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Status Report On Key Internet Legislation

Posted by timothy on from the laws-and-sausages dept.

HardLogic writes: "Business 2.0 is running descriptions and status updates on five key high-tech bills that are currently before Congress, including the 'PNTR for China bill,' 'American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act,' 'Internet Nondiscrimination Act,' two broadband bills, and the 'Unsolicited Commercial Electronic Mail Act.'" It's nice to see that legislation doesn't all fall into the grey and hazy zone after the initial public furor, too.

3 of 69 comments (clear)

  1. Thanks, Hardlogic... by phutureboy · · Score: 4

    ...for lifting that submission off my site verbatim without crediting the person who wrote the words (aka me).

    Not the world's biggest deal, but it would have been a nice gesture...



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  2. "American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act" by Money__ · · Score: 5
    "American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act"

    The name of this one sent up my bullshit alarm right away.

    From the article:
    " One of the most pressing problems facing the Internet is the shortage of high-skilled workers. And since those workers can be found abroad, many high-tech companies are desperate to see Congress pass legislation that issues more special permits,or H-1B visas, so they can bring those workers to the United States. "

    This a huuuuge load of BS. American companies want cheap labor to bring over indenured servants who spend 14 hours a day in their cubicle pounding it out for the man. Sacraficing their one and only youth in order not to be deported.

    There is no IT labor shortage. There's a lack of cheap IT labor.

  3. Re:Why they aren't that good by phutureboy · · Score: 4

    PNTR China Act - China has a nasty habit of starting up bulldozers and mowing down people who think freely. Why are we, a allegedly democratic part-of-the-free-world country supporting this?

    Trade with the Chinese offers a much better hope of improving the human rights situation there than does economic isolation. The Soviet Union fell in large part because of the citizens' exposure to Western films and music. As trashy as our entertainment may be, it showed them that they don't *have* to live under poverty and oppression.

    Also consider that trade between nations strongly improves relations between the countries, and drastically reduces the chances of the two countries being involved in armed conflict against each other. Countries who depend upon each other are less likely to bomb each other. It may be cheesy to repeat this, but no two countries that have a McDonald's have ever been at war.

    I'd rather have China as a trading partner than an enemy.



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