+ On January 15th Cory Doctorow posted some thoughts on how he thought that Canada should respond if the US proceeds to levy tariffs on our exports. + He sees this as an opportunity. +
++ Most countries, Canada included, have kwotowed to the US in implementing its restrictive laws around IP, specifically DRM. + Which have made it illegal almost the world over to modify computerized systems. + We did this to keep trade open because on the global stage the US is the largest buyer of most things. +
++ However with the threat of tariffs being implemented anyway why should we keep those laws on our books? + Trade will be hit anyway so there is no longer a point in aquiescing to the US pressures. + We can open up new industries making the tools to allow people to take back ownership of their devices. + To freely repair, transact, and modify without having to pay a tax. + We could have true ownership again where we actually get the final say on how anything we have bought behaves. + This would benefit each of us individually with more control over our devices. + It would benefit farmers who could repair their tractors, businesses who could sell useful application without app store taxes. +
++ I am a Canadian, and I am a software developper who seems to be more sensitive than most to stuff like this. + Not having control over my stuff bothers me and so I self host everything I can. + I do have a few devices that I don't really trust. + An Ipad that I won at a work raffle, my Android phone. + Then some other stuff around the house like our Roku box. + When I installed a pihole on our network and routed all the traffic through it, the largest number of blocked network requests came from that box even when it was not in use. +
++ I have been considering buying a new phone, not because I need it. + My Samsung A20 is working fine 5 years in, but in order to get a phone that is supported an alternative operating system like Calyx or Graphene OS. + That battles with my desire to not waste a perfectly good device and buy things that I don't need. +
++ I would love it if Canadian politicians took this to heart and repealed the DRM laws. + I would jump at the opportunity to legally work on these problems and help my community, and hopefully many others take ownership over their devices again. + I love this idea and hope that our politicians consider something like this as it offers another option not dependent on the US going forward. +
diff --git a/posts/LetAmericaGo.html b/posts/LetAmericaGo.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c63e58c --- /dev/null +++ b/posts/LetAmericaGo.html @@ -0,0 +1,44 @@ +id: lag +title: Let America Go +previous: ct +date: 2025-01-22 +--- ++ With Trump now solidly re-installed as the president of America, what so many of us have feared has come to pass. + In his first days he took the country back years by rolling back all sorts of human rights, regulations, and protections. + He has not hit Canada with tariffs yet, though has still expressed that he plans to. +
++ America has been central to the lives of so many people in so many countries. + Even if you can avoid thinking about the country itself for a day, so much of what we do has to pass through their economy. + Silicon valley owns most large methods of communication, investments all pass through wall street, payments through Visa and Mastercard. + The US is the largest buyer of so much of what other countries export. +
++ So we have no choice but to pay attention, and have a lot of our lives and economies dictated by what is going on in the US. + I think that is a failing on all of our parts for allowing it to get to this point. + Now we rely on an unstable and unpredictable country for international stability. + Well I guess that we can predict that things will probably go against any sort of human rights, climate action, worker protections, human rights. + So it will likely only get worse. +
++ Whether tariffs are enforced or not the rest of the world needs to let America go as the center of every transaction, policy, or infrastructure. + Build stronger ties between the rest of us. + Infrastructure and businesses that don't rely on the US. +
++ They are not going to make anything better. + More CO2 will get put into the atmosphere, the tech companies will make their experiences worse, I suspect the beautiful natural world in the US is done for. + So we all need to be the bigger people in the room. + Do better to try and offset the horrible effect that it will have on our planet and our economies. + Help each other and the natural world to be as stable as possible through this time. +
++ Open our doors and arms to the wonderful people of the US that are persecuted, or just don't agree with the government and want to leave. + Ignore their government's raging and complaining if trade slows or their businesses suffer because we don't use them. + In some ways this seems like a tantrum, and sometimes we just need to let it play out and do our best to take care of ourselves and eachother. +
++ I don't have suggestions for exactly what to do, but for the last few days (the first of this new presidency) this is what has been on my mind. +
diff --git a/posts/MidnightMusings2024-09-26.html b/posts/MidnightMusings2024-09-26.html index 62582e1..d707e70 100644 --- a/posts/MidnightMusings2024-09-26.html +++ b/posts/MidnightMusings2024-09-26.html @@ -1,6 +1,7 @@ id: mm title: Midnight Musings previous: fsdi +next: ct date: 2024-10-01 ---