Posted on 01/09/2012 10:12:29 AM PST by BuckeyeTexan
In the midst of all this talk of jobs and wars and families, one of the issues the Republican presidential candidates have not addressed that much is the internet. Specifically, their positions on regulating the internet. Over the weekend, Rick Santorum was asked by a New Hampshire resident during a campaign stop if he supported or opposed the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), which would give the government more authority to regulate the internet and crack down harder on piracy.
Considering how much the Republican party of late has been concerned with government overreach, Santorum has been a surprisingly strong defender of big government conservatism in this race. And his opinion on online piracy remains consistent with these principles. Santorum explained that from his perspective, not every right or freedom is unlimited, and there need to be regulations in place to limit the extent of a certain right.
“There is, and can be, a limitation on that. You know, freedom of speech. The things you can’t say. You can’t cry ‘fire’ in a crowded theater. And there are limitations to all freedoms. They’re not absolute rights. They are rights that have responsibilities that come with them, and if you abuse those rights… then you have a consequence of you using that right.”
Santorum identified piracy as an abuse of one’s rights. While acknowledging that the internet can be “a powerful force for good,” he argued that making it a “regulation-free zone” would be the wrong approach. He did not specifically say that he endorsed SOPA, given that he admitted he is not very aware of the bill’s provisions. But he did give an incredibly forceful argument for cracking down on piracy and the unrestrained right to do whatever you want on the internet.
That is true.
It appears Ricky's google-bombing at the hands of Dan Savage has traumatized him, leading to his apparent confusion about the meaning of the First Amendment.
Let's get behind Newt. Romney's ceiling seems to be around 25%. We need to narrow the field, so that a real conservative can exceed the Mittwit's low ceiling.
Not all of us we're fooled by the sorry puke Specter, but I can see how Pennsylvania real politik would make "supporting" Arlen a necessity at times. That is, unless you're in favor of Public Campaign Financing, naturally.
Ohhh noooo, Rick! There already exists net nanny, etc, for families to protect kids. You MUST come out against SOPA. There must be Internet freedom!
Fortunately, this comment was NOT made by a serious Presidential candidate. Otherwise, I would be quite concerned.
Or when you shout “Fire” and everybody tells you to sit down and shut up...
Why don’t we let the govt eavesdrop on every phone conversation? People might be up to no good.
YES! I have noticed this for nearly a week on multiple computers, regardless of internet connection speed. At first I thought it was just my computer/connection, but I have a friend’s whose is the same. I knew that it wasn’t just me!
Exactly. There was a mechanism, civil law, which always governed contract and copyright law.
It was decided some years back that this was too troublesome and expensive to use for enforcement of copyright, so the burden was shifted to the public, by moving it into criminal law.
You could really consider this to be corporate welfare, since the expense of prosecution is now borne entirely by the taxpayers, whereas before some share of it was paid by the copyright holders.
Add to this the nearly-perpetual extension of copyright terms (something the Founding Fathers specifically excluded), and you can see that the entire system is broken and corrupt.
I got an email today from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, they are for it. I won’t be renewing with them.
Santorum is a big-government social conservative IMO.
Vote Perry
O M F G. Stupidity by Santorum. I guess he doesn’t get online much. He should speak to Rep. Darrell Issa, who is leading the charge against the SOPA disgrace.
Rights are not unlimited, I guess that would include the right to life hmnnnn.
I did a lot of reading on Santorum over the weekend. I came to the same conclusion. He doesn't seem to have a strong instinct for Liberty.
Santorum's view of good government would not be as Liberty oriented as Jefferson's view of good government, which follows:
A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor and bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government.
Read on some post that he is NOT a NBC, like our Senator Marco Rubio???
Ping!!!
Has Perry publicly declared that he’s against SOPA?
Whatever you're smoking, I would throw the rest of it away.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.