"I was really surprised by the lack of cynicism surrounding the SOPA blackout."
I wasn't.
For SOPA and PIPA, everyone found a very convenient, visible, and self-affirming scapegoat in "Hollywood." This was a vast oversimplification of the issue; it caused everyone to lock in on a very prominent tree, while ignoring the forest. Entertainment firms were a big part of the SOPA/PIPA lobby, but they weren't the only backers behind the effort, and they weren't even the biggest. But everyone needed the story to have a villain, and at least in the case of the MPAA, the shoe fit.
Of course, the creation of a villain also left an opening for a hero. Companies like Google quickly realized as much and seized the opportunity. Nevermind that some of these same heroes were busy lobbying for CISPA, and/or other yet-to-be-revealed agendas.
The lesson we should be learning from these fiascos is that corporations push agendas through Washington. Nobody's "evil," and nobody's "good." The world isn't that black and white. Instead, we have interested parties relentlessly pursuing their interests. At times, those interests happen to fall in line with our own. At other times, they fall in diametric opposition.
I submit that the real bogeyman is the influence of lobbying on our lawmaking process, and not X issue, or Y issue, or even Z company. Forest. Trees.
I wasn't.
For SOPA and PIPA, everyone found a very convenient, visible, and self-affirming scapegoat in "Hollywood." This was a vast oversimplification of the issue; it caused everyone to lock in on a very prominent tree, while ignoring the forest. Entertainment firms were a big part of the SOPA/PIPA lobby, but they weren't the only backers behind the effort, and they weren't even the biggest. But everyone needed the story to have a villain, and at least in the case of the MPAA, the shoe fit.
Of course, the creation of a villain also left an opening for a hero. Companies like Google quickly realized as much and seized the opportunity. Nevermind that some of these same heroes were busy lobbying for CISPA, and/or other yet-to-be-revealed agendas.
The lesson we should be learning from these fiascos is that corporations push agendas through Washington. Nobody's "evil," and nobody's "good." The world isn't that black and white. Instead, we have interested parties relentlessly pursuing their interests. At times, those interests happen to fall in line with our own. At other times, they fall in diametric opposition.
I submit that the real bogeyman is the influence of lobbying on our lawmaking process, and not X issue, or Y issue, or even Z company. Forest. Trees.