Us Sanctions - Against Sweden

[Dreckt]

This is just in - the US threatened to put economic sanctions on Sweden for not shutting down so called "pirate sites", sites that copyrighted movies and music can be downloaded from.

One of the most popular sites is The Pirate Bay, a huge sites on which people can upload torrents for anyone to download for free. The Swedish police raided The Pirate Bay and shut down their servers, including the "Pirate Bureau" - a lobby that works for pirates as well as a political supporter for the Pirate party. This was on the direct orders of the White House.

This is a Swedish link, I'll be back when I have more time:
http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/nyheter/stor...,845237,00.html (http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/nyheter/story/0,2789,845237,00.html)

[Cheung Mo]

I wish I could still find that American flag picture I used to post whenever a seemingly-civilised country restricts the civil liberties of its citizens in order to appease Washington: It replaces the stars with little swastikas.

Here's something in English:

http://www.zeropaid.com/news/6571/The+Pirates+Hold+a+Party
http://www.zeropaid.com/news/6556/Politici...-sharing+debate (http://www.zeropaid.com/news/6556/Politicians+smell+votes+in+Sweden%27s+file-sharing+debate)
http://www.zeropaid.com/news/6546/Proof+th...te+Bay+Shutdown (http://www.zeropaid.com/news/6546/Proof+that+U.S.+Gov%27t+Involved+in+Pirate+Bay+Shu tdown)

You can always count on Zero Paid for stuff like this.

[Tekun]

Economic sanctions....you'd think they were harboring "terrorists" or building nuclear capabilities
:rolleyes:
Anytime this country's economic interests are threatened, they're quick to throw punches



How bout they impose economic sanctions on the gov of Sudan? The government that they continue to do business with?
This same government that denies that therez a campaign of genocide against the ppl of Darfur, despite pictures and video which profoundly prove otherwise?


According to Dead Prez, "keep pimping the system"

[Dreckt]

The funny thing is - about one million people download and upload stuff on the internet. There is a chance that the Pirate party can be "elected" into parliment (I believe it is required to have about 250 000 votes to make it). The party already has over 7000 members - which is more than the Christian democrats youth organisation.

Then, what happens in parliment and if it works is another thing. What matters is that the corporate bastards feel it. This issue is also a good example on what democracy means in capitalism, democracy will be put on the edge in this "conflict".

[Karl Marx's Camel]

I first thought I read that the U.S. was threathening Sweden because they shut down pirate sites. I thought "WTF!? What is hell happening?"

Then I noticed it. :rolleyes:

Hardly suprising.

[Janus]

So the Swedish did what the US asked and the US are still going to put economic sanctions on Sweden.

The US hesitates to put sanctions on truly dangerous countries but puts one on Sweden because there are some illegal downloading companies there?

[Karl Marx's Camel]

The U.S. are serving the interest of the U.S. capitalist you know... It's not that weird when you think about it.

[GraylySquirrel]

If this isn't a prime example of class struggle, I'm not sure what is.

The bourgeoisie of America are going to protect their own selfish intrests at the expense of the common people Sweeden.

I'm not sure what shocks me more. That this is happening, or that there isn't some kind of global outrage. Its the apathy of the world thats holding back the revolution.

[Herman]

Meddling in the affairs of Europe, are they? I wish to see the day when the EU becomes a nation and the European Left wins the elections or uses revolution.

[Janus]

If this isn't a prime example of class struggle, I'm not sure what is.
I wouldn't really consider this a great example. Musicians and artists have been trying to get the government to crack down on this stuff for a while. It's not really class against class but more private interests against other prvate interests.

[which doctor]

http://svt.se/content/1/c6/61/24/40/pirate_mpa.pdf

That's a copy of a fax that was sent by the MPAA to the state department of Sweden, shortly before the Pirate Bay crackdown.


Musicians and artists have been trying to get the government to crack down on this stuff for a while. It's not really class against class but more private interests against other prvate interests.
Many musicians don't support the RIAA and the MPAA. It's the corporate record labels that support it. So, it is the ruling class which supports it.

[Janus]

Yeah, the corporate labels are trying to crack down on it but musicians and artists are also enraged at pirating as well.

So I would say that it is corporate interests agaisnt individual interests but I wouldn't exactly call it the best example of class conflict.

[Dreckt]

The US hesitates to put sanctions on truly dangerous countries but puts one on Sweden because there are some illegal downloading companies there?

Well, not really a company. They live through donations. But remember that this has to do with private property - the very center of capitalist crimes. The "nuclear crisis" of North Korea and Iran shrinks when their private property are in danger.


I'm not sure what shocks me more. That this is happening, or that there isn't some kind of global outrage. Its the apathy of the world thats holding back the revolution.

There have been talk, mostly in the media, that a special "pirate police" and "pirate judges" will be appointed specially for these types of cases. On the other hand, they also talk about the priority of Swedish property - Swedish movies and music, as well as chasing the people who have terrabytes of media. I think foreign media is a second priority or ignored as a whole, because I haven't heard anyone getting cought for a foreign media.

There has been one case where a guy was cought with one Swedish movie (called Hipp Hipp Hora, or "Hip Hip Hore"). He was punished by paying 16 000 crowns, that is about 1500 dollars. The EU wants people to spend 4 years in prison for any downloaded copyrighted media. That equals a really violent beating, or even a rape in Sweden.


Meddling in the affairs of Europe, are they? I wish to see the day when the EU becomes a nation and the European Left wins the elections or uses revolution.

The US has always meddled with Europe. During the Cold War they placed troops in Germany that are still there. Even today they have special death camps in the former Eastern states.


Musicians and artists have been trying to get the government to crack down on this stuff for a while. It's not really class against class but more private interests against other prvate interests.

Yes, some have. But once again, this is about private property - the very thing we communists want to abolish.

[GraylySquirrel]

I wouldn't really consider this a great example. Musicians and artists have been trying to get the government to crack down on this stuff for a while. It's not really class against class but more private interests against other prvate interests.

I was more concerned with the people in Sweeden who will get the shit end of the stick from the ruling class of America in the form of sanctions, regardless of the fact that they have nothing to do with pirating. The innocent are being exploited to pressure Sweeden into falling in step with capatilist ideals.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

and the European Left wins the elections or uses revolution.

You realize you cannot have a revolution without the people doing that revolution, and not some frenzy minority "vanguard"?

[Herman]

You realize you cannot have a revolution without the people doing that revolution, and not some frenzy minority "vanguard"?

I realize that a political party will be needed to spread class consciousness in the working class of Europe. The 'frenzy minority' vanguard would only be the guide of the working class, the ones who organize the revolution. A revolution without leadership always fails.

[Mujer Libre]

What I find disturbing is that they do this- but it took them aaaages to decide to impose sanctions on apartheid South Africa.

Oh wait, profits before people. I get it.