Congress Is Giving Away the Internet, and You Won't Like Who Gets It

rightonduderightondude Posts: 745
edited June 2006 in A Moving Train
How much longer are Americans going to remain in their perpetual retarded stupor? America the fucked...

"Ridiculous notions like the American Telcos new attempt to control the entire internet will do only one thing... make the United States irrelevant. Everyone will soon start storing their sites off-shore. New hubs will be built, ICANN abandoned, and new optic broadband pipes will be created by private enterprise. All in a desperate effort to keep Americans at least somewhat connected to the fast-moving world that is leaving our greedy monolith behind. The rest of Americans, who are stuck in the Telcos little AOL-style claustrophobic world of censorship and tracking will be just that -- stuck."

"America's capitalism is built around the quick money-making scheme with no long-term plan, and no regard for the world around the parties involved. That is catching up to them and will soon be their downfall. Just as engineering, science, and diplomacy have fled the country, so will technology."

The important fight is to challenge the structure of power in order to bring power down to the people, away from the wealthy and away from the corporations. The Internet is doing this, by allowing ordinary people to speak as loudly as the major news corporations. The Internet then shifts power to the people, which can then be used to achieve whatever policies we want (fight poverty, etc.).

"The powerful want us to spend our time fighting whatever today's battle happens to be, instead of thinking about ways to change the locus of power in society. Don't fall for their trap."

http://www.tpmcafe.com/node/29086

http://www.eff.org/
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Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • know1know1 Posts: 6,762
    They can't give away the internet. They may try, but they will be unsuccessful. It's bigger than the U.S.
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • Potential filibuster on this issue.

    The Telecommunications bill will doesn't have a net neutrality amendment. The Snowe/Dorgan amendment lost on an 11/11 tie.

    However, Telcos may not be able to charge for what should be the commons, - an internet they had no roll in developing, just yet. Republicans who have accepted bribes from the Telco's may be frustrated by a hold from Senator Ron Wyden.

    Senator Ron Wyden:
    "Mr. President, the major telecommunications legislation reported today by the Senate Commerce Committee is badly flawed. The bill makes a number of major changes in the country's telecommunications law but there is one provision that is nothing more than a license to discriminate. Without a clear policy preserving the neutrality of the Internet and without tough sanctions against those who would discriminate, the Internet will be forever changed for the worse.

    This one provision threatens to divide the Internet into technology "haves" and "have nots." This one provision concentrates even more power in the hands of the special interests that own the pipelines to the Internet. This one provision codifies discrimination on the Internet by a handful of large telecommunications and cable providers. This one provision will allow large, special interests to saddle consumers and small businesses alike with new and discriminatory fees over and above what they already pay for Internet access. This one small provision is akin to hurling a giant wrecking ball at the Internet.

    The inclusion of this provision compels me to state that I would object to a unanimous consent request to the Senate proceeding with this legislation until a provision that provides true Internet neutrality is included. . . .

    The large interests have made it clear that if this bill moves forward, they will begin to discriminate. A Verizon Communications executive has called for an "end to Google's `free lunch.'" A Bell South executive has said that he wants the Internet to be turned into a "pay-for-performance marketplace." What they and other cable and phone company executives are proposing is that instead of providing equal access for everyone to the same content at the same price, they will set up sweetheart arrangements to play favorites. Without net neutrality protections, this bill is bad news for consumers and anyone who today enjoys unlimited access to all of the Net's applications, service and content."


    Republicans were hoping that lower cable television bills would be the carrot that would allow the telco's to steal the meal. Telco's competing with cable companies should allow lower cable cost and the bill could have passed with a net nuetrality provision applying to the internet. Now there is this hold.

    Right now, the majority doesn't have the 60 votes to end a filibuster so Wyden's "hold" is a real threat.

    http://agonist.org/sean_paul_kelley/20060628/wyden_putting_a_hold_on_the_legislation
  • rightonduderightondude Posts: 745
    yeah...those in the US will feel the have/have not scenario.....to have/have not a voice that is...

    keep squeezing the people until they bleed from the eyes...:rolleyes:

    great gov't policy...
  • rightonduderightondude Posts: 745
    know1 wrote:
    They can't give away the internet. They may try, but they will be unsuccessful. It's bigger than the U.S.

    Oh definitely. I think Americans are getting screwed enough 24/7 already though. It's it bad enough they are literally giving up their lives because of it. Now they gotta clamp down on their freedom of knowledge and speech?

    I can only imagine where this is going. Big corporations...big problems...

    maybe there is no answer to anything anymore...we're in the final times and just fookered royally. I wish I knew. I wish I was getting better news each day but....nope....it's all shit.

    Rock on USA...In the meantime I'll be waiting out this nonstop feces eating party in another (peaceful) country tipping margeuritas on the beach.
  • El_KabongEl_Kabong Posts: 4,141
    standin above the crowd
    he had a voice that was strong and loud and
    i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
    eager to identify with
    someone above the crowd
    someone who seemed to feel the same
    someone prepared to lead the way
  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    How much longer are Americans going to remain in their perpetual retarded stupor? America the fucked...
    That may well be the best start to a post I've ever read.
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
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