Tuesday, July 5, 2022

IS IT TWO STRIKES OR THREE ?

 As In Youuuu're Out !!

I had thought it was Two however distinguished Globe and Mail Columnist Andrew Coyne believes it to be Three (3) and he might just be onto something.

The Two or Three strikes relates our Federal Government in its infinite wisdom(?) wanting to regulate the internet.  Two of the Three concern actually regulating content which I, as a Libertarian, find to be anathema. It should also concern each of you if you have even the slightest interest in seeing Societies maintain their Democratic Way of Life.

Their Third Legislative initiative concerns forcing Internet Biggees like Google and Facebook to pay news organizations for the links they have to them.  I initially thought that this one made sense ...and I still do ...Butttt..  Coyne has provided me with some grist to mull over before I absolutely make up my mind and isn't that what give and take discussion is all about.

In His own words here is some of what Coyne had to say recently:

The premise that the problems of the newspaper industry can be traced to search and social-media platforms 'stealing' their content is utterly false.  Platforms like Google do not 'take' our sites...They link to them.  When a Google User links to one of our sites they are taken to to our sites. Indeed much of the traffic on our sites come from social media like Facebook. 

So the notion that these Biggees should be made to pay us for the valuable service they provide to us for free has things exactly backward. If anything, we should be paying them !!

And this Dear Reader from a prominent member of the Globe and Mail Newspaper Chain.  

If Andrew Coyne has it wrong you can bet your bottom dollar that he would soon find himself to be a 'former' Globe Editorialist.

Thank you Mr. Coyne ...you have given me something concrete to think about and maybe...just maybe it is indeed Strike Three for the Trudeau Liberals. In fact they seem to be striking out all over the place.

As I See It...

'K. D. Galagher'