Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Posted by SalsaKat at 5:00 PM.
Three thoughts today:
First: Microsoft sues Google.
Apparently this executive signed a non-compete agreement with Microsoft for one year after his employment. (Source) Well, he left MS and went straight to Google for their new Chinese language search in almost the same position. A copy of the lawsuit is here. As a Computer Science major, I should be required to loathe MS, and I do, but in this case it seems that tha 'Soft is right. He broke the terms of his non-compete contract. Don't get used to this though. I won't always be on the same side as Billy and Ballmer.
Second: Bush nominates John G. Roberts to the Supreme Court.
Never underestimate the judiciary. The judicial branch has the power to shape law and legal trends and in many cases has the final say in these matters. Roberts' record is very conservative. No surprise here, we all expected that from a Bush nominee. And it makes sense for Bush to advance the agenda he sees as right for the nation. But Roberts will almost certainly be approved by a Bush-bootlicking GOP controlled Congress.
Ay, there's the rub. Because with conservatives controlling pretty much every area of government there's fewer limits to how far the party can go. And if approved, this nomination means Bush's legacy will live as long as Roberts does. In the good old days, when different parties generally controlled the executive and the legislature, they'd check each other out until they met at a sensible middle. I don't know if the problem is in the governmental method for choosing the judiciary or in the two-party system that seems to be listing to the right, but there's just too much power involved here and checks and balances should be working better than this. (Side note: I, myself, am something of an old-school conservative regarding government and economy, and kind of a liberal regarding social issues. I don't dislike the Republican party per se but I definitely dislike the Bush administration. Matter of fact, maybe I'll make that tomorrow's rant.)
Third: "RealID" to make drivers' licenses into universal federal identifications.
This is not a bad idea. It's really not. I've been saying for years that driver's licenses should be a proof of citizenship. I mean, it was always a pain to have to find my Social Security card or passport whenever I needed to show my citizenship. But the program is not fully funded by the federal government. A number of governors have gathered to oppose the movement, stating that it would cost the states as much or more money than they are funded. Also, they cite the problems required in training existing DMV personnel to handle Immigration duties. Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania said, "Trying to make this work, there will be hell to pay." (Source)
The other problem here is that only citizens would be allowed to drive. What about legal aliens working in the US? What about illegal aliens who are still contributing members of society and their local economy? The solution, to me, is to allow anyone to obtain a license but to mark the citizenship status of the bearer. However, I don't see this coming to pass. In general, I have no "Big Brother" qualms regarding this ID but for the federal government to hand down this edict from the mount and provide no way of making it work is bull. Besides, it's estimated that putting this into play would triple or quadruple the cost of driver's licenses. THAT is something I can definitely oppose!
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First: Microsoft sues Google.
Apparently this executive signed a non-compete agreement with Microsoft for one year after his employment. (Source) Well, he left MS and went straight to Google for their new Chinese language search in almost the same position. A copy of the lawsuit is here. As a Computer Science major, I should be required to loathe MS, and I do, but in this case it seems that tha 'Soft is right. He broke the terms of his non-compete contract. Don't get used to this though. I won't always be on the same side as Billy and Ballmer.
Second: Bush nominates John G. Roberts to the Supreme Court.
Never underestimate the judiciary. The judicial branch has the power to shape law and legal trends and in many cases has the final say in these matters. Roberts' record is very conservative. No surprise here, we all expected that from a Bush nominee. And it makes sense for Bush to advance the agenda he sees as right for the nation. But Roberts will almost certainly be approved by a Bush-bootlicking GOP controlled Congress.
Ay, there's the rub. Because with conservatives controlling pretty much every area of government there's fewer limits to how far the party can go. And if approved, this nomination means Bush's legacy will live as long as Roberts does. In the good old days, when different parties generally controlled the executive and the legislature, they'd check each other out until they met at a sensible middle. I don't know if the problem is in the governmental method for choosing the judiciary or in the two-party system that seems to be listing to the right, but there's just too much power involved here and checks and balances should be working better than this. (Side note: I, myself, am something of an old-school conservative regarding government and economy, and kind of a liberal regarding social issues. I don't dislike the Republican party per se but I definitely dislike the Bush administration. Matter of fact, maybe I'll make that tomorrow's rant.)
Third: "RealID" to make drivers' licenses into universal federal identifications.
This is not a bad idea. It's really not. I've been saying for years that driver's licenses should be a proof of citizenship. I mean, it was always a pain to have to find my Social Security card or passport whenever I needed to show my citizenship. But the program is not fully funded by the federal government. A number of governors have gathered to oppose the movement, stating that it would cost the states as much or more money than they are funded. Also, they cite the problems required in training existing DMV personnel to handle Immigration duties. Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania said, "Trying to make this work, there will be hell to pay." (Source)
The other problem here is that only citizens would be allowed to drive. What about legal aliens working in the US? What about illegal aliens who are still contributing members of society and their local economy? The solution, to me, is to allow anyone to obtain a license but to mark the citizenship status of the bearer. However, I don't see this coming to pass. In general, I have no "Big Brother" qualms regarding this ID but for the federal government to hand down this edict from the mount and provide no way of making it work is bull. Besides, it's estimated that putting this into play would triple or quadruple the cost of driver's licenses. THAT is something I can definitely oppose!
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