[opendtv] Re: Channel approval process
- From: "John Willkie" <johnwillkie@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 15 Jun 2004 20:44:00 -0700
In your definition, you gloss over the term "ruling". The U.S. may be in
more than half the countries of the world, in every case but one pursuant to
carefully negotiated treaties or other international agreements.
It rules -- as of this moment -- in two: the U.S. and Iraq -- well, I guess
you could add in some of the Pacific Trust territories administered by the
U.S., but which qualify as nations per the U.N. In around two weeks, we'll
be down to one. What other western nations can say that?
Could you provide a list of those colonies or extensive dependencies?
Thanks for PROVING my point. The U.S. is not an imperial nation, unless you
beat the term imperialism all out of shape, followed by a long drinking
spell, then squint.
Of course the U.S. spends more on armaments. When the world picks up the
telephone and calls up 911 (Somalia, Angola, Mozambique, South Africa,
Nicaragua, Bosnia, Croatia, Iraq, Kuwait, Europe 1941 - 1990, Korea, etc.)
they'd hang up if the phone was answered in French.
Funny that you provide examples of overturning governments and you mention
the Shah and Pinochet. The U.S. has done this several times, but I've yet
to see proof (even using Kermit Roosevelt's memoirs and U.S. congressional
inquiries) that those two cases bear U.S. fingerprints.
What's funny is how I can confirm facts on the net. Yes, and I can also
"confirm" conspiracy theories. I've learned on the net that my eyesight is
incorrect, because I have seen photographs of the plane a few seconds before
it hit the Pentagon. Yet, since "we are told" that there was no parts of a
plane found in the wreckage, it couldn't have been a plane: it was an RPG,
or so I am told "authoritatively."
So, Russia had two imperial phases? I don't see how there is disagreement
between us on that. Both were divinely inspired, too!
John (you merely tried to drift into politics) Willkie
-----Original Message-----
From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of JCW0
Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2004 5:46 PM
To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [opendtv] Re: Channel approval process
Dictionary.com: "Ruling over extensive territories or over colonies or
dependencies: imperial nations."
In this traditional sense you could argue that the U.S. is not well
described by the above. However, U.S. troops are stationed in more than one
hundred countries. The U.S. spends more on arms than the next five top
spenders combined. The U.S. has been famously involved in toppling
uncooperative governments in many countries and setting up friendly
dictatorships. (Pinochet, The Shah of Iran, most of Central America, ...)
The above facts are easy to confirm on the Net. The point of Imperialism is
to influence the conduct of affairs and to benefit from that influence. The
U.S. does that.
Remember, Imperial also means "Regal; majestic", so who says that is
necessarily a bad thing?
Note: Imperial Russia pre-dated the Soviet Union.
Apologies to all for drifting in politics - I will shut up now.
JW
John Wrigglesworth
-----Original Message-----
From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On
Behalf Of John Willkie
Sent: June 15, 2004 6:28 PM
To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [opendtv] Re: Channel approval process
Are you confusing the cart with the horse?
Let me change your first sentence to reflect what happens off shore.
So many people around the world are enamoured of what passes for culture and
intrinsic American values that they adopt them for themselves.
If the United States is an Imperial nation (something that I have heard for
more than 30 years) why do we not control Japan, the Western European
mainland, the Philippines, South Korea, Grenada, the Dominican Republic,
Panama, Northern Mexico, Northwest Africa ...
These are all lands that were captured or controlled by American forces at
some point or another over the previous century. Should I go farther back?
As for your view on the acceptance in Iraq for the current state, I take
that your position requires more faith in your position than I can grant it.
Just let me know of any proof that you have that the U.S. is an imperial
nation, let alone is successful at it. Come to think of it (I don't
challenge that the SovUn was imperialistic. But were they successful at it?
Seems to me their colonies cost more than they provided to the mother
country.)
John (who actually knows the definition of an imperial nation) Willkie
-----Original Message-----
From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of JCW0
Sent: Monday, June 14, 2004 8:39 AM
To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [opendtv] Re: Channel approval process
Americans are so enamoured of their culture and values that they think
everyone should want to adopt them.
This is true of all successful imperial nations that I know about, (Think
Rome, England, Russia), and probably tells us more about human nature than
it does about the individual nations.
This does, however, go a long way to explaining how the idea that Iraq would
welcome a pro-US government was accepted in the US when it seemed so absurd
to many in the rest of the world.
John Wrigglesworth
-----Original Message-----
From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On
Behalf Of John Willkie
Sent: June 12, 2004 12:57 PM
To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [opendtv] Re: Channel approval process
How do you know that HBO doesn't own those rights?
I can watch the Sopranos and any other programs on HBO/US simultaneously on
CableMas in Tijuana (English with Spanish subtitles). I suspect that HBO
has, without any real exertion, worldwide rights for their own product, and
that of Warner Brothers/Morgan Creek, etc.
There is little point in acquiring Canadian rights, is there not, if the
channel is "not authorized for distribution in Canada" (which would be an
unconstitutional matter were it to happen in the U.S.).
Do you know from whom the "authorized (and sub-par) Canadian distributors
buy Canadian rights? I suspect in more than a few cases, they get those
rights from HBO or Showtime. Both also have (fewer now in the past) output
deals where they get first grab at some or all of the content put out by
particular studios.
Here's a quirk that you may not be familiar with: Universal and Paramount
compete fiercely in the U.S. Outside of the U.S., they have a combined
distribution operation that would be illegal in the U.S. Not production:
distribution. I think that WB has a similar operation, or is a partner in
the U-P system.
Canada CANNOT control these rights. The movies are not produced by Canadian
companies. They have a choice: acquire the rights on the open market, or
don't show them.
The point here is that -- by government action -- Canadians are denied
access to content that Americans consider their birthright. And, the
average Canadian pirates the content anyway, using hacked DirecTV cards.
Canadians appear to be happy with this disconnection of the government from
their desires. Kinda like the renewed movement to permit private healthcare
for those who Canadians who think that waiting three years for elective
surgery is something that a homeless uninsured person in the U.S. does not
need to endure, if they want to apply some elbow grease to "the system."
The point is victimhood. Were U.S. citizens denied access to hot Canadian
content (assuming such a thing existed, outside of PrideVision) they would
be up in arms. "What about our rights?"
John Willkie
-----Original Message-----
From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of John Golitsis
Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2004 9:46 AM
To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [opendtv] Re: Channel approval process
What do you mean by "illegal", exactly? It is not an authorised channel and
therefore not available for distribution within Canada. Regardless, HBO
doesn't
own Canadian distribution rights for the movies they show anyway, so they
can't
sell their service up here anyway. Our TMN (The Movie Network) tends to buy
Canadian rights for most of HBO's own productions, so we're really not
missing
any programming that HBO would offer.
The cable companies recently banded together and asked to have HBO added to
the
list of eligible foreign services, but the request was denied by our CRTC.
So
much of their programming would have to be blacked out (rights issues)
anyway so
I'm not sure what the value would be. TMN and HBO would be trying to outbid
each other for Canadian rights, driving prices higher, so again, I don't see
the
point.
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