Musos demand Guantanamo Bay playlist A coalition of musicians is demanding the US government cough a list of tracks allegedly used to torture inmates of Guantanamo Bay, as former prisoners claim they were subjected to the Bee Gees, Britney Spears and Sesame Street at "ear-splitting level". According to the Telegraph, the National Security Archive in Washington …
In my experience, live bands are usually amplified to a level that, if it doesn't directly damage hearing, it certainly promotes early hearing loss. So even "far below the level of a LB" could easily be far-too-loud -- especially as the inmates very likely didn't want to hear it in the first place.
'CIA spokesman George Little insisted the music was employed for "security" and "not for punitive purposes"'
Ah well, that explains it. Security music. Why didn't they just say so in the first place? I expect it was used to keep the guard rabbits happy while the candy-cane fence was repaired.
I for one believe that US courts should prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law. What we are seeing here is a clear example of a body using copyrighted material to give illegal public performaces. Every instance of a track being played should be counted as a public broadcast of copyright material and every person involved should be held liable. From the person who picked the tracks, to the who authorized it, to the person who pressed the play button.
forget just getting royalties, we need to see some of these people going to jail for holding illegal concerts.
(CIA spokesman George Little insisted the music was employed for "security" and "not for punitive purposes".)
I'm assuming the security purpose he's referring to is stopping the inmates communicating with each other. However, It seems more reasonable to believe that security would want to know what they were saying and so would listen in, not render the listening equipment useless with loud noise.
So, FAIL, it's torture not security purposes.
CIA spokesman George Little insisted the music was employed for "security" and "not for punitive purposes". He assured the volume level was "far below a live band".
But you only listen to a live band for a few hours at most. And then you go and sleep.
And you can leave the gig if you want.
It's a lot more difficult to these things when the music is played 24 hours a day and the door's locked.
That's why it's called torture.
O RLY?!?!
So let me get this straight. The only circumstances that music was used with regard to the inmates / distinguished guests, was if one of said guests stepped on a trip wire as they were escaping. This would then trigger the Barney (TM) song to be played at acceptable and non-dangerous levels in an attempt to alert staff (do they still call them Redcoats at holiday camps these days?) in order to prevent the escape and maintain security.
And I suppose that George Bush is a pacifist, respects the electoral process and stamps out nepotism where ever he finds it?
I refer you to my opening statement of "O RLY?".
"CIA spokesman George Little insisted the music was employed for "security" and "not for punitive purposes". He assured the volume level was "far below a live band"
Jesus, they're not even trying. How do you employ music for security? I don't think you can actually keep detainees imprisoned with a Wall of Sound.
Also, I don't believe that when you go to see a band live they chain you up for hours and days on end in contorted positions, stood/crouched/suspended in your own piss and shit, at first being afraid that your arms and legs are going to drop off, then wishing that they would because it couldn't possibly hurt any worse, while the band plays their instruments right next to your ear. Admittedly I haven't been to see Rammstein in a while though.
Imagine artists say "hand over details of music played" - military says "can't - Patriot Act" - artists say "gotta DMCA" - loop. I'm trying to think of the consquences. Somebody help me!
PS: the google ads above have an interesting one. "Guantanamo Flights. Get the latest deals when you book your flight to Guantanamo. www.FlightCentre.com.au" Now you can book your rendition flight in advance, which makes it much more convenient for everyone concerned.
'Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs' by Brian and John. One of the worst singles ever released, about one of the most unappealing artists who ever stubbed brush on canvas, *and* they can't even get the name of a common household item right.
And at least one of them had a ghastly beard.
And the fucker was number one when I was born. Doomed to a life of uncoolness from the start.
The much-quoted Geneva Convention has little effect on blocking modern "enhanced interogation" techniques, as it was written at a time when torture was largely physical. Modern science has introduced such wonders as stress positions, white noise and sleep deprivation, with only the latter being addressed in the Convention. IIRC, the Geneva Convention only states that a prisoner (and that's a recognised soldier, not an un-uniformed "insurgent"), must have a rest of one hour in each twenty-four hours of interrogation, a figure which would still produce the effects of sleep deprivation in very short order without contravening the rules.
As regards royalties, Gitmo is US teriritory under the terms of the 1903 lease, but it is a military base, so I'm not sure civil copyright law applies. And then there's always the problem that Cuba has claimed Gitmo is an illegal occupation, which implied the military could throw their hands up and insist it was dealt with under Cuban law. Whilst Cuba does have copyright laws, they are mainly around stopping foreigners ripping off Cuban cigar brands, and it is doubtful a human rights violator like Castro would want to many torture questions asked in an Havanan court.
And finally, the youthful Ms Bee - 1978! Whippersnapper!
The Teletubbies song. I don't have full perfect pitch, but I DO have perfect relative pitch, and the bloke 'singing' (and I use that term in the loosest possible sense) is ALWAYS slightly off key - aaaaargghhh!!!!
And there's only so many times thinking up humerous variants such as the TelePubbies (Drinky Winky, Tipsy, Lagered and Poled) can keep you sane...
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