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30% of Americans Want "Balanced" Blogging

Cutie Pi writes "In a recent Rasmussen poll looking at the public's attitudes toward a possible revival of the fairness doctrine by the Democrats, a surprisingly large percentage of those polled seek fairness doctrine mandates (originally intended for public airwaves) to cover the Internet as well. It is encouraging that a minority of people feel that way, but Democrats say 'hands-off the Internet ... by a far smaller margin than Republicans and unaffiliated voters. Democrats oppose government-mandated balance on the Internet by a 48% to 37% margin. Sixty-one percent (61%) of Republicans reject government involvement in Internet content along with 67% of unaffiliated voters.'"

13 of 720 comments (clear)

  1. So does this mean? by lecithin · · Score: 5, Funny

    If /. were fair and balanced would each posting as an AC be treated as +1 subscriber?????

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    1. Re:So does this mean? by BeanThere · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yes, the moderation system is clearly yet another manifestation of the oppression of the underclass by the elite bourgeois ruling classes. Who gets to say what is "good" and "bad" anyway? The suppression of alternate points of view is nothing less than the suppression of alternate non-mainstream modes of knowledge. All points of view are equally valid, therefore all posts should automatically be +5, always (including this one, *cough cough*).

  2. 70% of Americans by Qzukk · · Score: 4, Funny

    Aren't complete blithering idiots.

    Hey, I'm just being "balanced"... if we're talking about 30% we have to talk about the other 70% too in order to be fair, right?

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    1. Re:70% of Americans by Farmer+Tim · · Score: 3, Funny

      Aren't complete blithering idiots.

      Must...resist...bait...

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  3. Re:In other news... by Darkness404 · · Score: 2, Funny

    31? Last time I did any type of computer help it was more like 95%

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  4. That same 30% then asked... by Sfing_ter · · Score: 3, Funny

    That same 30% then asked...
    wtf is a blog?

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  5. Re:republicans favoring less government involvemen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    The previous Republican majority was not conservative.

    That's right - they were compassionate.

  6. Re:Oh goody... by moderatorrater · · Score: 3, Funny

    hey, lets lower taxes and not increase spending, that's a *great* idea,

    That's one of the best fucking ideas I've ever heard. However, from your criticism, I'm guessing the word "not" wasn't supposed to be in there.

  7. Re:The truth is simple. by CopaceticOpus · · Score: 3, Funny

    So you're saying there are 2 ways of thinking - either think that there are only 2 of everything, or think that there are more than 2 sides to everything?

    (Well, am I right or am I wrong?)

  8. Re:republicans favoring less government involvemen by maxume · · Score: 2, Funny

    So Catholic priests are Democrats who say they are Republicans?

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  9. Checks on the SCOTUS by superyooser · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, the President appoints those judges. And I think that Congress can impeach Supreme Court judges (somebody please correct me if I'm wrong), although it's rarely if ever done.

  10. Fairness by jandersen · · Score: 2, Funny

    I think it is basically a good idea; the only problem being how to define and enforce fairness. Several countries in Europe have something similar, which is why European news seem so much more varied than American news. The broadcasting services in Europe seem to have originated mostly as public services, and building in some sort of 'fairness-doctrine' only seemed natural, since the state is supposed to be the servant of the whole of the population, not just the party that happens to be in power.

    The sad fact is that American news services are anything but balanced, which at the end of the day harms democracy. How can the electorate make an informed choice about anything when the news are all distorted? People aren't stupid - they can see that each broadcaster has its own agenda, so they give up trying to find out what really goes on and only tune in on the channels that don't challenge their chosen belief; and in effect politics, political news and political ideologies have become irrelevant backgroud noise, replaced by indifferent gossip about the politicians - like "Obama sounds like Osama, hur hur".

    How can we repair America? That what I'd like to know. I know from experience that Americans are good and decent people; so why is the American nation such a vile bastard in many ways? Whatever else the explanation is, it is clear that the government of America is not a true representation of its people.

  11. Fairness Doctrine..liberals can't compete fairly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Fairness doctrine. Air America failed and you want to take it out on the other side because they succeed.