LeetNoob

So what do we make of: Economic Left/Right: -6.00 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.69 According to the chart, that puts me approximately where Ghandi is. Knowing me, I find that somewhat...well...suspect.

See, and here's the kicker: That shouldn't matter Sadly, though, it's built into Federal law. 2/3rds of the House, Majority in the Senate. But you're right about "toeing the party line". Then again, when was the last time a representative of the people actually represented the people? Billy Connely once said "the desire to become a politician should automatically bar you from ever being one." We can see why.

Cooper, That's assuming Microsoft plays by the rules. (coughcoughBULLSHITcough) All Microsoft would have to do is, say, change the filesystem on Linux to whatever rubbish they're putting on Vista. Or add some proprietary code here and there. Whatever. Even though a huge proportion of code is still "Linux", the product becomes "Microsoft", and the GPL goes right out the windows. Pun intended. Remember one thing, Linux is opensource but a lot of SuSE is proprietary. If Microsoft gets their hands on that, what's to stop them from marketing SuSE as the next Windows? Not much, patent laws being what they are. Let's not forget pricing, marketing, distribution, "genuine advantage"....SuSE's ultra-spiffy new desktop becomes proprietary to Microsoft, and anyone else using it is sued... And if it came down to it, who's going to take on Microsoft in a lawsuit? Microsoft has billions in cash lying around for just such emergencies, and they've mastered the art of dragging suits out for years. It all boils down to this: I know Balmer's type. He does not want competition. He doesn't give a monkey's about quality products. He figures that when you have 80 or 90% of the market, you throw the starving masses whatever bones you like, and they have no choice but to accept or go hungry. He wants to be the only player in the game and protect his market share, by fair means or foul. Courts mean nothing to them. Previous agreements mean nothing to them. Competition means nothing to them. WE mean nothing to them.

Microsoft parthers with Novell. Microsoft supports Novell. Microsoft buys Novell. Embrace and extend. Microsoft patents SuSE, discards Novell's empty husk. Microsoft destroys Linux, renames it Windows. Microsoft sues Redhat, Ubuntu, Debian, et al. for copyright violations of MS Linux products. GPL? Bah. ------------------------------------------ Tell me it couldn't happen.

Being both American and British (I hold dual citizenship), I can see issues from both inside and outside, and here's how I see the real crux of the problem: The Constitution says you have the right to protest and a redress of grievances. It says nothing about anyone listening to them. You, Americans, have no choice and no recourse other than to vote the bastards out - but you can only do so at set intervals. In the interim, politicians have free rein to do whatever they like. Bush is in office, and there's not a thing anyone can do about it. You can't vote him out, you can't impeach him since congressional Democrats don't have the numbers on their side, and his powerbase - the NSA, Homeland Security, etc - are completely unaccountable to anyone but him. OK, so what happens now? What needs to happen, sorry to say, is nothing short of a Revolution. A rebellion against tyranny. It's been done before, so there is a precedent. It's even been endorsed in either the Constitution or Declaration, can't remember which. It'll never happen, of course, but scrap the Constitution as written, and rewrite it such that the people have more power because right now, you have none. Not anymore. It's an 18th century document, written for a small, agricultural country with no standing army. It's not a holy relic written in stone, and it's not heresy to change it. Over here in the UK, Tony Blair is an elected official, but not by a national vote. He's an MP for a constituency in Country Durham, and as such, answerable to them. He's PM because he's the Labour Party leader, and labour won the general elections. If his constituency voted him out, we'd get a new PM. Period. Every secretary of state is an elected MP - defence, education, Home Office, Foreign Office - all of them. Of course they're appointed to the post, but they had to be chosen by the people in the first place. They screw up, they're removed or resign. End of story. Make THAT system the basis for government, and I guarantee you'll see a difference. The only thing that can be done is for everyone who gives a damn and trying to make a difference to unite under one banner. Fragmented groups all shouting at the same time are useless. One group, willing to take chances, one manifesto to which everyone agrees and can subscribe, all yelling "we want our country back". Someone will have to listen then. Strike. Passive resistance. It's the 60's again, and you're fighting for your civil rights. The iron curtain is also dropping. AGAIN. Someone should have been suspicious long ago. What other president in history ever referred to it as the "Homeland". Sounds like "Motherland" and "Fatherland", doesn't it? Now you know why I'm over here.

"There is no pleasure, no rapture, no exquisite sin greater...than central air." "We figure abortion clinics are a good place to meet loose women. Why else would they be here?" "Mass genocide is the most exhausting activity one can engage in, next to soccer." (In a gun shop) "We call this piece the 'Fecalator'. One look at it and the target shits him or herself. Try it on." Shall I go on?