BREAKTHROUGH LEGISLATION WOULD BAN MACHINES
We are happy to inform you of legislation before Congress (HR 1121),
ostensibly an antipiracy/intellectual property protection bill, which would
have the effect of banning many forms of machinery and technology. On
behalf of all backward-thinking psychics, we urge you to support this bill.
HR 1121 potentially would make illegal the possession of many forms of machinery which could be used to copy protected intellectual property, from two-head VCRs to minidisc and DAT formats, and possibly even two cassette tape recorders. The goal of the bill, as stated, is to provide protection to authors of software, art, literature, computer programs, etc. from these copying technologies.
While merlin.org ordinarily does not support laws of any sort, in this case we must make an exception. Banning many sophisticated technologies and forms of machinery as it does, the cause of psychic freedom would be immeasurably strengthened by this bill. If anything, the bill is not strong enough. We would add measures to criminalize possession of photocopiers, computers, fax machines, telephone answering machines, microphones, and pencils, all of which can be used to copy legally protected data.
Our position at merlin.org is that humans need no machinery more sophisticated than the sledgehammer and the monkeywrench. With every machine smashed, with every gear shot, we are one step closer to redeeming our heritage.
This legislation could have positive effects as groundbreaking as those of the defunding of public education and the United Nations, and the prohibition of alcohol.
We urge you to project positive emotions into the mind of your representative, reassuring him that this bill will solve many of the problems facing humanity today.
merlin.org - May 4, 1998