Ezra Klein: Should He Stay Or Should He Go?

« Fair Enough | Main | Experiments In Sexism »

October 28, 2006

Should He Stay Or Should He Go?

You've really got to see this. It's also, as Matt points out, a good example of why the laws should place a heavy burden on those seeking to protect copyrighted material from mash-up artists and remixers, among others.

October 28, 2006 | Permalink

Comments

At least Tony has recognized (by promising to only stay one more year) that he HAS to go. Even that promise won't likely save the 'New Labor' party at the hands of the Conservatives - now reawakened under a new leader.

One wonders what Tony will say to himself in 10 years when his lapdog-ism to Bush cost him and his party their lock on British voting loyalties. I can't wait for Tony to leave and the Brits to join the rest of the EU in becoming a major force to prevent further adventures in Bush empire extension and other total foolishness and recklessness.

And YEAHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, copyright (and patents) are way out of control, and a restored view of the public interest and the public good brought back into the equation. In particular, YouTube is the most people-empowering thing in the last couple generations. As long as significant profit isn't earned by non-owners of IP by expanding 'fair use' even further than it was prior to DMCA then we should do it. Patenting human genes: you've got be totally nuts to think this makes sense.

Posted by: JimPortlandOR | Oct 28, 2006 1:52:58 PM

My guess is that Blair leaves on May 1, 2007, the tenth anniversary of New Labour coming to power. I've been following some of Blair's speeches for a while now, and he keeps referring to May 1, 1997 as this grand occasion in British history. I think he'll want to commemorate it.

I do want to say, though, that some historical perspective might be needed here before everyone starts calling Blair a failed PM. Was Margaret Thatcher a failed PM because the British public eventually got tired of her and her own party drove her out? She won three big election victories and fundamentally changed the nature of British politics.

Tony Blair also won three big election victories, and while his influence wasn't quite as great as Thatcher's, he did discredit one of the biggest "intellectual" points of Thatcherism, that economic growth an income inequality must necessarily go together. The Tories are now shifting to the left in order to gain the voters' trust. And I have a hard time believing that any Britism PM wouldn't have followed Bush into Iraq. Maintaining the U.S.-U.K. "special relationship" has been a bipartisan feature of British politics since the end of WWII.

Ten years from now, I think a lot of people with a progressive bent will be looking back with nostalgia on the Blair Era.

Posted by: Chris | Oct 28, 2006 4:13:18 PM

Posted by: qwer | Dec 6, 2006 10:08:21 AM

I've basically been doing nothing worth mentioning. Not that it matters. I just don't have anything to say these days. I've just been hanging out waiting for something to happen. Not much on my mind these days.

Posted by: excel | Oct 16, 2007 1:51:35 PM

Capitalist Corner

Wish List

October 28, 2006

Should He Stay Or Should He Go?

Comments

Post a comment

About

Published Pieces

Recent Entries

Blogroll

Recent Comments

Archives

Categories

Search

Contact

Link Blog: