Oh, that...yeah, we can't have people letting out the names of, say, CIA operatives for political gain. No...that would be a horrible thing and no upstanding person or government would ever do that. Only a-holes like Assange would do that...right? Give me a break. The emperor (be it Bush, be it Obama, be whomever is running the United Corporations of America at the time) wears no clothes. Some are just mad that the masses are figuring that out finally.

Huh? Source please. You pulling that out of your ass (or repeating someone's BS) hardly makes that a "well-known fact". Please point to the innocent people that are now in danger or the resulting damage to said people's health.

Not trying to defend Wikileaks, but please do tell who that trustworthy group/individual would be...I can't think of anyone or any group. Maybe if journalism had not become just another corporate business interest. Maybe...

Well said. Mod parent up.

Maybe because the two (three?) main "competitors" behave and fee in such a similar way that is seems more than a little suspect they are actually working together and not really competing as a free market would dictate?

Maybe a little of both - cheers and fears. I think they fill a void that isn't being addressed by any existing group in this day and age. And just maybe they will help bring a balance back to the notion that governments need to fear the people (seemingly lost on most western leaders) more than people fearing their government. If Anon (et al) shine a much needed light on that, then cheer away I say.

As far as WBC goes, never forget that anyone (literally) can claim something in the name of Anon (think of literal free speech), but only if it fires up enough other members (lacking a better word) will much in the way of any action occur.

Their business, their rules. And hardly anything new. Victoria's Secret loves it if I bring in my wife...not so much if I bring my video camera...

ianal, but it sure seems that the MPAA, RIAA, and the rest of their ilk rarely ever let this stuff come to any kind of actual trial. Anytime it appears that the extorted is someone that has a legal foot to stand on, the *AA will do almost anything to avoid an actual trial and judge where some precedent could be set. Probably because that precedent would provide some kind of legal muzzle on the *AA activities.

How dare you think that silly, old piece of paper called the US Constitution should somehow be allowed to slow (or God forbid stop) any corporation from being able to extract every last penny from their victims (errr customers)???.

This is America, bitches! This is were you only *think* you can own something. Where you can "buy" a PS3 knowing you can load another OS (until they decide otherwise).

This is America, where you can "buy" a DVR at Best Buy for $199.00 only to have to return it to DirecTV after you cancel service or they will charge you another $250.00 for that thing you already "bought".

This is America, where odds are you can punch your local taxi driver right in the face and steal his wallet and get less of a penalty than if you, GOD Forbid, share that song that you already "bought" on vinyl, then "bought" on cassette, and maybe "bought" CD. Fuck those stupid hold-up victims, the real victims are the music and media companies and the fines imposed on those caught sharing prove that out.

And, finally, this is America, where you can be punished for pointing out that the security of the product you "bought" was designed by ass clowns. Of course if one of those corporations ever fucks up and breaks a law or two (Sony root kits anyone?), well, tough shit...that YOUR problem...That's what all you stupid-fucking-morons (oh, sorry we mean victims, er, no that not it...we mean "customers"). Yeah that's the funny word we corporations call you - customers. Anyhow, yeah, tough shit, customers, that is what you get by not being able to afford an army of lobbyists yourselves.

This is AMERICA bitches! The best fucking government (Democrat or Republican lead - it don't matter) that money can buy. Stupid Constitution wavers....

Oh for a mod point or two. Parent hits the nail on the head. Both parties know that they will be in charge at times and neither would ever want to give up this kind of power. Politics in America is all about power (and the monetary control that it brings). The current incarnation of both major parties in this country are nothing more than self-serving cancers that must continuously be fed by tax dollars and power to spend said dollars with their favorite corporate friends and lobbyists. Written by a recovering life-long democrat that feels there is no political party that can represent an honest fiscal conservative viewpoint while recognizing the need from some kind of social safety-net program for those TRUELY in need of a little, short-term help. Instead America is feed continuous distractions about the G's: Guns, God, Gyno/Abortion whilst both parties gorge at the governmental trough.

I disagree. And I, for one, welcome our ACs that don't know from funny.

Keep in mind that Dr. Wakefield has several vaccine patents that have potential for large financial returns if the current vaccines are discredited. One is a measles vaccine that is a direct competitor to the MMR. He files the patents in 1997 and begins to do that very thing - discredit the MMR in early 1998. Coincidence? Now everyone's children are at a slightly greater risk because of the decreased utilization of the MMR and the greatly increased incidents of measles outbreaks.

Guns might just be the appropriate response to the RIAA (et al). A $27,000 fine for something like this is beyond outrageous. It is a sad commentary on the state of this country when these types of fines are leveraged for this crime. I would venture that she could be found guilty of much more egregious acts (and probably violent ones at that) that would result in a much smaller punishment. I challenge anyone here to justify this fine.

I am thinking of my address and credit card number right now. Please send me qty 2

Some good points, but glosses over that there is evidence that warnings were ignored, safeguarding equipment *may* have been modified after being certified, and some response gear that was promised in documentation submitted to allow for the drilling in the first place was conveniently (from a financial standpoint) not found. Much investigation still to be done of course. I think the beef may be that BP isn't meeting some standards they agreed to. Not so much a higher standard, but just the agreed upon ones. And beyond all that, I don't think it is a higher standard to expect a company to have expertise in the very thing that is their core business. We are not asking them to act as brain surgeons or oil painting artists. We expect them to have a high level of expertise in the area of oil drilling, and the safety, and disaster preparedness around that activity. Promises were made, but have yet to materialize. And finally they have not been doing everything possible to fix the problem. They have tried almost everything to avoid the top kill solution because, if successful, the top kill will cutoff access to the well and the precious oil within it. They will have to re-drill after the top kill.