Preserve free access
According to a report in your paper, the chairman of the US Senate Judiciary Committee favors developing new technology to destroy the computers of people who illegally download music from the Internet ("Hatch calls for destroying computers of those who illegally download music," Jun. 19, page 11). The idea seems OK, as one's computer will be safe unless the computer owner download music illegally.
However, if such technology could become legal, the actual scope of "fair use" will become much more limited, and then the purpose of the copyright law -- to encourage the expression of knowledge will be discounted again.
This is not only a matter for Americans, but for everyone who accesses the Internet. Taiwanese are no exception. Since we are a nation of Internet users, we could be injured if the US revises its copyright law to urge the copyright holder to destroy any computer as long as the computer is believed to have infringed upon a copyright. Taiwan's government should express the concern of its people and ask the US government not to let the "right to know" be surrendered to commercial interests.
Li Wang Ping
Taipei
Iraqi war was wrong
I do not agree with the recent article by Li Ming-juinn (
First, attacking Iraq is not at all as sacred as it appears. Is the US simply fighting against terrorism for the world's peace and security? Or because the threat to its supreme power and capitalism needs to be defeated? The truth is that the US is still searching for the reason (or an excuse) it went to war with Iraq after the war is over.
A lot of American citizens did not want a war. We know that "peace is not simply the state of not being at war," but it will neither be a series of revenge attacks. Many people have not been persuaded or been supportive of the US position, especially after the death of countless innocent people.
If the goal was to save the people from living in fear of terrorism or under threats from other countries, the US has been far from successful. Terrorism might one day be diminished, but the US' economic superpower and capitalism might cause more harm to the people.
Rita Tu
Pasadena, California
We can rely on ourselves
Chien Hsi-chieh's (簡錫土皆) plea for Taiwan to join the Interna-tional Criminal Court ("Taiwan should join ranks of ICC," June 24, page 8) is yet another naive perspective regarding cross-straight relations as well as the modern world.
First, war is not mankind's "cruelest and ugliest creation" -- acting out of hatred is. Dictators consumed by power and oppressors engulfed by evil are the worst creations of mankind. World War II stopped Japan's imperial aggression and Germany's genocide. The atomic bomb ended eight years of turmoil in Asia and D-Day marked the liberation of Europe. Without World War II, the current geopolitical landscape would be vastly different -- for the worst.
Second, looking back at recent world events, the UN is like a fantasy land occupied by politicians bent on preserving their own self-interest and not the world's interest. It is obvious that an international government does not work in today's world, so what makes an international criminal court any different?
Third, it is simply ignorant to think ICC membership would provide an "alternate self-defense" against China. When has a court ever deterred evildoers? We all know it is illegal to break into a home, yet everybody still locks their doors at night. The lock is the self-defense, not the court of law.
Perhaps the people of Taiwan need a boost in self-confidence. We do not need to fight our way into any international organization in order to be proud of our accomplishments -- we are a freedom-loving people, and the world recognizes that. And that is also the greatest threat to our bullying neighbor across the straight.
Eugene Liu,
Atlanta, Georgia
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