The American Conservative Union, an influential right-wing group, has announced its opposition to the Induce Act, and is running ads criticizing those Republicans who support the Act. This should not be surprising, for opposition to the Act is a natural position for true conservatives, who oppose government regulation of technology products and support a competitive marketplace for technology and entertainment.
One sometimes hears the claim that conservatives should support the Induce Act, because that’s what big business wants. But thoughtful conservatives support free markets, not giveaways to specific business sectors. And conservatives who understand the economy know that the Induce Act is supported by a few businesses, but opposed by many more, and that the opponents – the computer, electronics, Internet, and software industries – account for a larger and more dynamic portion of the economy than the supporters do.
The Induce Act is a nice litmus test for self-described conservative lawmakers. They can support the Act, and confirm the criticism that conservatism is just a fig-leaf for corporate welfare. Or they can oppose the Act and confirm their own claims to stand for competition and the free market.
The ACU sees this choice for what it is, and opposes the Induce Act. Let’s hope that more conservatives join them.
But most lawmakers, and even most opinion-formers (irrespective of ideological leaning), tend to be non-thoughtful, lazy thinkers. And on questions such as this the lazy-thinking conservative tends towards two lines of thought:
business interets == market interests
copyright == property
Both of which leads them to support laws like INDUCE.
So maybe a true supporter of the free-market should oppose INDUCE, but to take this line is going with the Bible against the Pope. Among the left, by contrast, the lazy-thinking majority as well as the thoughtful opinion-formers are more likely to take our side.
The Induce Act is a nice litmus test for self-described conservative lawmakers
And for self-described liberal lawmakers: if you love liberty, you’ll want people to be able to develop new technologies without fear of restriction by old established monopolies.
And for self-described socialist lawmakers: if you support the rights of the workling man, you’ll want him to do what he wants with his computer, and not be restricted what corporatinos want him to do.
The only people who should support the INDUCE act are freedom-hating fascists who think Hollywood should be allowed to stamp its jackboot in everyone’s face forever.
Induce opposition
Freedom to Tinker: “One sometimes hears the claim that conservatives should support the Induce Act, because that’s what big business wants. But thoughtful conservatives support free markets, not giveaways to specific business sectors. And conservatives…