Yes, this is very much related to free culture. Most obviously, the passage of this bill will net neutrality, which is an issue that is becoming more and more visible in politics. It *will* affect how you choose to browse, represent yourselves, create content, aspire to create open source anything.
http://blog.crowdspring.com/2011/02/small-business-and-startup-issues-net-neutrality-and-hr-1/ http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/220047/house_passes_defunding_of_net_neutrality_rules.html To say the least, this is only one small aspect of HR 1 that affects "free culture." Every other aspect affected will affect society and culture in general, and if that's damaged, what'll we have to work with to free and innovate? For example, if educational funding is cut back, who will reap the benefits and continue the efforts of creating a free culture? And generally speaking, if we want issues in free culture to be more visible, we need a healthy and functional country and government. Thanks for your comment. Jen On Thu, Feb 24, 2011 at 1:50 PM, Karl Fogel <[email protected]>wrote: > Jennifer Baek <[email protected]> writes: > >http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150111861960969 > > I know that free culture is a broad topic, and people may disagree on > where its boundaries are, so I ask this without any sarcasm: > > Was there something free-culture-related about this post? If not, can > we avoid general political news & activism on this list? Everyone's > inbox is full and getting fuller, after all. Also, "support for free > culture" != "opposition to U.S. Republicans". > > Thanks, and willing to hear counterarguments of course, > -Karl > > >Hey everyone, > > > >HR 1 was passed by the House of Representatives 235-189. I want to > >urge everyone right now to write to your state Senators to stop the > >passage of HR 1, legislation to cut government spending ~$100 billion > >below the President's budget for 2011. HR 1 is a "continuing > >resolution" to fund the government through the end of this fiscal year > >that stand in direct opposition to the proposals introduced by > >President Obama's administration for the 2011 and 2012 fiscal year > >budgets. > > > > > > > >In light of this recession, less government spending seems like a > >tempting solution, but the consequences will be dire. If HR1 is passed > >by the Senate, among the many things that will be seriously > >disadvantaged are: > > > > > > > >-HEALTH: HR 1 proposes to cut 46% in Department of Health and Human > >Services funding to Community Health Centers, which provide primary > >care in rural/undeserved communities. It also prevents cleanup of > >mercury, soot, sulfur, and ash from coal-fired power plants. "The > >current avoidable death toll from the sulfur emissions alone is > >running at 14,00 Americans a year. Living downwind from coal-ash pile, > >as hundreds of thousands of Americans do, is equivalent to smoking a > >pack of cigarettes a day--and HR1 prohibits cleaning up those coal-ash > >sites. Right now, one in six young American woman has enough mercury > >in their body to threaten the health of any child she bears." > > > > > > > >-FAMILY PLANNING. Millions of women in the United States will lose > >access to basic reproductive health and family-planning services and > >sex education, including cancer screenings (Pap smears for HPV) and > >STI prevention. Planned Parenthood needs your > >help: http://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/ > > > > > > > >-CLIMATE/ENVIRONMENT. HR 1 includes an amendment that would bar the > >EPA from using any funds to implement, administer, or enforce any > >statutory or regulatory requirement pertaining to emissions of carbon > >pollution and other green house gases. It also seeks to "forbid the > >federal government from reducing pollution from any chemical that > >threatens the climate, even if its toxic for other reasons. It > >eliminates all funding for research to answer the remaining scientific > >questions about climate change. And it forbids the government from > >monitoring how much climate pollution we are creating." > > > > > > > >-MEDICAL RESEARCH. Centers for Disease Control will be cut by 25%, and > >billions of dollars will get slashed from National Institutes of > >Health. > > > > > > > >-EDUCATION. "HR 1 slashes the Pell Grant, which over nine million > >low-income students use to attend college by, 15 percent. HR 1 lsashes > >$25 Million from TRI, a federal program that reduces economic, social, > >academic and cultural barriers to higher education for traditionally > >underrepresented and disadvantaged youth. The legislation also > >eliminates the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, a program > >in which federal funds promote access to postsecondary education by > >providing critical support to students with the lowest Expected Family > >Contribution, and the Liberal Education and America's Promise > >Campaign." This in addition to the major budget cuts happening to > >public schools across the nation would be crippling for students all > >across America. > > > > > > > >-NET NEUTRALITY. The House agreed to an amendment from Rep. Greg > >Walden, chairman of the Energy and Commerce's Communications and > >Technology's Subcommittee, that would prohibit funding for the Federal > >Communication Commission's recent regulations pertaining to ensuring > >non-discrimination by broadband Internet access providers, which would > >prevent the FCC from supporting net neutrality, and thus infringe on > >our first amendment rights! > > > > > > > >This is serious, folks. There is so much at stake, and so much that > >can be lost. HR 1 directly affects our nation's ability to bounce back > >and move towards economic growth and prosperity. We are the people in > >this democracy. Our voices are meant to be heard. It's up to us to be > >proactive in affecting change in our future--to create a better > >tomorrow, and that won't happen if HR 1 passes. We need to invest in > >our country to have a brighter future. Please show your support. Write > >to your Senator. > > > > > > > >Thank you. > > > >_______________________________________________ > >Discuss mailing list > >[email protected] > >http://lists.freeculture.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss > >FAQ: http://wiki.freeculture.org/Fc-discuss > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.freeculture.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss > FAQ: http://wiki.freeculture.org/Fc-discuss >
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