Why I would like SoW to go DD (Digital Distribution)

[tater]

Originally Posted by Feuerfalke

It's not that easy, I think.

1. The government is not the law.
2. The law guarantees a lot of things, even in the US, like freedom of speech, access to education, cultural and religious institutions, ability to participate in democratic votes, that firefighters and ambulances can reach you in a set time, as long as you don't live outside rural areas and take it to your own responsibility, etc

Wrong. I suppose if you live someplace where your very existence and Liberty is at the whim of the State, then you might be correct. In that case you are not truly free.

Freedom of speech, for example.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Freedom of speech exists for human beings because they exist, as a "natural right," it is not granted by the State. The "right" in the US is protection from any interference by the State. The Right belongs to man, it cannot be taken (or granted, any more than the air can) by the State. The Right is not GRANTED by the state, the PEOPLE demand that the State not interfere.

And it also guarantees the right to have access to information and media. And as such it was planned statistically to equip a certain percentage in the US with access to the internet.

That is not a Right, it's a government welfare program. Such "public access" is done by equipping public libraries with internet connections. Anyone can get a library card, and reserve a computer for some period of time for free. It is not a Right, but a program. Very very different. The RIGHT would be for the government no to be able to take the internet away from you.

The creation of "positive" rights is dangerous because it sets the precedence that there are Rights somehow owned by the State that they can chose to give, OR NOT GIVE, arbitrarily. This is a grave threat to Liberty, and exactly the sort of thing the US Founders were against (which is why by and large they followed the British system of common law and natural rights).


tater