ETS! encourages comments, feedback, tips, corrections, and info! Please keep them as concise as possible so we can print as many different voices as possible: ETS!, PO Box 85541, Seattle WA 98145, or e-mail ets@scn.org. [Ed. note: We decided to skip Focus on the Corporation this issue so as to shovel out a few of our backlogged letters. It'll be back next issue.]

The International Section

Here in Bolivia the BSA (Business Software Alliance, website www.bsa.org), has launched a major crackdown on pirated software. Using its connections with the American Embassy, and no doubt promising lots of kick-backs to select officials, it has gained powers to invade offices all over the country, without notice, and rifle through their computers looking for *any* pirated software. According to their notice, *everything* must have a license and a "factura" (an official receipt that indicates taxes were paid). Companies have been "graced with" until May 4 to get their papers in order (which, or so the company says, they are required to send to BSA!). Rumor has it that the BSA has run into temporary legal snags in their march, but these will probably be resolved soon.

Meanwhile, BSA is running intimidating ads in the newspaper and on TV: One spot shows a proud father approaching his baby. The camera, placed inside the crib, from the baby's perspective, watches him tell the kid that with all the money he saved buying illegal software he was able to buy this stuffed doll -- shakes stuffed pirate doll (get it, heh heh) in front of camera. The spot ends with him clutching the crib's bars while an ominous voice over informs us that "la pirateria" could get you fined and thrown in jail.

No chance that we here at Tunari.com will be fined or jailed: We are busy converting our machines to Linux, (web site for this project, www.linuxcbba.com) and might even make money from this working with our technician friends to install Corel Linux in the computers of many businesses.

I have been investigating more and writing about this for the Bolivian magazine Foro (www.ForoProhibido.com) and for the local paper (www.LosTiempos.com). But I would like to see this get wider coverage. Bolivia has been just about crushed under a heavy recession, caused by natural disasters, government pilferage and the destruction of coca crops. The only growing sector of the economy, the tech industry, owes its life to cheap copied software and gray-market computer parts.

Also, I think it's worth considering the impression these types of actions give third-worlders about Global Capitalism. To them, it's strong-armed foreign-led thugs chopping down crops that their family has been growing for centuries, and bursting into their offices to protect the copyrights of gringos: hardly laissez faire. Hardly capitalistic if that is supposed to mean free enterprise, which certainly must include the freedom to use your CD burner and your blank CDs to do whatever the hell you want.

Anyway, we'll be working down here for the pro-Linux resistance and I will be glad to write about this. We are also looking for help. Converting a whole city/country to Linux in one month is a daunting task, but the alternatives are smash the BSA (unlikely) or pay huge license fees (even higher than in the US).

Best,

--Matt Asher, Bolivia

ETS!,

I just want you to know that your crusade is not in vain and that Europe, particularly Britain, supports your battle for equality and recognizes your war with the corporate pigs. If I may I would also like to bring to your attention a story that has been extremely under-publicized and virtually ignored by the racist, conservative British press, that of Satpal Ram, an Asian man imprisoned 13 years ago for murder after defending himself after a racist attack in a restaurant in Birmingham, England. Mr. Ram has been treated brutally at the hands of the English authorities. He has been moved from prison to prison 59 times and endured numerous spells in solitary confinement.

The battle for his release has been intentionally ignored by the press and has not been brought to the attention of the public. The case has been backed by British rock band Primal Scream and drum and bass group Asian Dub Foundation. The home Secretary has repeatedly ignored petitions for Satpal's release and continues to politically dodge protesters with his fascist tactics and expensive suit attitude.

I hope this has not been useless to you because we must all stand up for what we believe in and keep raging against the machine.

Remember, you're born with insight and a raised fist.

--Gary Craig, Glasgow, Scotland

Real Life In the Military

Geov,

I would like to share the story of me and my friend both in the Air Force and both stationed at Ramstein Airbase Germany. I will call my friend Billy.

>From November 2000 until April 2001, airman first class Billy was under investigation by OSI (Office of Special Investigation) for the use of ecstasy. He was drug-tested at least six times, harassed, followed, and constantly monitored by the OSI agents. After meeting him in November, I was skeptical as to whether his story was legitimate, but gave him a chance and just listened to him and followed the investigation on my own. I soon believed he was innocent. He was told by his commander to just take the Article 15, dishonorable discharge and six months' confinement. He refused to do so. He requested a court martial and they proceeded with the hearing. I was basically told "under the table" that I would testify against airman Billy, saying he was a bad worker, probably did drugs, etc., etc. When I testified I did not do as told, I was honest and told them I thought he was a good worker and I had no reason to think he ever used drugs while in the service.

That was last week. Now today I receive news that I am being served an article 15 for failure to follow a direct order, for not using technical data to perform an inspection on a plane. I have no idea where this information came from; I have never been accused or found to have not been using technical data, and others that have before rarely get paperwork.

I was wondering if there was any way to get the story out or get some support.

--Chris, in Germany

More Life in the Military

Dear Geov,

It's about 9:02 am Saturday, and you just finished up your weekly chat with Mike Mc.

I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy the work you're doing. I'm sure you are right, and it certainly couldn't be because most of the things that piss me off also piss you off as well.

Like the Scott Waddle deal, for example. For your info, the front page article of today's Bremerton Sun features the attorney who defended Waddle. He also defended "Father Bob," a Navy chaplain just court-martialed this last week in Bremerton.

What did the "Father" do? Molested a couple young sailors. I guess the thankful thing is that no one was killed, no international incidents created, or millions of dollars of damage done.

The punishment for the "man of the cloth"?

Sit down for this one, Geov....

The "Father" will have his pay cut for the next two years. Yup, they're doing to dock this clown $2,000/month for 24 months. And don't forget the Letter of Censure as well. That's some serious shit, you know, just like the FBI criminals of Ruby Ridge and Waco fame.

Here's the kicker. Got any idea what this asshole gets paid by the Navy?

Over $6,900 per month!

I had no idea priests made that kind of money in the military. I guess he'll somehow have to squeak by on around 5K/month. Food stamps, soup kitchens, coupon clipping, that sort of thing.

Thanks again, and keep up the good work, Geov. There has to be a special karmic outcome for people like you.

--Trent Blackburn, Port Orchard WA

The Military Mind Cont'd

Colin Powell: "Peace impossible unless violence stops."

I don't know what insults me more:

1) That our Secretary of State is so "insightful." 2) That our Secretary of State is so hypocritical. 3) That CNN would print such a garbage quote outside the humor section.

At least I have Eat the State! to look forward to!

--Will Anderson, Seattle

But He's A Liberal!

Mayor Paul Schell spends $35,000 on a magnificent tree, a wonderful living thing, that will be appreciated, admired, and enjoyed by thousands of visitors and residents alike, for many years, and the immediate public reaction is a berserk outrage--so much so that Mayor Schell will now seek private donations to repay the city treasury.

On the other hand, King County Executive Ron Sims flushes $38,000,000 down the drain, on a cold, dead, and totally abandoned high-tech computerized payroll system that didn't work, which benefited no one in any way whatsoever--and the people adore Mr. Sims, with all the polls predicting that he will win re-election by a huge margin. [Actually, the Republicans aren't even fielding a viable candidate against him!--ed.]

Civilized equity requires that the outrage against Mayor Schell for a $35,000 tree be now directed against Mr. Sims one-thousandfold, and that Mr. Sims begin passing the hat for private donations to repay King County the $38,000,000 he wasted, with nothing to show--not even a tree.

Yours truly,

--Virgil Howard, Seattle

Paid Free Speech

The University of Washington paper The Daily has apparently refused to publish a paid advertisement questioning the case for reparations. It is hard to see what principle would be involved, since according to the Anti-Defamation League, the paper has published a paid advertisement questioning the Holocaust.

David Horowitz simply makes a series of important and obvious points. Yet the brownshirts for Political Correctness wish to banish any form of speech that they disagree with. Why else would they refuse to run a paid advertisement making a coherent political point? This is journalism?

Mr. Horowitz has apparently committed a grievous sin by noting that African Americans have a standard of living 20 to 50 times greater than any group in Africa, and have the highest standard of living of any black group in the world. The end of the slave trade was purchased primarily with the blood of Northern soldiers in the Civil War and the military might of the US and Britain worldwide. If someone wants to talk about who owes whom, Mr. Horowitz asks, what do African Americans owe the rest of our society?

The term bigotry is tossed around a great deal these days. The strong political partiality of The Daily and its intolerance of different voices is a classic example of bigotry.

That is perhaps expected of The Daily, but where is ETS! on this matter?

--John Hall, Kirkland

G.P. replies: I can't speak for other people in the ETS! collective, but if Mr. Horowitz wanted, as part of his cheap (and very effective) publicity stunt, to invest some money in ETS!, I'd gladly take it. Few will be swayed by his arguments (for example, the classically colonialist, and idiotic, notion that after 400 years of mass murder, African Americans should somehow be grateful that US whites traded in real chains for economic ones). More will be swayed by the extra issues we can print with his money. Or maybe we'd give it away as, you know, reparations; that would serve David right. Meanwhile, our readers can make up their own minds.

As far as I'm concerned, the whole issue is a red herring, for the simple reason that slavery reparations are never, ever, ever going to be paid in this country under its current corporate regime. If we're going to tilt at windmills, I'd rather see African-Americans demanding reparations for--as a random example--locking up a massive percentage of their young males in the American gulag today. The problem with focusing on slavery, heinous as it was, is that it allows people to assume that racism--and, in the context of reparations, economic damage from racism--is 140 years safely in the past. It's not.