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Who Owns Information? From Privacy to Public Access
by Anne W. Branscomb"Once upon a time information was hard to get. Now it's astonishingly easy, whether it's a person's phone number, medical records, or research. But as a society we haven't reached a consensus on how to control - or even whether to control - all this accessible information. So a war is going on between private citizens and information-based businesses over who owns such valuable data as a person's name, photographic image, telephone number, shopping records, and medical records. Similar battles are raging over who owns the airwaves and computer-user interfaces, and one of the most vituperative information wars is going on among academics over who owns the words on the Dead Sea Scrolls." "In this engaging, sometimes poignant, often hilarious book, Anne Wells Branscomb elucidates such conflicts. With fascinating case studies ranging from Citizen Mog, who sued J. C. Penney for the use of his time in listening to telephone sales pitches, to "Captain Midnight," a satellite dish retailer who disrupted HBO's transmission as a protest against the cable company's scrambling its signals; from Lotus Development Corporation's going to court to outlaw clones of its spreadsheet software to the Anti-Defamation League's charging Prodigy with permitting hate messages to be transmitted via E-mail - the book shows how the law is lumbering along, trying to apply the old rules to a new game." "Having spent billions of dollars on the apparatus that makes it possible to access, manipulate, and store information, we need to invest in understanding the economics, law, and ethics of information, Branscomb writes. We need to develop a legal "infostructure" to support the burgeoning information marketplace." "What is the dividing line between public and private forums: face-to-face meetings only or cyberspace as well? What are the consequences for society of allowing information to be packaged and sold? Should all information be declared forever public? These are issues of crucial importance to a wide range of professionals, including lawyers, librarians, telecommunications experts, database managers, and journalists, as well as to private individuals." "As we enter the information age, the question "who owns information?" becomes more urgent and more timely than ever."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Who Owns Native Culture?
by Michael F. BrownThe practical and artistic creations of native peoples permeate everyday life in settler nations, from the design elements on our clothing to the plot-lines of books we read to our children. Rarely, however, do native communities benefit materially from this use of their heritage, a situation that drives growing resistance to what some denounce as "cultural theft." Who Owns Native Culture? documents the efforts of indigenous peoples to redefine heritage as a proprietary resource. Michael Brown takes readers into settings where native peoples defend what they consider their cultural property: a courtroom in Darwin, Australia, where an Aboriginal artist and a clan leader bring suit against a textile firm that infringes sacred art; archives and museums in the United States, where Indian tribes seek control over early photographs and sound recordings collected in their communities; and the Mexican state of Chiapas, site of a bioprospecting venture whose legitimacy is questioned by native-rights activists. By focusing on the complexity of actual cases, Brown casts light on indigenous claims in diverse fields--religion, art, sacred places, and botanical knowledge. He finds both genuine injustice and, among advocates for native peoples, a troubling tendency to mimic the privatizing logic of major corporations. The author proposes alternative strategies for defending the heritage of vulnerable native communities without blocking the open communication essential to the life of pluralist democracies. Who Owns Native Culture? is a lively, accessible introduction to questions of cultural ownership, group privacy, intellectual property, and the recovery of indigenous identities.
Who Owns the Arctic?
by Michael ByersWho actually controls the Northwest Passage? Who owns the trillions of dollars of oil and gas beneath the Arctic Ocean? Which territorial claims will prevail, and why - those of the United States, Russia, Canada, or the Nordic nations? And, in an age of rapid climate change, how do we protect the fragile Arctic environment while seizing the economic opportunities presented by the rapidly melting sea-ice? Michael Byers, a leading Arctic expert and international lawyer clearly and concisely explains the sometimes contradictory rules governing the division and protection of the Arctic and the disputes over the region that still need to be resolved. What emerges is a vision for the Arctic in which cooperation, not conflict, prevails and where the sovereignty of individual nations is exercised for the benefit of all. This insightful little book is an informed primer for today's most pressing territorial issue.
Who Owns the Dead?
by Jay D. AronsonAfter the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, Chief Medical Examiner Charles Hirsch proclaimed that his staff would do more than confirm the victims' identity. They would attempt to return to families every human body part larger than a thumbnail. As Jay D. Aronson shows, delivering on that promise proved to be a monumentally difficult task.
Who Owns the Moon?: In Defence of Humanity's Common Interests in Space
by A. C. GraylingSilicon for microchips; manganese for batteries; titanium for missiles. The moon contains a wealth of natural resources. So, as the Earth&’s supplies have begun to dwindle, it is no surprise that the world&’s superpowers and wealthiest corporations have turned their eyes to the stars. As this new Space Race begins, A.C. Grayling asks: who, if anyone, owns the moon? Or Mars? Or other bodies in near space? And what do those superpowers and corporations owe to Planet Earth and its inhabitants as a whole? From feudal common land, through the rules of the sea, to the vast, nationless expanse of Antarctica, Grayling explores the history of the places which no one, and therefore everyone, owns. Examining the many ways this so-called terra nullius has fallen victim to &‘the tragedy of the commons&’ – the tendency for communal resources to be exploited by a few individuals for personal gain at the expense of everyone else – Who Owns the Moon? puts forward a compelling argument for a bold new global consensus, one which recognises and defends the rights of everyone who lives on this planet.
Who Owns the Wind?: Climate Crisis and the Hope of Renewable Energy
by David McDermott HughesWhy the wind, and energy it produces, should not be private propertyThe energy transition has begun. To succeed—to replace fossil fuels with wind and solar power—that process must be fair. Otherwise, mounting pop- ular protest against wind farms will prolong carbon pollution and deepen the climate crisis. David McDermott Hughes examines that anti-industrial, anti- corporate resistance, drawing on his time spent conducting field research in a Spanish village surrounded by wind turbines. In the lives of a community freighted with centuries of exploitation—people whom the author comes to know intimately—clean power and social justice fit together only awkwardly. A green economy will require greater efforts to get ordinary people such as these on board. Aesthetics, livelihood, property, and, most essentially, the private nature of wind resources—all these topics must be examined with fresh eyes.
Who Participates in Global Governance?: States, bureaucracies, and NGOs in the United Nations (Global Institutions)
by Molly RuhlmanWhy are non-state actors sometimes granted participation rights in international organizations? This book argues that IOs, and the states that compose them, systematically pursue their interests when granting participation rights to NSAs. This book demonstrates that NSAs have long been participants in global governance institutions, and that states and bureaucracies have not always resisted their inclusion. At the same time, this study encourages skepticism of the assumption that increasing participation should be expected with the passage of time. The result is a study that challenges some commonly held assumptions about the interests of IOs and states, while providing an interesting comparison of secretariat and state interests with regard to one particular aspect of IO institutional rule and practice: the participation of non-state actors. Addressing the regular assumption that the power of states and the efficacy of multilateral governance have simply wilted in the heat of globalization while NSAs have flourished, this work features analysis of key institutions such as UNCEF, UNDP and the Environment Programme. It will be of great interest to students and scholars of international relations, the United Nations, and NGOs.
Who Pays for Canada?: Taxes and Fairness
by E.A. Heaman and David ToughCanadians can never not argue about taxes. From the Chinese head tax to the Panama Papers, from the National Policy to the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, tax grievances always inspire private resentments and public debates. But if resentment and debate persist, the terms of the debate have continually altered and adapted to reflect changing social, economic, and political conditions in Canada and the wider world. The centenary of income tax is the occasion for Canadian scholars to wrestle with past and present debates about tax equity, efficiency, and justice. Who Pays for Canada? explores the different ways governments can and should tax their peoples and evaluates how well Canada has done so. It brings together a diverse group of perspectives from academia - law, economics, political science, history, geography, philosophy, and accountancy - and from the wider world of activists and public servants. It asks how Canada compares to other countries and how other countries - especially the United States - influence Canadian tax policies. It also surveys internal tax tensions and politics, through the lenses of region and jurisdiction, as well as race, class, and gender. Reasoning from tax perplexities and reforms in the past and the present, it argues that fair taxation requires an informed populace and a democratically inclined public will. Above all, this book serves as a reminder that it is not only what counts as fair that is important, but how fairness is evaluated. Revealing how closely tax policy is tied to mainstream politics, human rights, and morality, Who Pays for Canada? represents new perspectives on a matter of tremendous national urgency.
Who Pays Taxes?: A Good Answer to a Good Question
by Who HqDirect from Who HQ, the team that brings you the New York Times Best-Selling Who Was? biography series, comes Who HQ Presents. These short illustrated e-Books provide quick, simple answers to the important questions being asked today about politics, social issues, the environment, and more!Why are you paying taxes? Wonder no more: Who HQ Presents answers about the US tax system, who pays taxes and who doesn't, and where all that money goes.
Who Really Feeds the World?: The Failures of Agribusiness and the Promise of Agroecology
by Vandana ShivaDebunking the notion that our current food crisis must be addressed through industrial agriculture and genetic modification, author and activist Vandana Shiva argues that those forces are in fact the ones responsible for the hunger problem in the first place. Who Really Feeds the World? is a powerful manifesto calling for agricultural justice and genuine sustainability, drawing upon Shiva's thirty years of research and accomplishments in the field. Instead of relying on genetic modification and large-scale monocropping to solve the world's food crisis, she proposes that we look to agroecology--the knowledge of the interconnectedness that creates food--as a truly life-giving alternative to the industrial paradigm. Shiva succinctly and eloquently lays out the networks of people and processes that feed the world, exploring issues of diversity, the needs of small famers, the importance of seed saving, the movement toward localization, and the role of women in producing the world's food.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Who Really Killed Nicole?: O. J. Simpson's Closest Confidant Tells All
by Norman PardoThe True Story Behind the Murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, from O.J. Simpson's Closest Confidante It&’s the greatest crime story ever to play out on national television—the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson, the 35-year-old wife of famed pro football star O.J. Simpson, and Ron Goldman, a 25-year-old restaurant worker and friend of Nicole, who were brutally murdered by an unknown assailant outside Nicole&’s home in Brentwood, California, on the evening of Sunday, June 12, 1994. Charged with the murders, O.J. Simpson underwent in October 1995 a nationally televised murder trial that lasted nearly nine months, ending in a dramatic acquittal that was watched live by over one-hundred-million people – one of the largest audiences to ever witness anything in the history of television. It was called the &“trial of the century.&” But people still want to know what really happened that summer night when Nicole Brown Simpson&’s and Ron Goldman&’s lives were literally cut short, and now, Norman Pardo—O.J.'s closest confidante and business manager for twenty years—offers readers the true story behind these murders. With revelatory never-before-seen evidence and previously undisclosed interviews with people who knew Simpson and Goldman, Pardo makes the case that the real killer was not O.J., whose only aim was to protect his children from Simpson's lifestyle. Rather, Pardo argues, the true murderer was notorious serial killer Glen Rogers, whose testimony in this book just may hold the key to unlocking the case once and for all. Equal parts eye-opening, shocking, and entertaining, Who Really Killed Nicole? is essential reading for everyone interested in the O.J. Simpson trial and the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, anyone interested in the case of Glen Rogers, and all those who still want to know the truth of what happened that fateful June evening in 1994.
Who Really Makes Environmental Policy?: Creating and Implementing Environmental Rules and Regulations
by Sara R. RinfretThe United States Congress appears to be in perpetual gridlock on environmental policy, notes Sara Rinfret, editor of the significant collection, Who Really Makes Environmental Policy? As she and her contributors explain, however, most environmental policy is not made in the halls of Congress. Instead, it is created by agency experts in federal environmental agencies and it is implemented at the state level. These individuals have been delegated the authority to interpret vague congressional legislation and write rules—and these rules carry the same weight as congressional law. Who Really Makes Environmental Policy? brings together top scholars to provide an explanation of rulemaking processes and regulatory policy, and to show why this context is important for U.S. environmental policy. Illustrative case studies about oil and gas regulations in Colorado and the regulation of coal ash disposal in southeastern states apply theory to practice. Ultimately, the essays in this volume advance our understanding of how U.S. environmental policy is made and why understanding regulatory policy matters for its future.
Who Really Runs Britain?: The Private Companies Taking Control of Benefits, Prisons, Asylum, Deportation, Security, Social Care and the NHS
by Alan White&‘Outsourcing&’ – when will the horror stories stop coming? Every year the government gives private companies like G4S, Serco, Capita and ATOS £80 billion of taxpayers&’ money to handle some of our most sensitive and important services – but where is their transparency? Immigration is perhaps the most challenging and divisive issue of our time – so why has our government abdicated responsibility? As privatisation looms over an NHS in crisis, how do we hold these companies to account? Now, White speaks to campaigners, Whitehall insiders – and the companies themselves. Who Really Runs Britain? is a shocking compendium of what happens when outsourcing goes wrong – and what we do now.
Who Really Runs Ireland?: The story of the elite who led Ireland from bust to boom ... and back again
by Matt CooperThe story of the elite who led Ireland from bust to boom ... and back to bust againHaving money and not having it; making it and losing it; using it and misusing it; giving it and taking it ... this is the story of Ireland during the boom, described in jaw-dropping detail in Who Really Runs Ireland?Leading journalist Matt Cooper identifies the most influential people in Ireland during the Celtic Tiger era, describes how they interacted with each other to mutual benefit, and reveals who were the few to retain their power amid the debris arising from the bursting of the Irish economic bubble. 'Highly accessible and akin to a good thriller ... fascinating ... compelling' Sunday Tribune'Hugely entertaining as well as instructive' Irish Independent'Impressive and eminently readable' Irish Times'An eye-opener ... you might be driven to tears of rage' David McCullagh, RTE'The detail is riveting ... and a lot of it illuminating'Irish Examiner'The scale of Cooper's research is highly impressive ... an in-depth reference guide to folly and hubris' Sunday Business Post'Complex but surprisingly reader-friendly ... a rattling, and frequently horrifying, read' Hot Press'Superbly readable and insightful ... a must-have' Irish Mail on Sunday
Who Rules America?: The Corporate Rich, White Nationalist Republicans, and Inclusionary Democrats in the 2020s
by G William DomhoffAt this crucial moment in American history, when voting rights could be expanded to include all citizens, or legislatively limited, this significantly updated edition of Who Rules America? shows precisely how the top 1% of the population, who own 43% of all financial wealth, and receive 20% of the nation’s yearly income, dominate governmental decision-making. They have created a corporate community and a policy-planning network, made up of foundations think-tanks, and policy-discussion groups, to develop the policies that become law. Through a leadership group called the power elite, the corporate rich provide campaign donations and other gifts and favors to elected officials, serve on federal advisory committees, and receive appointments to key positions in government, all of which make it possible for the corporate rich and the power elite to rule the country, despite constant challenges from the inclusionary alliance and from the Democratic Party. The book explains the role of both benign and dark attempts to influence public opinion, the machinations of the climate-denial network, and how the Supreme Court came to have an ultraconservative majority, who serve as a backstop for the corporate community as well as a legitimator of restrictions on voting rights, union rights, and abortion rights, by ruling that individual states have the power to set such limits. Despite all this highly concentrated power, it will be the other 99.5%, not the top 0.5%, who will decide the fate of the United States in the 2020s on all the important issues.
Who Rules the World?
by Noam ChomskyA New York Times Bestseller <p><p> The world’s leading intellectual offers a probing examination of the waning American Century, the nature of U.S. policies post-9/11, and the perils of valuing power above democracy and human rights <p> In an incisive, thorough analysis of the current international situation, Noam Chomsky argues that the United States, through its military-first policies and its unstinting devotion to maintaining a world-spanning empire, is both risking catastrophe and wrecking the global commons. Drawing on a wide range of examples, from the expanding drone assassination program to the threat of nuclear warfare, as well as the flashpoints of Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Israel/Palestine, he offers unexpected and nuanced insights into the workings of imperial power on our increasingly chaotic planet. <p> In the process, Chomsky provides a brilliant anatomy of just how U.S. elites have grown ever more insulated from any democratic constraints on their power. While the broader population is lulled into apathy―diverted to consumerism or hatred of the vulnerable―the corporations and the rich have increasingly been allowed to do as they please. <p> Fierce, unsparing, and meticulously documented, Who Rules the World? delivers the indispensable understanding of the central conflicts and dangers of our time that we have come to expect from Chomsky.
Who Rules the World? (American Empire Project)
by Noam ChomskyA New York Times BestsellerThe world’s leading intellectual offers a probing examination of the waning American Century, the nature of U.S. policies post-9/11, and the perils of valuing power above democracy and human rights In an incisive, thorough analysis of the current international situation, Noam Chomsky argues that the United States, through its military-first policies and its unstinting devotion to maintaining a world-spanning empire, is both risking catastrophe and wrecking the global commons. Drawing on a wide range of examples, from the expanding drone assassination program to the threat of nuclear warfare, as well as the flashpoints of Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Israel/Palestine, he offers unexpected and nuanced insights into the workings of imperial power on our increasingly chaotic planet. In the process, Chomsky provides a brilliant anatomy of just how U.S. elites have grown ever more insulated from any democratic constraints on their power. While the broader population is lulled into apathy—diverted to consumerism or hatred of the vulnerable—the corporations and the rich have increasingly been allowed to do as they please. Fierce, unsparing, and meticulously documented, Who Rules the World? delivers the indispensable understanding of the central conflicts and dangers of our time that we have come to expect from Chomsky.
Who Runs?: The Masculine Advantage in Candidate Emergence (The CAWP Series in Gender and American Politics)
by Meredith Conroy Sarah OliverTo explain women’s underrepresentation in American politics, researchers have directed their attention to differences between men and women, especially during the candidate emergence process, which includes recruitment, perception of qualifications, and political ambition. Although these previous analyses have shown that consistent dissimilarities likely explain why men outnumber women in government, they have overlooked a more explicit role for gender (masculinity and femininity) in explanations of candidate emergence variation. Meredith Conroy and Sarah Oliver focus on the candidate emergence process (recruitment, perceived qualifications, and ambition), and investigate the affects of individuals’ gender personality on these variables to improve theories of women’s underrepresentation in government. They argue that since politics and masculinity are congruent, we should observe more precise variation in the candidate emergence process along gender differences, than along sex differences in isolation. Individuals who are more masculine will be more likely to be recruited, perceive of themselves as qualified, and express political ambition, than less masculine individuals. This differs from studies that look at sex differences, because it accepts that some women defy gender norms and break into politics. By including a measure of gender personality we can more fully grapple with women’s progress in American politics, and consider whether this progress rests on masculine behaviors and attributes. Who Runs? The Masculine Advantage in Candidate Emergence explores this possibility and the potential ramifications.
Who Runs Britain?: ...and who's to blame for the economic mess we're in
by Robert Peston'A compelling portrait of early 21st century casino capitalism ... essential reading.' - The Times On 13 September 2007, Robert Peston broke the news that Northern Rock had become a victim of the global credit crunch and was seeking an emergency loan from the Bank of England. It was the latest in a long line of scoops by this award-winning journalist. Over the weeks that followed, the Government found itself exposed to the Rock to the tune of 57 billion, or almost £2000 for every taxpayer.As Robert Peston shows in his fascinating new book, the seeds for the collapse of Northern Rock and the upheavals in the financial markets were sown years before.Who Runs Britain? is the first time anyone has drawn all the threads together to weave a story that's rich in extraordinary characters and outrageous feats of economic bravado. This book is about the widening gap between the super-rich and the rest of us. It explores and explodes the myth that the financial creativity of those who are amassing these vast fortunes is good for the wider economy and for all of us. Whether you're a financial expert or just have a bank account, Who Runs Britain? is a book you must read.
Who Runs Congress?
by Mark GreenThis book offers some practical advice on what you can do about reclaiming the Congress for American citizens.
Who Said It Would Be Easy?: One Woman's Life in the Political Arena
by Elizabeth HoltzmanA tour through America's changing political climate is seen through the career of former U.S. congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman, the youngest woman ever to be elected to Congress, and shares her personal experiences and theories about modern government.
Who Serves?: The Persistent Myth Of The Underclass Army
by Sue E BerrymanThis book provides an introduction to important socio-political issues and selected demographic data underlying recurrent debates concerning both the mythic and actual social composition and quality of U.S. enlisted forces
Who Shot the President?
by Judy DonnellyExamines events surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963. Also discusses the Warren Commission findings and conspiracy theories.
Who Should Pay? Higher Education, Responsibility, and the Public: Higher Education, Responsibility, and the Public
by Natasha Quadlin Brian PowellAmericans now obtain college degrees at a higher rate than at any time in recent decades in the hopes of improving their career prospects. At the same time, the rising costs of an undergraduate education have increased dramatically, forcing students and families to take out often unmanageable levels of student debt. The cumulative amount of student debt reached nearly $1.5 trillion in 2017, and calls for student loan forgiveness have gained momentum. Yet public policy to address college affordability has been mixed. While some policymakers support more public funding to broaden educational access, others oppose this expansion. Noting that public opinion often shapes public policy, sociologists Natasha Quadlin and Brian Powell examine public opinion on who should shoulder the increasing costs of higher education and why. Who Should Pay? draws on a decade’s worth of public opinion surveys analyzing public attitudes about whether parents, students, or the government should be primarily responsible for funding higher education. Quadlin and Powell find that between 2010 and 2019, public opinion has shifted dramatically in favor of more government funding. In 2010, Americans overwhelming believed that parents and students were responsible for the costs of higher education. Less than a decade later, the percentage of Americans who believed that federal or state/local government should be the primary financial contributor has more than doubled. The authors contend that the rapidity of this change may be due to the effects of the 2008 financial crisis and the growing awareness of the social and economic costs of high levels of student debt. Quadlin and Powell also find increased public endorsement of shared responsibility between individuals and the government in paying for higher education. The authors additionally examine attitudes on the accessibility of college for all, whether higher education at public universities should be free, and whether college is worth the costs. Quadlin and Powell also explore why Americans hold these beliefs. They identify individualistic and collectivist world views that shape public perspectives on the questions of funding, accessibility, and worthiness of college. Those with more individualistic orientations believed parents and students should pay for college, and that if students want to attend college, then they should work hard and find ways to achieve their goals. Those with collectivist orientations believed in a model of shared responsibility – one in which the government takes a greater level of responsibility for funding education while acknowledging the social and economic barriers to obtaining a college degree for many students. The authors find that these belief systems differ among socio-demographic groups and that bias – sometimes unconscious and sometimes deliberate – regarding race and class affects responses from both individualistic and collectivist-oriented participants. Public opinion is typically very slow to change. Yet Who Should Pay? provides an illuminating account of just how quickly public opinion has shifted regarding the responsibility of paying for a college education and its implications for future generations of students.
Who Speaks For The Climate?: Making Sense Of Media Reporting On Climate Change
by Maxwell T. BoykoffThe public rely upon media representations to help interpret and make sense of the many complexities relating to climate science and governance. Media representations of climate issues - from news to entertainment - are powerful and important links between people's everyday realities and experiences, and the ways in which they are discussed by scientists, policymakers and public actors. A dynamic mix of influences - from internal workings of mass media such as journalistic norms, to external political, economic, cultural and social factors - shape what becomes a climate 'story'. <P> Providing a bridge between academic considerations and real world developments, this book helps students, academic researchers and interested members of the public make sense of media reporting on climate change as it explores 'who speaks for climate' and what effects this may have on the spectrum of possible responses to contemporary climate challenges.