Daily Archives: September 24, 2003


Powell says UN Sanctions Worked

Well, he said this 2 1/2 years ago:

And frankly they have worked. He has not developed any significant capability with respect to weapons of mass destruction. He is unable to project conventional power against his neighbors.

As The Slactivist points out:

A year later, when the administration’s goal was no longer merely maintaining sanctions, but a full-scale invasion of Iraq, they argued precisely the opposite. Saddam has WMDs. He poses a threat.

Go read the Slactivist’s report and analysis.
Update: This is getting a bit old in blogosphere time. Walter noted early this morning that others like Kevin Drum, Atrios and Lean Left were hitting on this yesterday. Go over to idols of the marketplace to get those links.


Do Not Call is Blocked

The RIAA at least has some moral justification for their position vis-a-vis unauthorized downloading and sharing.
The Direct Marketing Assocation has none vis-a-vis their clients harrassing us in our homes. This federal court should be overruled and this attitude:

“The Direct Marketing Association and its fellow plaintiffs are grateful that the federal District Court in Oklahoma City understood and upheld the industry’s belief that the Federal Trade Commission does not have authority to implement and enforce a national do-not-call list,”

is not echoed by the 50,000,000 households eagerly awaiting October 1.
Via Dohiyi Mir.
Update 9/24: BHW explains many of our thoughts on this explicitly.


RIAA Violation?

I’ve said it before and will say it again: all those folks downloading/exhanging unauthorized copies af an artist’s work are stealing. Their parent’s should have taught them better.
The RIAA, though, represents an obsolete industry and much of their current battle is last gasp stuff.
Which is probably why the RIAA appears to have violated the same ethical/legal standard they are trying to enforce:

Makers of the most popular online file-sharing network are suing entertainment companies for copyright infringement, alleging the companies used unauthorized versions of its software to snoop on users in their efforts to battle piracy.

Hoist with their own petard?!
Via Legal Memo-random.