Twitter is in the spotlight because of its new and controversial per-country blocking system--the power for governments to censor and withhold public tweets that violate local laws. Although the specifics are a bit murky, according to Foreign Policy magazine, here are 5 things that you can't/shouldn't do on Twitter in the United States, for they can lead to some serious legal trouble: Cyberbullying, pranking police, coordinating unlawful behavior, threatening violence and not removing tweets by request. Check out the full implications of each here and stay out of Twitter trouble!
Wikipedia and founder Jimmy Wales will be protesting the U.S. Stop Internet Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA) today. The English version of the online user-based encyclopedia will not be greeting visitors with the usual search bar and information. Instead, those that log on can expect to read the company's stance on the bills and information on how to take action against them. Online news link service, Reddit will also join Wikipedia in the 24-hour blackout. Fight the power!
Just last month, communications giant, Verizon, signed a $3.6 billion dollar deal with "competitors" Comcast, Time Warner, and Bright House Networks. Experts argue that the alliance unofficially spells out the end of the United States' Telecom Act of 1996--a congressional bill that promised consumers fair and competitive tele-communications services. And now a second part of that multi-billion dollar deal is speculated to draw out how each company will actually stay out of one another's way and possibly sell each other's services to overlapping customers--in other words, a cleverly disguised monopoly, as the New York Times reports:
Instead of reaping the benefits brought by competition -- downward pressure on prices, improved infrastructure investment, faster download speeds -- consumers can expect to face monopoly market conditions where cable and telco companies sit back and collect increasingly high monthly rates because subscribers have nowhere else to turn.
In an attempt to reclaim "lost" youth and restore "moral values," authorities in Indonesia are corralling dozens of punk teens and forcing them to give up their rebellious ways. The effort includes shaving the heads of many of the detainees, ridding them of their punk attire, and forcing them into a strict regimen of religion and military drills. Despite the clamp down, The Guardian reports, many of the teens are still rebelling and sticking to their punk ethics.
According to the National Inflation Association (and some very disturbing numbers), America's higher learning institutions are the biggest scam in U.S. history. A very bold claim to make, we know, but just check out their documentary, which breaks down everything from the current state of inflation to the hyper-inflated student loan bubble, and you might wind up agreeing. Frightening stuff.
California-born musician, DJ Shadow, has some strong opinions about Arizona's anti-immigration law. The renown producer teamed up with filmmaker Dean Fernando to produce this b-movie styled video from his latest album The Less You Know, The Better. We dig this. Fight the power!
Here's an interesting visual about the social dichotomy between Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange, and Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg. The Occupy Movement asks why one is considered a "hero" and the other a "villian." The answer? Well, you decide...
In a recent interview with Piers Morgan, renown actor, Morgan Freeman, opened up about racism in America and his take on the Tea Party agenda. While on the record, Mr. Freeman went on to explain the underlying context behind the radical Republicans and how much opposition President Obama has received while serving an already difficult term. It's refreshing to hear such painfully honest dialogue such unsure political times. Bravo Mr. Freeman!
Maybe we're a little biased about this one, but being the conscious rebels that we are over here at República, we couldn't help but to post what'll probably go down as the most unheard revolutionary Hip-Hop album of 2011--The Martyr by Immortal Technique. Politics, forgotten history, mental colonization, corporate greed, social upheaval, and even a guest appearance from Cornell West--it's all there and available for free download from the artist himself:
1. Burn This
2. The Martyr produced by Southpaw
3. Angels & Demons (feat. dead prez & Bazaar Royale) produced by Dj GreenLantern
4. Rich Man's World (1%) produced by Shuko
5. Toast to the Dead produced by J.Dilla (with Cuts by Dj GreenLantern)
6. Eyes in the Sky (feat. Mojo of Dujeous) produced by Southpaw
7. Goonies (feat. Diabolic, Swave Sevah & Gomez) produced by Southpaw
8. Natural Beauty (feat. Mela Machinko) produced by Slimfass
9. Running Nowhere - interlude produced by Southpaw
10. Civil War (feat. Killer Mike, Brother Ali & Chuck D) produced by Southpaw
11. Mark of The Beast (feat. Akir & Beast 1333) with cuts by DJDPONE produced by The Molemen
12. Black Vikings (feat. StylesP, Vinnie Paz & Poison Pen) produced by Southpaw
13. Conquerors (with Dr. John Henrik Clarke) produced by Engineer
14. Young Lords (feat. Joell Ortiz, Pumpkinhead, CF & Panama Alba) produced by Southpaw
15. Ultimas Palabras produced by Immortal Technique & Southpaw
16. Sign of the Times (feat. Cetan Wanbli, Lockjaw Nakai & Cornel West) Produced by Southpaw
A recent New York Times article highlights a very fascinating and intriguing movement that's sweeping the globe--unrest. Yes, we've seen it everywhere this year, from the Twitter-induced revolution in Libya, to the riots in London, to the more recent Occupy Wall Street protests in New York City. According to the article, more young people than ever before are outraged with politics and government corruption, and letting it be known! A big factor, the article also explains, has a lot to do with the leaderless Web culture that is so prominent among many of these young rebels. The resources available via the Internet have created almost perfect storm conditions for worldwide upheaval.
The critical mass of wiki and mapping tools, video and social networking sites, the communal news wire of Twitter and the ease of donations afforded by sites like PayPal makes coalitions of like-minded individuals instantly viable.
Thus, the world is waiting and watching to see what is going to happen with this precarious mixture of anti-government sentiment and new methods of mobility. Results are going to vary, but certainly affect how we all rethink our conceptions of government, work, and society from here on out. Check out the entire article here.
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