Here at the Big Bad Blog, we are always interested in how we can trash other people’s stuff, and not have to deal with the consequences. America is teaching us some important lessons this week. For instance, on one hand closing your bank account can now get you arrested in New York. So speaking ill of banks is definitely off the menu of consequence-free actions.

On the other hand, apparently there are no standards in place when it comes to trashing other people’s property while it is in police custody!

So there you go! Destroying items that are in police custody is protected under the law. Unless that item is related to a bank, presumably.

Photo by ram photography.
Webcomic is a softer world, by Emily Horne and Joey Comeau.

In 2009, there was an earthquake in Italy. 300 people died. A tragedy, you will agree.

Now seven seismologists are on trial in Italy for not having predicted that the earthquake would occur.

Let me repeat that: Now seven seismologists are on trial in Italy for not having predicted that the earthquake would occur.

In other words, the Italian government now considers knowledge without omniscience to be illegal. Be warned: if you go to Italy, feign ignorance over anything and everything, lest you be accused of being responsible for unpredictable disasters.

Image by Will Bryant. Found at Wild Dirt.
Webcomic is Three Word Phrase, by Ryan Pequin.

Amongst all the chaos in Egypt, the Egyptian government took a step last week which seems to be common amongst repressive regimes when protesters become bold: they turned off the Internet and SMS networks, to make it difficult for people to organize themselves.

Vodafone’s CEO confirmed that they received such an order, and that — under Egyptian law — they were obliged to comply.

Almost immediately, concerned citizens – obviously not Egyptian citizens, who were cut off from the service – started expressing their displeasure. Not just with Egypt, but with Vodafone. They urged people to write to Vodafone and demand that Vodafone return access to people in Egypt.

Be careful what you wish for

Here at the Big Bad Blog, we have a huge problem with this.

We are of the opinion that the Egyptian government’s actions was an oppressive act, performed by an oppressive regime. We wish the protesters well, and applaud private citizens who are contributing to projects such as TOR which can be used to circumvent actions like those of the Egyptian government.

However, we think that Vodafone did the right thing, and needs to obey the Egyptian government so long as they are the relevant authority in Egypt.

Our reasoning is simple: we do not believe that private corporations should decide what laws or (legally issued) government orders they should follow. We believe that private corporations already hold too much influence regarding the machinations of politics — just take a look at your local laws regarding “pirated” music — and do not think that the revolution should be sponsored by Vodafone.

If it is OK for Vodafone to disobey Egypt’s legal instruction to shut off their service, then what prevents Facebook from ignoring privacy concerns in Canada, or BP from ignoring environmental protection legislation in the United States?

For the most part, these people who want Vodafone to turn around and tweak Mubarek’s nose are those same people who decry that corporations are being treated as people when it comes to political donations in the United States, or the influence of industry on intellectual property laws.

This is nothing more than having one’s cake and eating it too.

If you — like us — believe that corporations should be obedient to the law and not agencies that work for political change, then Vodafone did the right thing. Be disappointed and upset with Mubarek’s government.

For Vodafone, turning off access to the Internet was something they had to do — it is a condition that was required in order to provide Internet access in the first place.

Some days, I miss my cats, though it has been about five years since one cat died and the other one was given away in preparation for my emigration to the UK. It makes me sad just thinking about them. Were I to get a new cat, it would have to be one with a mustache. Like this one:

(The Path, by Michel Rajkovic)

Those legal firms who have taken it upon themselves to pre-emptively strike out against suspected copyright violators have suffered a setback in the UK. It seems that you cannot sue somebody who has not violated any copyright laws, particularly when you are not the copyright holder.

While on the subject of the law, there is somebody out there who spends far too much time pondering the legal ramifications of superheroes and super-villains. Sir, we salute you!