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Lemme be straight. Around 2 years ago, I don't think I gave a rat's behind about the RIAA, except to find them a ludicrous group that has about as much reason to exist as wings on a domestic turkey.
Since last year though, I really began to hate the RIAA. It's not a blind, unreasoning hatred, and is mainly based on what I have seen them do to the people of this country, to popular music, and through extension of their course of action(s), to people and countries in the rest of the world.
I'll probably miss some things, but here goes :
1) I hate bullies, and the RIAA is a bully. We saw them pick on young ladies like Brianna LaHara, and college kids like Lorraine Sullivan, trying to squeeze as much money as they could out of them. That fact alone is enough to make me hate them.
2) They created a climate of fear and dread in a country already beset with fear from terrorism. At a time when people were worried about attacks from people from foreign countries, the RIAA and their toadies were hunting down, and using the DMCA to threaten and intimidate people all across this country. Spreading a climate of fear and intimidation at a time when our country has been particularly vulnerable, is also enough for me to hate them.
3) They carried out and are carrying out, what to me, appears to amount to extortion against poor people across this country. The definiton of extortion found in the Hobbs Act. The Hobbs Act defines extortion as "the obtaining of property from another, with his consent, induced by wrongful use of actual or threatened force, violence or fear, or under color of official right." To me, the wrongful use of violence or fear, or under color of offical right, exactly describes what the RIAA has done.
4) They've taken one of the few joys I have in life, and cast a grundgy, dark cloud over it. I love music, and since I am 51 years old, have spent a lot on music and musical equipment over the past 30 plus years. Music makes me feel better when I am depressed, and makes my mood even better when I am happy. And, I must admit buying music from the Big labels before all this mess started. I have kept myself from doing so since all this began, in support of the boycott. Sure, there are times I would like to again, but like a junkie that must stay away from even a taste...I feel that abstinence is the best policy.
Furthermore, lots of the "big" artists I used to like, I've become disenchanted with, and now even look down upon , because they have not come out in support of the fans that have kept them in luxury for 20 years.
5) I don't like groups that decide that victimizing their customers through lawsuits, is good and proper. 'Nuff said on this one.
6) I hate them for the copycat actions they have inspired in their sister organizations in other countries, like the CRIA in Canada. The malignant spread of the cancer we call the RIAA has infiltrated and now attacks the freedoms of people in other countries.
7) I hate them for the way they, and the big labels they represent, treat indie artists and the big artists alike. The RIAA and big labels they represent, must see themselves as pseudo-feudal lords, and the artists as their serfs,vassals, and slaves.
They try to act as if independent artists are not "legitimate" and any download service that doesn't play ball with them, is illegit.
8) I hate the way they clog up the courts. They sue lots of citizens, they sue peer to peer companies, they sue old men, old women, kids, in short, anyone they can bully around. (see reason number one). Look, the courts in this country are moving as slow as cold mollases in a Michigan winter already, and these clowns take up valuable time suing and suing and suing, when they need to get a life and "leave those kids alone" (to quote Pink Floyd).
9) I hate their arrogance and the lies. They lie about what their goals are, they lie when they use words like "piracy", "steal", "theft" (and the newest one Tuesday from their attorney Mr. Ramos..."counterfeit")etc. I hate people who think they are better than everyone else...with a holier than thou attitude. They want to brag about controlling or representing people who control 90 percent of the music, and yet, will not admit to running a monopoly or acting in a monopolistic fashion. They are a group which appears to have spent great sums of money in lobbying efforts, and yet, hypocritcally, they want to call themselves a "non-profit" trade organization...yeah, right! They talk about "piracy" and yet, I wonder what a computer audit would show about the licensing on their computers and on the boxes of Mr. Sherman, Ms. Weiss and the rest (just a question folks...not making specific allegations).
10) Just five words... BIG LIPPED PETULANT CARY SUE.
that's the rant...I'm sure you will think of more than I did :).
~Code
CodeWarrior
undeath
Introspectiv...
surfside6
Indierockgal
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