Posted on 12/21/2010 10:40:28 AM PST by Red in Blue PA
WASHINGTON -- The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday approved a plan to regulate the Internet despite warnings that it could strangle industry investment and damage an economy that is still struggling to recover.
The 3-2 vote fell along partisan lines with Democrats capitalizing on their numerical advantage.
The rules would prohibit phone and cable companies from abusing their control over broadband connections to discriminate against rival content or services, such as Internet phone calls or online video, or play favorites with Web traffic.
Lawmakers in both parties have been arguing for months that Congress, not the Obama administration, should take the lead role in deciding whether and how much to police the web. But despite a brief backing-off earlier in the year, the FCC has pushed ahead with its new regulatory plan.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski secured the three votes needed for approval, despite firm opposition from the two Republicans on the five-member commission.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
As with any other war, taking out the enemy’s ability to communicate is critical.
The same way firearms were regulated for the past seventy-five years in spite of the regulations being unconstitutional. They'll threaten their targets with taking them to court and put regulations in place that nominally don't have anything to do with content but that will only be enforced against those who don't "play the game". That's exactly how Fannie and Freddie were used to undermine the entire mortgage industry and unless Congress steps in the same sort of thing will work with service providers.
Rush has said this is being pushed by Soros and Google.
Screw that! Time to feed the pigs.
The same Courts that would have just ruled they have no jurisdiction to issue the regs in the first place? I don't think Comcast would be too worried in that event.
“I hope the thug in our White House isn’t going to step forward as a tyrant to an even greater extent than already.”
So so true. This is my fear. The chances of miscalculation are extremely high here. We are backed into a hard corner.
And yet, the Kenyan and his forces are bolder than ever. They are attacking into areas that have long been understood as forbidden. They fully show the attitide of a clear victor, going in for the final kill.
I do not think they will stop because they think they have won. Soon they will go much too far and provoke a defensive response. This is only a prediction. I will include the obligatory police state language that “i do not advocate this”.
We live in place where you routinely see people afraid to say what they sincerely believe the future holds because the statist forces will swing into action.
But it is clearly time to firmly put our boot on Obama’s neck, and the other on the throat of whoever we elect on his place. Way past time.
That sums it up nicely. The government has declared war on the people, and are now in the process of disrupting the ability for people to communicate with one another. The lack of communication will reduce the liklihood of a coordinated defense against the fascist's next action.
We're past that "awkward time", folks.
“Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas?”
Joseph Stalin
Dude,,, thank you for posting that quote.
The House doesn’t get a say on START.
By trying to keep the internet free from prioritization, the legislators are killing it how exactly? When your ISP says you have to have the highest tier internet package to stream ANYTHING, you’ll realize how foolish you are.
I’d love to see the look on your face when you call up your ISP and try to get some answers as to why you can’t get to freerepublic anymore. Only to hear - We don’t support that site, we suggest you go to democraticunderground instead, they have priority data flow on our network.
And you figure the only thing Comcast can be threatened with is a single, specific, already shot down issue? Do they pay taxes? Do they buy property? Do they have infrastructure? Do they employ anyone? Come on, you're being deliberately dull on this and you know it. The FCC will find a way to get what they want whether they're the ones weilding the club or some other branch of government is.
I’d like to know on what authority the FCC plans on doing this. They have been shot down in court on this already I guess they like getting spanked by the judges.
Define insanity... Repeating the same process over and over and over again and expecting different results.
Uh, you were the one who said the FCC would go to the Courts to avoid obeying the Courts.
Yes, and in the free market, you have a choice. In the world of ISPs, you often have no choice, or a choice of two. The telco's have treated the internet as net neutral up to this point. You are enjoying the benefits of net neutrality today. When the telco's start breaking the internet into tiers, banning sites, downgrading service, charging more - all simply because they CAN - You might begin to understand how HORRIBLE it is for businesses to do what you are suggesting.
Basically, big businesses have been giving you the drug for "free"(simply price of your internet package today), now it's time for them to charge you big $$$$$$.
And they will, just not over they issue that’s been shot down.
“The lack of communication will reduce the liklihood of a coordinated defense against the fascist’s next action.”
The speed and power of TEA mobilization scared them. They know that it was only *a hint* of what will mobilize against the steps they still have planned. They have to control the internet.
Healthcare, banking, housing, retirements, education, college loans, guns, etc,,, we are being lead straight into a dictatorship.
“But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government,,,,”
Hey guys,,I think i see a design
Our Government Masters simply cannot resist the impulse to fxxx around with everything under the sun, invariably making things worse than before.
Why are we paying Congress? Let's disband the "representatives" of the people and there staffs and save some money.
Why are we paying Congress? Let's disband the "representatives" of the people and their staffs and save some money.
You are dead wrong. This is like dictating to guns and ammo magazine that they may not refuse to print pro-gun control articles. A private infrastructure, administering it’s medium as it best sees fit.
If you are correct, then why are the statist democrats the sole ones pushing for this? Can you point to any other Democrat policy that is designed to advance free speech? Does it strike you as odd that the people who bring you speech codes, fairness doctrines, advocacy for pulling licenses of stations carrying Rush, regulating internet content for accuracy, etc are SUDDENLY worried about the free flow of information?
Last, the flow of service providers is a rush to the bottom, price-wise. If some provider goes too far in a tiered price scheme, that give their competitor a chance to undercut them with a better deal.
Last, please explain how you believe the FCC derives power to regulate a private infrastructure of an internet service provider? Do you similarly believe they should be able regulate what movies are allowed access to HBO? Do you believe a newspaper should be forced to carry content it finds unprofitable?
The only “free drug” here, is the one that lets the FCC “fix” their first internet problem. This establishes the precedent that the FCC can regulate the net.
After that, content control is only a vote away. You’ll love having your ISP having to go through FCC licensing like a TV or Radio station. Carry those lame public service announcements, have community activists able to challenge the licenses, regulation of content like TV.
Yeah,, that free drug of using the FCC to “fix” the internet is some goooood stuff! Wait till they collect from you,,,, You really think that will statisfy them? How can you not recognize the very first event bringing the FCC into a new realm?
Poll: People can’t live without high-speed Internet
Excerpt:
High-speed Internet has had the greatest technological impact on society over the past decade and is the technology most people say they cannot live without, according to a new poll.
http://chicagobreakingbusiness.com/2010/12/poll-people-cant-live-without-high-speed-internet.html
Wrong, it’s about power for the (strike liberal) elites.
Doesn’t matter which rat bastards they are or what letter comes after their name.
This is about control of information flow, which is key to government control. We the people cannot refuse to be ruled if we don’t know what they are doing to us or planning to do to us. Information is power and more important that ever in the US as we no longer truly have a free press, but a propaganda machine. They have the press, the education system, a lot of religious organizations. If we can’t get the truth somewhere they will rule us much easier than they now do.
That’s the senate that’s rolling over. Typical gang of 12 BS.
Here are the six “principles” of today’s ruling. Once the FCC’s lawyers get through with it, they can mean anything they want them to.
1) Transparency. Consumers and innovators have a right to know the basic performance characteristics of their Internet access and how their network is being managed.
2) No Blocking. A right to send and receive lawful traffic. This prohibits blocking of lawful content, apps, services, and the connection of non-harmful devices to the network
3) Level Playing Field. A right to a level playing field. A ban on unreasonable discrimination. No approval for so-called “pay for priority” arrangements involving fast lanes for some companies but not others.
4) Network Management. An allowance for broadband providers to engage in reasonable network management. These rules don’t forbid providers from offering subscribers tiers of service or charging based on bandwidth consumed.
5) Mobile. Broadly applicable rules requiring transparency for mobile broadband providers, and prohibiting them from blocking websites and certain competitive applications.
6) Vigilance. Creation of an Open Internet Advisory Committee to assist the Commission in monitoring the state of Internet openness and the effects of our rules.
The courts and Congress have both said that the FCC must not do this....the three RATS on the FCC today thumbed their noses at Congress and the judiciary.
The new GOP Congress will control the purse strings....they should COMPLETELY defund the FCC until this bullcrap is repealed.
That is a very good question wl and I believe the FCC has overstepped their authority. A quick search of FCC court rulings indicates that the courts have recently determined this as well:
“The fight over net neutrality landed in lawmakers’ laps Tuesday when a court decision stripped the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of authority to regulate the Internet.”
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/90909-ruling-on-fcc-hands-congress-a-tough-task
We are quickly becoming a dictatorship with reps from Congress to the Executive flaunting law that they do not agree with and choose to ignore. See also - Gerald Walpin firing, “Illegal Immigration”, offering bribes to Sestak, etc.
Please note that undocumented migratory workers will be exempt from all bans associated with this bill.
Ain’t that the truth. The GOP play pudgeball.
Democrats and republican politicians are both guilty. Their political system of socialist oligarchy and financial enslavement is a virus within
change you can belive in
ARE YOU SERIOUS? THE INTERNET IS MADE UP OF BILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND 5 PEOPLE COME ALONG AND SAY BTW WE CONTROL YOU NOW?
The time for "pitchforks" is quickly coming to an end. I predict that the time for firmer measures will be upon us within the next 2 years ... if we wish to retain any semblence of freedom. However I suspect that it will be forced upon us in any case
All yur innernets are belong to us.
we are so screwed because generations have been spoiled by affluence and lulled into submission we are being exploited and enslaved by taxes and debt by a small elitist group of very powerful whimps
think about it though, it is only about 1,000 out of shape limpwristed silver spoon fools in suits that completly rule our lives and seize nearly half of our paychecks to feed their fat soft bellys so that they can write more laws to control us
think about it though, it is only about 1,000 out of shape limpwristed silver spoon fools in suits that completly rule our lives and seize nearly half of our paychecks to feed their fat soft bellys so that they can write more laws to control us
Given that they were warned, I’d say one of the first things the republicans in the house need to do is to de-fund the FCC.
Make an example out of them, that the EPA would do well to observe.
Well, there goes the neighborhood. I better dig up my old BBS software and get used to paying long distance phone charges again. Here decades after underground BBS stuff goes away we enter a new century and it looks like anything that doesn't touch the Internet will be the next generation of free speech like it was prior to the Internet. Anyone else remember the raids on BBS sites back in the eighties? Those couldn't be regulated, either, but the distributors of evil software could be "taken down" by the Feds and they did so with gusto. JMHO
The ISPs are going to filter the content of the internet, say bye-bye to netflix, youtube, streaming as you knew it. You want to get to THAT site? Sorry, not on our ISP. Streaming? you need to pay big $$$. The morphing of the internet will come quicker and with much worse results with the telco's foaming at the mouth to monetize everything on the internet.
Again, the House has no authority over treaties. I'm amazed at how many times that has to be explained.
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