Proper reform would require pulling out of . . . I think it’s three . . . large international treaties with a lot more signatories than just the US. Copyright terms have been too long for decades, not just since the last trilateral trade treaty.
One thing we could do immediately without having to negotiate with anyone outside the country is abolish crown copyright, though. It wouldn’t free up a lot of stuff, but it would be a start.
We know. It’s one of those things where a system was just allowed to sprout up without any thought being put into it, and now whenever someone tries to fix it, the vested interests howl like my cats do when you lift the sardines out of reach.
This might not be a popular opinion here, but I’m really not all that hurt by the fact that he didn’t try to go through with the electoral reform stuff. I don’t think it’s going to have enough support to have a chance of passing until we spend another couple of decades or so dancing around it. Backing off a campaign promise because you come to the conclusion that it isn’t really feasible isn’t the worst thing a politician can do (and bulling forward even though you’ve been repeatedly told it isn’t a good idea gets you Donald Trump). That a centrist party made electoral reform a campaign promise at all indicates that the idea is gaining traction, and while faster would be nice, I’ll settle for progress in baby steps over no progress at all.
About a thousand each. If they’d made reservations for an expensive evening out, and had to replace their outfits for that down to the dress shoes, plus another change of clothes or two, plus the minor stuff, the number maybe isn’t all that crazy.
Yet more proof that we are living in Bizarro World. Imagine travelling ten years back in time and trying to convince people this would happen.