Too late: the USA is already a corporate prison

The major corporations that sell the crap that oozes out of our TVs, radios and mp3 players have the country by the balls, pulling the strings of their congressional marionettes in pursuit of draconian new laws designed to eviscerate the world wide web and turn it into a corporate cesspool.

Backers defend controversial online copyright bill - CBS News: "(CNET) The first House of Representatives hearing devoted to a controversial online copyright bill began in an unusual way: with politicians defending themselves from charges that the proposal goes too far.
It's "beyond troubling to hear hyperbolic charges that this bill will open the floodgates to government censorship," Rep. Mel Watt, a North Carolina Democrat, said during a House Judiciary committee hearing this morning.

Claiming that the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, will transform the United States into "a repressive regime belittles the circumstances under which true victims of tyrannical governments actually live," said Watt, a SOPA sponsor."

Of course the congress-critters and running at full stride to do their paymasters' bidding. The broadcasters and content-providers are some of the most potent lobbying operations in existence, and when they say jump, their suitors on capital hill are only too willing to get on all fours and bark like dogs if that's what they're told to do.

Democrat or Republican, all are equally culpable. Because of Mickey Mouse, the copyright laws are now so skewed in favor of these mega conglomerates that nothing passes into the public domain in any living person's lifetime. This has turned the entire regime of "intellectual property" into a perpetual giveaway for the rich and powerful. It is totally incompatible with the purpose and intention of the laws to impose the restrictions on fair use that are being purchased wholesale by big business.

This congressional circus of purchased outcomes is just one more chapter in a long, sordid tale of corruption beyond comprehension at the top of the US government. Whatever corporations will, that's what will be done. They own the government, make no mistake about it, and what they seek is what you find when you wake up in the morning.

So get ready to kiss another promising medium goodbye. The 'net is already corrupted almost beyond recognition by hucksters and cheap hustlers, it's nothing but a bloodbath of capitalism and manipulation to keep the public dumb and disconnected from their lives. Why not stuff more garbage down their throats? This only makes it easier for the government and politicians to create secure dominions for raking in the big payoffs that come with power.

Instead of occupy, perhaps a better strategy is to abandon. We're being pushed out of the public sphere at every turn by organized money. The only answer is to withdraw our support of this malignant charade.