Posted on 04/10/2011 5:44:21 PM PDT by Freemarkets101
A Republican-backed resolution passed a 240-179 vote to repeal a December 2010 measure approved by the FCC that was designed to prevent broadband providers from blocking access to certain websites and applications. The Democrats are not happy.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said of the resolution, “No one should be guarding the gate on the Internet" and the White House said that net neutrality rules came from "a process that brought together parties on all sides of [the] issue -- from consumer groups to technology companies to broadband providers." They say that a "free and open communication" network is vital to maintaining American democracy.
But the fact is, private markets naturally work things out. And that is the thesis of a free market democracy, the choice for consumers to move between products -- which include broadband services and internet content.
The problem is net neutrality rules are a stepping stone for increased government regulation of the internet. Once the door is cracked, opening the door becomes much easier, which could very well lead to regulating website content. After all, Obama and his fellow Democrat acolytes despise opposition. Like, say, conservative news and blogging? Websites such as National Review, Townhall.com, and the Free Republic?
So the Democrats' goal to promote a "free and open internet" could very well lead to an "oppressive and closed internet." But we shall see, as Obama has announced a veto and the Democratic-controlled Senate awaits.
Read Brian Koenig's blogs and columns at www.brianekoenig.com
The internet is not FREE and OPEN.
Access to it must be paid to the IP.
Browsing as a customer is free, but many websites require paid membership.
Hosting a website can be ‘free’, but that is rare. A small blog can be run for free, but a website with high volume is pretty costly.
The best way to ‘manage’ the internet is to NOT manage it. Leave it alone, let it grow, like it always has.
What the government wants is the ability to control the access to the internet, and manipulate the information on it.
The internet is the new ‘tool’ that the Democrats/Socialists/Commies/etc can use to stay in power. They see the ‘power’ it can wield, and they want it under their thumb.
I’m going out on a limb here and predicting that Obama, or “Mr. Votes Present”, will not veto this or any other bill while he is President.
Pelosi’s a fargin’ loon...
If the Democrats had their way, the internet would be as free and open as their Chinese mentors...
Now if that one sort of high speed provider decides that Free Republic is a "hate speech" site and should be eliminated, I have no recourse.
Or, if they decide that liberal sites should load at 10x the speed of conservative ones, there is no realistic alternative.
What does "net-neutrality" do that I shouldn't like?
I have already been notified by AT&T that they will be changing my service, and may not be able to use my internet or cell phones as much as previously and that it could decrease suddenly. Can we say Net Neutrality?
A Republican-backed resolution passed a 240-179 vote to repeal a December 2010 measure approved by the FCC that was designed to prevent broadband providers from blocking access to certain websites and applications.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.