The Null Device
2002/2/1
The RIAA has requested a temporary suspension of its case against Napster; some are saying because the case would challenge their supremacy over copyright and their hitherto unquestioned control of the means of music distribution. Meanwhile, Emmanuel Goldstein to fight the DeCSS ruling.
DISSENT = TREASON: SWAT team raid teenage anarchist's home, seize computers used for running web site raisethefist.com (now offline). He allegedly had cracking and bomb-making information online; wonder whether he will be charged with any of the new homeland-security offenses.
Physicists look at the physics of wealth concentration and corruption. In short, corruption happens when a class of the super-rich arises, having more than a certain level of wealth. However, the problem of corruption is more likely to afflict socialist economies (i.e., those that attempt to restrict wealth) than liberal ones.