A Take on the News
Okay. I said I wouldn't get political, but a couple of events have gotten my attention. The outcome of either one could shape our culture in the this country for the next couple of decades.
First, the pending retirement of U.S. Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Conner and the anticipated retirement of Chief Justice William Rehnquist mean that our president will have his chance to shape the future of judicial review in this country for a very long time. I fervently hope he will do the right thing and select candidates that reflect the totality of this country rather than the desires of a vocal minority. I will only say that a 51% to 49% electoral victory is most certainly NOT a mandate.
Second, fair use under the First Amendment may not be dead, but it is certainly on life support. The ruling by the Supreme Court that allows big media to sue P2P software makers for damages does nothing but serve to protect big business at the expense of innovation. Not to mention the fact that artists and musicians who are forced into the system don't even own their own content. The industry is in transition, and things will change whether the MPAA and RIAA like it or not.
On a lighter note....Argentina play Nigeria on Saturday for the World Youth Soccer Championship. Argentina will be looking for some happy news to make up for the disappointment of losing the Confederations Cup final to Brazil by 4-1. Have a great weekend!
4 astute observations :
We won !!!!!!!! Woohoo!!!
http://www.fifa.com/en/news/feature/0,1451,108333,00.html?articleid=108333
wtg...although the only goal scored in the run of play was by nigeria
I hope your president makes a good choice. I´m from Argentina, and since our president was elected back in 2003, he has had the opportunity to reshape the Supreme Court. In the past decade, the number of judges in the Court went from 5 to 9 and the Court that was elected then was too sidelined with the president, sometimes against the Constitution or even the laws. Since 2003, many of those judges where taken, ironically, to Justice for some of those actions. Kirchner, our president nowadays, instaurated a new system for the election of supreme judges. He proposes one, two or up to three candidates, then, the Congress hs the examine all their backgrounds and people can send letters or ask to participate in the process of evaluation. then, the Congress decides qich of the candidates is most qualified for the job. This is a more democratic and transparent wayof electing supreme judges, and it helps to make the Supreme Court more pluralist and not turned to the left or the right. Since then, 3 new judges have been elected, 2 more are on the row, and many of the unfair laws that were passed during the nineties were declared inconstitutional. It was a wise desition made by our President, and he has made history with it
sadly, it may be wishful thinking. This president is in the hand of the right-wing evangelical christian conservatives, who believe our founding fathers established not a democracy, but a christian democracy. It's funny, I used to consider myself conservative, and while I don't think I've changed, I would probably be considered a liberal today.
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