcastic. I can, at least, complain about this result and petition that it be changed. I don't have to fear reprisal for expressing my opinions.

However, some results are so absurd that you cannot stop at complaining that they are wrong, you have to ask how it is possible for our system to reach such an obviously absurd result in the first place.

Here an industry with dollars to invest in lobbying has managed to get an insane judgement handed down through all of the checks and balances that are supposed to stop that from happening. Is this a unique situation? I don't think so. If we're this screwed up in an area of policy that I understand, I have to assume that we're just as screwed up in umteen different areas of policy that I don't understand or follow.

If it was really OK to close your eyes and trust the professionals to keep things running smoothly things like this wouldn't happen.

Decius wrote:

A federal jury on Thursday found Jammie Thomas-Rasset liable in the nation’s only Recording Industry Association of America file-sharing case to go to trial, dinging her $1.92 million for [sharing] 24 songs [on a p2p network].

We have mature, sophisticated political institutions in the United States of America that uphold justice and reach reasonable results.

We have credibility.

In fact, we set an example for the rest of the world. We are a shining light for freedom in which people of all nations find hope.

Our citizens are thankful that they live in a free country. They respect our legislators and judges - who have the most difficult task of maintaining and upholding our democratic values. These are intelligent people, our best and brightest, who faithfully represent the best interests of everyone in our country.

There are absolutely no widespread problems with our system's ability to cope with technological and social change. We are completely free of corruption and small minded authoritarianism. Our justice system meters out punishments that are righteous and appropriate, a fact which is ensured by our careful, deliberative processes in which checks and balances effectively contain the abuses of political power.

In sum, we are totally awesome, and there is absolutely no room for criticism of how we do things around here. Only evil people suggest that the fundamental structure of our institutions might need to be reconsidered. This is the end of history, and we represent the final form of political organization. There is no way that you could ever improve upon how we do things right now.

Man, what a great time to be alive!

It is worth noting that if she had shoplifted the equivalent number of CDs in Minnesota, it would be considered a misdemeanor offense and she would owe a maximum of $1000 dollars in fines.

If Sprint Communications corporation was required to pay equivalent fines for their 18.2 million dollars of illegal early termination fees, they would owe 1.024 trillion dollars, which would easily pay off the TARP.

The eighth amendment states:

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

I don't get it.

zeugma wrote:
It is worth noting that if she had shoplifted the equivalent number of CDs in Minnesota, it would be considered a misdemeanor offense and she would owe a maximum of $1000 dollars in fines...

The eighth amendment states:

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Apparently the only case in which excessive fines were considered was U.S. v. Bajakajian.

Here, Clarence Thomas wrote:

“Comparing the gravity of respondent’s crime with the $357,144 forfeiture the Government seeks, we conclude that such a forfeiture would be grossly disproportional to the gravity of his offense. It is larger than the $5,000 fine imposed by the District Court by many orders of magnitude, and it bears no articulable correlation to any injury suffered by the Government. … For the foregoing reasons, the full forfeiture of respondent’s currency would violate the Excessive Fines Clause.”

That sort of reasoning seems like it applies here.

The EFF is already raising this point in the press:

“The disproportionate size of the verdict raises constitutional questions,” said Fred von Lohmann, a lawyer with the consumer group Electronic Frontier Foundation.

I think a Supreme Court decision invalidating the law that imposes these fines would go a long way toward restoring my faith in the ability of our country to make reasonable policy.

Decius wrote:

A federal jury on Thursday found Jammie Thomas-Rasset liable in the nation’s only Recording Industry Association of America file-sharing case to go to trial, dinging her $1.92 million for [sharing] 24 songs [on a p2p network].

We have mature, sophisticated political institutions in the United States of America that uphold justice and reach reasonable results.

We have credibility.

In fact, we set an example for the rest of the world. We are a shining light for freedom in which people of all nations find hope.

Our citizens are thankful that they live in a free country. They respect our legislators and judges - who have the most difficult task of maintaining and upholding our democratic values. These are intelligent people, our best and brightest, who faithfully represent the best interests of everyone in our country.

There are absolutely no widespread problems with our system's ability to cope with technological and social change. We are completely free of corruption and small minded authoritarianism. Our justice system meters out punishments that are righteous and appropriate, a fact which is ensured by our careful, deliberative processes in which checks and balances effectively contain the abuses of political power.

In sum, we are totally awesome, and there is absolutely no room for criticism of how we do things around here. Only evil people suggest that the fundamental structure of our institutions might need to be reconsidered. This is the end of history, and we represent the final form of political organization. There is no way that you could ever improve upon how we do things right now.

Man, what a great time to be alive!

An accusation that I have heard repeatedly leveled at Americans is that they have no sense of irony. I think I might bookmark the above as Exhibit A in my case for the defence.

ubernoir wrote:
An accusation that I have heard repeatedly leveled at Americans is that they have no sense of irony. I think I might bookmark the above as Exhibit A in my case for the defence.

:) Thank you. I am somewhat concerned that, in fact, many Americas do not have a sense of irony and will not get that my screed was sarcastic.

Decius wrote:

ubernoir wrote:
An accusation that I have heard repeatedly leveled at Americans is that they have no sense of irony. I think I might bookmark the above as Exhibit A in my case for the defence.

:) Thank you. I am somewhat concerned that, in fact, many Americas do not have a sense of irony and will not get that my screed was sarcastic.

Well.....no......
As for me, I get it - I totally get it - but I don't GET it.
And I sure as heck don't WANT it.
As for sense of irony, I worry more about Americans' Sense of JUSTICE.