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LifestreamA. They get to use general warrants.General search warrants are part of what caused the American Revolution. Now it’s the legal tool of choice for the movie industry in its war against copyright infringement — or at least, the tool of choice in Delhi, India.
According to this press release from the international arm of the more familiar Motion Picture Association of America, the MPA “has obtained a general search and seizure warrants order covering the entire city. The order permits police to search any premises suspected of containing pirated products, and permits officers to open locked premises without delay.”
These kinds of warrants are ripe for abuse. That’s why they’re prohibited in this country under the Fourth Amendment, which was prompted by British abuses of power during colonial times. The MPA has the right to go after those suspected of infringement all around the globe, but it should be ashamed of using tactics that ignore basic civil liberties.
Colonialism in my dictionary is “Exploitation by a stronger country of weaker one; the use of the weaker country’s resources to strengthen and enrich the stronger country.” Or in essence double standards. Which nicely sums up how many American corporations operate, via their close relationship with politicians and the military-industrial complex. And it is not so far from how the British empire once operated. Just more insidious and sophisticated.
Hmm. And another thing that just struck me … is it a coincidence that this happens now, just after the US is getting officially cosy with India? Or is it part of the price tag that India will have to pay for American friendship … I would argue that with the US, the left hand knows exactly what the right hand is doing. There are no coincidences. There is only one agenda of economic expansion. Sometimes wrapped in fancy humanitarian and equity terms but always true to the corporate bottom line.
