Say NO to the FCC takeover of the Internet

[MassArt Images]

Al Gore and his cronies want to control the internet. This is not good. The government does not have a good track record in managing. This is more "Big Brother" intrusion into our lives. I urge you to sign the petition.

http://action.politicalmedia.com/173...aveTheInternet

[Freericks]

Yes, if you support Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, and Time Warner controlling what you can see on the Internet and throttling small sites - sign that petition!

If you don't think you're paying enough yet to get internet service... sign that petition!

Geeze.

[hoydie17]

Originally Posted by Freericks

Yes, if you support Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, and Time Warner controlling what you can see on the Internet and throttling small sites - sign that petition!

If you don't think you're paying enough yet to get internet service... sign that petition!

Geeze.

What Charles says... the FCC should control the internet. It's the best chance of everyone getting a fair presence on the web.

[MassArt Images]

I am against more government control since they don't have a very good track record.


http://www.heritage.org/research/rep...f-the-internet

[Freericks]

The Heritage Foundation has a very strong corporate bias. Their research is slanted to support corporate interests. If that is also your feeling that's fine - but just want to make sure you are aware of their background.

Most liberals and conservatives are on the same side on this (for net neutrality). It is only the corporatists (Chamber of Commerce, Heritage Foundation, CNBC, Fox Business, etc.) that are against it, but again, that is where Verizon, AT&T, TWC, and Comcast are.

[MassArt Images]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshstei...et-neutrality/

[EMTRailfan]

"Let me be clear. If you like your Internet provider, you can keep it."
"Under Obamanet, you'll save $2500."
"Turn in that old clunker desktop for cash."
The ads on RP are bad enough. Just wait until the propaganda starts "HELLOing" on the home page.

[hoydie17]

Originally Posted by MassArt Images

I am against more government control since they don't have a very good track record.


http://www.heritage.org/research/rep...f-the-internet

To put a railroad twist on it, I'd say CONRAIL is an example of the Gov't doing it right. AMTRAK is another example of longevity under government control, albeit not in the greatest financial state.

Fannie Mae was seized by the Gov't a couple years ago, and ever since has turned a profit. In fact, they'll be sending a check for $220+ BILLION to the treasury soon.

It's the government, most people are biased towards only seeing how they appear to screw things up. But if you're willing to dig, you can find plenty of good news stories to come out of government intervention.

[Mgoldman]

Originally Posted by hoydie17

What Charles says... the FCC should control the internet. It's the best chance of everyone getting a fair presence on the web.

Yes - the Government knows what's best for us and we should trust them! To put faith in a system where by several companies compete against each other for your business is dumb. The Government needs to be able to decide what we need, how much it should cost, and who should be allowed to have it. It's not about what works, but who's working it.

Actually, this is an interesting topic - on one hand, you don't want the big guys to have a monopoly over the little guys. An unfair price advantage, but on the other hand, you CERTAINLY don't want the Government's paws on this!

I can see it now - free Internet service for Congressmen and their families. A tax on e-mails. A mysterious bandwidth issue affecting only conservative sites. The suspension of a wrath of sites deemed unnecessary or detrimental to current policy by our (your (lol)) leaders.

Reminds me of the Taxi cab union. You can't start a taxi cab company because of the regulations that the union had the Government put in to effect. Uber - forget out it! Want to start a company in DC, - NOPE! The Government says there is enough service already (it sucks, it's expensive, but hey -they paid for that certification sticker on the car!).

Competition is a good thing - it brings down prices and raises quality. If you want to introduce a law, introduce or support one that helps the little guys - not one that gives all power to one single institution and the biases and corruption that come with it.

/Mitch

[Mgoldman]

Originally Posted by hoydie17

Fannie Mae was seized by the Gov't a couple years ago, and ever since has turned a profit.

Wasn't it in fact the Government that allowed Fannie Mae to fail by guaranteeing loans that could never be paid? If Fannie Mae was truly private, you can bet a huge portion of those bad loans would NEVER have been lent. Another example of the Government meddling and screwing things up. Granted, we all likely need some moral guidance but for God sakes, don't hand over the keys to the shop!

/Mitch

[Freericks]

If you believe the government is always incompetent you are unaware of the Navy Seals.

If you believe corporate America is always good you are unaware of Enron.

If you believe the government is always good you are unaware of the NSA.

If you believe corporate America is always incompetent you are unaware of Apple.

If you believe in absolutes you are banging your head against a wall for a belief instead of facing reality and taking part in it.

[Mgoldman]

Originally Posted by Freericks

If you believe the government is always incompetent you are unaware of the Navy Seals.

If you believe corporate America is always good you are unaware of Enron.

If you believe the government is always good you are unaware of the NSA.

If you believe corporate America is always incompetent you are unaware of Apple.

If you believe in absolutes you are banging your head against a wall for a belief instead of facing reality and taking part in it.

I couldn't agree more!

Charles Freericks - "Fair and Balanced" Good reporting Charles!

/Mitch

[CSX1702]

I believe corporations are less corrupt than the government at this point.

[Freericks]

All organisms are programmed in their DNA to try and survive and thrive. To do this they attempt to control as much of that thing that gives them sustenance as they can.

For governments that sustenance comes from power.

For corporations that sustenance comes from money.

And while neither is a pure organism in the absolute definition of the word, when people come together to form a government or a corporation they tend to act in that thing's survival/thrive interests the same way the good bacteria in your body acts to help you survive thrive.

The only thing that honestly keeps them in check is that they are each others' natural enemy.

Still - there is a need to grow and get more money at corporations and there is a need to grow and get more power in governments and those two "needs" are the cause of much that is wrong today.

I have no solution - I only see the problem. In the end both are equally susceptible to corruption and greed - and both are run by people who are, after all, only human.

[jdirelan87]

Originally Posted by Freericks

If you believe the government is always incompetent you are unaware of the Navy Seals.

If you believe corporate America is always good you are unaware of Enron.

If you believe the government is always good you are unaware of the NSA.

If you believe corporate America is always incompetent you are unaware of Apple.

If you believe in absolutes you are banging your head against a wall for a belief instead of facing reality and taking part in it.

Well said. I know that this isn't exactly the right forum for this, but the single worse thing Bush did for this country was push everybody to the extremes. Liberals were so pissed at him they went hard left, which conservatives responded to by going hard right. Now nothing can get done because moderate is bad word.

[MassArt Images]

The FCC chief pressed to release regulations.

The general public still does not know what is in the regulations. This is not right. Back in 2007 an Illinois senator said that the FCC should not keep these matters private. I guess now that the shoe is on the other foot it is OK.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2...ency/23882079/

[Freericks]

Carl - I agree with you on that one... they should release them. We'll see what happens.

[troy12n]

Take your party line republican blinders off... net neutrality is a good thing. The only people it's not good for are the telco's who cannot enact barbaric traffic shaping policies on users who do not pay extra