4 ms·

I don’t disagree, but having pressed some of them on those exact issues (not all at that luncheon), it really is similar to talking to district attorneys who of

I don’t disagree, but having pressed some of them on those exact issues (not all at that luncheon), it really is similar to talking to district attorneys who often prosecute low-level drug crimes (which I personally find even more egregious). These are people who really are convinced they are doing the right thing. As I said, this doesn’t change my opinion, but it does make having a conversation more productive.

Qub3d 5y ago
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” - Upton Sinclair Maybe a bit of a truism, but it is a popular quote for a reason
kf6nux 5y ago
The people in the USA practicing eugenics thought they were doing the right thing. The people in the USA creating concentration camps for the Japanese (a.k.a. internment camps) thought they were doing the right thing. Belief in yourself and your cause is irrelevant. Most people have that regardless of what they do.
akudha 5y ago
I can sympathize with someone who isn’t educated or living in a rural area (cut off from the world) or raised in a cult etc. I really can’t believe the lawyers who went to Ivy League colleges are that naive. They’re much smarter than an average guy like me. Doesn’t mean they are evil, just that they’re paid enough to set aside any moral concerns they have.
- kmeisthax 5y ago
  The legal profession self-selects for people who think this way, for a number of various reasons. 1. If you disagree with the base assumptions of copyright, you are going to misunderstand the law and fail your LSAT/bar exam/etc. You will be blinded by "it's just to keep big companies afloat" to notice the actual rules of things like fair use. 2. If you get a law license but disagree with the base assumptions of the law, you are going to be at a financial disadvantage by refusing to represent clients whose politics disagrees with yours.[0] 3. If you choose to represent copyright defendants, you can only do so to the extent that there is a legal argument that they can make. It is illegal for a lawyer to aid a client in the commission of a crime... and if your legal career is based around the idea that something shouldn't be a crime, then you will need to hold your tongue and pick your battles a lot. 4. If you somehow jump through those hoops and competently represent clients... you probably have sacrificed on your "abolish copyright" ideology a fair bit. [0] Remember that at this point you are probably deep in student debt - your legal career is predicated on you paying back your loans by charging your clients lots of money.
  - formerbanker453 5y ago
    I think you may be right. I used to work as a software developer for a banking startup, and a lot of emphasis was placed on things like KYC, AML and "compliance", whatever that is. Fundamentally, I hated all those things with passion (including how they force everyone to use a bank to transact - and here I am working for a bank), because I don't believe they any institution or government should be forcibly gatekeeping and spying upon anyone's transactions. It's really hard to work at a place that contradicts your own convictions. When I was fired, it was a relief.
- notriddle 5y ago
  Rich, well-connected anarchists don't become lawyers.

Qub3d 5y ago

“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” - Upton Sinclair Maybe a bit of a truism, but it is a popular quote for a reason

kf6nux 5y ago

The people in the USA practicing eugenics thought they were doing the right thing. The people in the USA creating concentration camps for the Japanese (a.k.a. internment camps) thought they were doing the right thing. Belief in yourself and your cause is irrelevant. Most people have that regardless of what they do.

akudha 5y ago

I can sympathize with someone who isn’t educated or living in a rural area (cut off from the world) or raised in a cult etc. I really can’t believe the lawyers who went to Ivy League colleges are that naive. They’re much smarter than an average guy like me. Doesn’t mean they are evil, just that they’re paid enough to set aside any moral concerns they have.

kmeisthax 5y ago
The legal profession self-selects for people who think this way, for a number of various reasons. 1. If you disagree with the base assumptions of copyright, you are going to misunderstand the law and fail your LSAT/bar exam/etc. You will be blinded by "it's just to keep big companies afloat" to notice the actual rules of things like fair use. 2. If you get a law license but disagree with the base assumptions of the law, you are going to be at a financial disadvantage by refusing to represent clients whose politics disagrees with yours.[0] 3. If you choose to represent copyright defendants, you can only do so to the extent that there is a legal argument that they can make. It is illegal for a lawyer to aid a client in the commission of a crime... and if your legal career is based around the idea that something shouldn't be a crime, then you will need to hold your tongue and pick your battles a lot. 4. If you somehow jump through those hoops and competently represent clients... you probably have sacrificed on your "abolish copyright" ideology a fair bit. [0] Remember that at this point you are probably deep in student debt - your legal career is predicated on you paying back your loans by charging your clients lots of money.
- formerbanker453 5y ago
  I think you may be right. I used to work as a software developer for a banking startup, and a lot of emphasis was placed on things like KYC, AML and "compliance", whatever that is. Fundamentally, I hated all those things with passion (including how they force everyone to use a bank to transact - and here I am working for a bank), because I don't believe they any institution or government should be forcibly gatekeeping and spying upon anyone's transactions. It's really hard to work at a place that contradicts your own convictions. When I was fired, it was a relief.
notriddle 5y ago
Rich, well-connected anarchists don't become lawyers.