Citing acknowledged scientific authorities’ opinions on a bill that affects scientific endeavor is not an improper appeal to authority. Improper appeals to authority are those that cite an authority’s expertise in one area to support their position on another. For example, saying that 33 churches oppose this bill would be improper: churches are not authorities on open access, scientific publishing, or scientific study.

When a whole ton of scientists are willing to step forward and say “this requirement will negatively affect scientific research”, that is a bunch of experts speaking about their area of expertise. We should pay attention. It’s telling that while the majority of scientists haven’t come out against of this bill, none that I can find are publicly supporting it. So far as I can tell, every scientist that is willing to make a public statement one way or the other is strongly opposing these publishing restrictions.

and more like a biased 1950s cop who concentrates on some (Conyers, Clinton, minorities) and lets others off the hook (“most innocent” Daschle, Obama, good-old-boys) because of his bias.

Lessig is even worse than (un) Reality in that he has a bad tendency ( like his police officer/fireman who inconstantly show up) to only see or point out corruption when it’s on the opposite side.

Unfortunately for the reform movement, Lessig is as dangerous as the police office/ fireman who only sometimes shows up since people lose faith in them and they take resources from honest cops/firemen.

Wake up Lessig.

The failure to impeach has led us to a world where those who ordered torture (a war crime) have not been held accountable for their crimes.

Obama has bombed Pakistan, escalated the War in Afghanistan (a country that has NEVER been conquered by foreign invaders) and has sided with Karl Rove and Harriet Myers on “executive privilege”.

He also failed to publicly finance his campaign, despite promises to do so.

I agree with what you said once about the criminalization of filesharing creating a generation that has no respect for the law, but how can we be expected to respect a system that fails to even investigate War Crimes such as torture, warrantless wiretapping, rendition and being held in prison for years without charges.

We live in a lawless country.

The lawlessness is coming from the top.

Failure to Impeach/Investigate/Prosecute those who committed War Crimes means that the laws against War Crimes are not being enforced.

Without enforcement, laws are merely suggestions.