Battleangel

Hot on the heels of the alleged US directed takedown of The Pirate Bay comes another interesting case of peculiar priorities and outright blackmail. New York Times:

So great is the official level of concern about AllofMP3 that American trade negotiators darkly warned that the Web site could jeopardize Russia’s long-sought entry into the World Trade Organization.

I can see how this would be relevant to trade and immaterial law in a roundabout way, but to elevate it to this level seems way out of line. It really makes you wonder who is running the US government. Because it aint the people. With Israel running foreign policy, gunrunners and mercs deciding human rights and the RIAA / MPAA overseeing trade you are sort of left wondering. Not to mention the bigger issue of whether Russia should even join the WTO or just implement the basic package anyway.