Net Brutality… Literally

FreedomWorks.org ^ | May 18, 2006 | Brendan Steinhauser

[DogByte6RER]

Net Brutality… Literally

FreedomWorks crashes press event: check out the great photos!

By Brendan Steinhauser, FreedomWorks Grassroots Manager

May 18, 2006

A free market coalition led by FreedomWorks and Protest Warrior crashed the press conference held today by Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), MoveOn.org and musician Moby. Our sign “Net Brutality” proved fitting, as one of the Left’s activists struck one of our members in the face with a sign. This incident interrupted the press conference, causing Rep. Markey and Moby to turn and look at the commotion. The man was swiftly ushered away by the MoveOn crowd as to avoid further embarrassment. MoveOn claims that the man was not a member, but was “some random guy from off the street.”

FreedomWorks staff and volunteers attended the press conference with signs that said, “Say No to Net Neutrality,” “Hands Off the Internet” and “No Net Neutering.” FreedomWorks handed out copies of Researcher Arpan Sura’s piece on net neutrality published in Human Events Online, as well as today’s The Wall Street Journal’s piece on the same topic.

The would-be Internet regulators tried to block these signs and marginalize the message of FreedomWorks and Protest Warrior. However, as the pictures show, we were able to avoid being censored.

The hypocrisy of the Left was evident today, as they did not welcome any dissenting views. The Left’s frustration was apparent as reporters began snapping photos and pointing their TV cameras at the protestors, and Rep. Markey’s message got lost in the battle for positioning behind him. One Hill staffer was particularly upset when a FreedomWorks staff member was interviewed by NPR news. The Hill staffer even interrupted the reporter, to which the reporter instructed the Hill staffer to let him to do his job.

[DogByte6RER]

What an excellent crash protest! You can just see the limp-wristed Moby wilting away under the scrutiny of FreedomWorks and the Protest Warriors. A job well done...bravo zulu! Maybe these socialists like Markey and Moby will think twice about trying to regulate my internet like the ChiComs do.

Brendan Steinhauser deserves a raise or a promotion at FreedomWorks for pulling this one off.

[Rev. Pogo]

Hibbiddy Jibbity

[staytrue]

sorry, but I'm on the other side of yours.

net neutrality means the isps must treat all megabytes the same.

without net neutrality, soros could pay the isps to put FR in the slow lane or mellon scaif could pay to put DU in the slow lane

this serves no one. treat all megabytes the same please.

[Doctor Raoul]

MoveOn claims that the man was not a member, but was “some random guy from off the street.”

Some random guy off the street WITH A SIGN?

Lying MoveOn bastards.

[DogByte6RER]

Yeah...

They're not even very good at lying. MoveOn.org is pathetic.

[Quix]

SUPERCALIFRAGIDOSHIUSLY FANTASMAGORICALLY WONDERFUL!

THANKS TONS!

[Timothy]

I have a question for you concerning your fear:

Why is it that his hasn't happened so far?

There is nothing in place now to prevent the abuses that you mention; in fact, it would have been much easier at different times over the last decade for manipulations like that to have taken place.

So far it hasn't happened - why not?

[Ronin]

I am not sure what this is about, but if MoveOn.org is on one side, I am on the other. That much is common sense to me.

[bstein80]

Wrong Answer!

This is about preventing federal regulation of the internet. Who would you rather have making decisions on bandwith: the companies competing in a free market, or the federal government.

(Jeopardy Theme)

Here is The Wall Street Journal on the issue:
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110008391

[bstein80]

This should convince the rest of you:
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MmRjMGQ2ZjI0ZDAzOGMxZGJiODkxYWJiMmRjYzQwNTQ=

[nopardons]

bttt

[Penner]

treat all megabytes the same please.

Yes, or the alternative media will go away.

[Ronin]

Interesting. In Japan there are already different prices for different levels of broadband service. I am a mid-level subscriber, not the slowest, not the fastest.

It wouldn't occur to a Japanese company not to have various service levels with various price structures. Of course, there is a lot more competition on the broadband market here. More than twenty companies just in Tokyo, and that doesn't even include cable providers.

[staytrue]

from the national review article you linked:

"The telecoms say that they need the revenue in order to build the networks of the future"

This is a money grab by the telecoms to sell fast net access to the highest bidder. This is not a good thing.

[KoRn]

Love that tag line. =)