Bucking for trouble

Sometimes the bleeding-heart liberal in me can't help itself. Today's New York Times has an article entitled "U.S. Expands Investigation Into Piracy of Software" (you'll need a free NYT account to view the full text of the article). It seems that the gov't is busy raiding universities as part of "Operation Buccaneer." Maybe they should call it "Operation Butt-in-ear" because they really have their head up their proverbial ass on this one.



Now, even though it is probably political revenge, I understand the gov't going after Arkansas-based Tyson foods (a heavy Clinton contributor) for alleged employment of illegal aliens. And I understand that software piracy is a horrible crime for which everyone but Richard Stallman should be manacled (RMS has diplomatic immunity after all, being an ambassador from another planet). But sometimes the cure is worse than the disease.



They're threatening kiddies with jail time and that just doesn't seem American. Seems to me, if you are going to get slammed in the slammer, you might as well commit a real crime and that is just what these pirates are going to do. They're going to be more careful about the silly crap and do some real damage to potentially important web sites, both governmental and corporate.



Now, I have a three-year-old, so I know of what I speak. If my three-year-old won't share his toys and insists on fighting, I do what any sane parent does. I take his toy away and fight with him myself. Of course it doesn't work, and in fact, it exacerbates the problem. And that's exactly what is going to happen here. Take away their toys, and pirates are going to find something more annoying to do with their time. Consider yourself warned.



### Get your Daily Bruce! ###

Unintended consequences, anyone?