A disaster of Olympic proportions

So, despite the fact that they get to host the Olympics, the Chinese government apparently still doesn’t give a damn about little things like human rights, dignity, or freedom. How strange! Who could have ever predicted such a bizarre twist?

In addition to the abuse inflicted on the locals, for example destroying their houses, executing roughly 374 Chinese citizens during the Olympics, and deploying ridiculous amounts of surveillance and military strength, it looks like they’re also arresting foreign protesters, assaulting journalists, blocking Internet access even for foreign reporters, and just generally giving everyone a hard time.

Oh, this is a good one :

“We have laws regarding assembly and demonstrations, and we hope that foreigners will respect the laws of China.”

While we are aware of your laws, sir, there are reasons why we don’t respect them. It is because they are brutal and inhuman, in the image of the thugs, tyrants and monsters that create and enforce them.

We foreigners just happen to have a little more power to defy the crimes against humanity you call “laws” without getting murdered, that’s all.

Don’t worry, there will be more defiance and disrespect coming from foreigners, and soon.

Sorry, ISPs. You’ll have to deliver what you promise.

Unless you own a telecommunications company with a business model based on selling more bandwidth than you can deliver and then punishing your customers, this should be good news.

The FCC ruled against Comcast on Friday, saying that their interference with customers’ file transfers was a violation of federal policy. While it’s far from a guarantee of future network neutrality, it’s probably as good a precedent as we could have hoped for from this case.

Comcast has been given until the end of the year to get their act together and stop undermining the proper function of their service. While that is a lot further than the deadline I would have given them, the good news is that the Electronic Freedom Foundation has released the Switzerland Network Testing Tool. This means that Comcast’s customers should now be able to easily watch their ISP to make sure that they’re complying with the ruling.

The persecution of ‘Dr.’ Kent Hovind

From “The Fight To Save Dr. Kent Hovind” :

“But friends – there is one of Jesus’ flock that has been abandoned by America.  No – this is not a blood sucking Muslim – but a white Christian male.  Yes, this man should be at the very top of the Christian food chain – but instead he has been persecuted by the liberals in the Justice Department. This man is, of course, Dr. Kent Hovind – or as you probably know him – Dr. Dino.”

That’s silly, you know they don’t allow liberals in the Justice Department. They also don’t allow people who admire left-wing pro-choice nuts like Condoleeza Rice. Only good Republicans can properly deliver justice.

Why not talk to the police? It can never help you. Ever. Especially if you’re innocent.

The Innocence Project : In more than 25% of cases where people were convicted and later exonerated by DNA evidence, innocent defendants made incriminating statements, delivered outright confessions or pled guilty.

Innocent people admit guilt all the time. Don’t be one of them. Don’t talk to the police. If you really are guilty, sufficient evidence should be found in due time. There really is no need for you to provide the rope to hang yourself.

Cory Doctorow posted these two videos of a law professor and a cop explaining exactly why you shouldn’t ever talk to the police without a lawyer present. To sum it up briefly, everything you say can and will be held against you, and it will never help you. Ever.

I’ve only watched the first one so far, but this is a lesson I’ve learned from personal experience. You do not want to learn this lesson from personal experience. Learn it the easy way while these experts are offering to teach you.