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Net Neutrality Vets Join Obama FCC Transition Team
circleid writes "The Obama-Biden transition team on Friday named two long-time net neutrality advocates to head up its Federal Communications Commission Review team. Susan Crawford, a professor at the University of Michigan Law School, member of the board of directors of ICANN, and OneWebDay founder, as well as Kevin Werbach, former FCC staffer, organizer of the annual Supernova technology conference, and a Wharton professor, will lead the Obama-Biden transition team's review of the FCC. 'Both are highly-regarded outside-the-Beltway experts in telecom policy, and they've both been pretty harsh critics of the Bush administration's telecom policies in the past year.' The choice of the duo strongly signals an entirely different approach to the incumbent-friendly telecom policy-making that's characterized most of the past eight-years at the FCC."
Reuters has a related story about Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), who plans to introduce net neutrality legislation in January.
You just made my day! I was wondering when the faithful 1999 game of Doom would come to light. We probably need to start impeachment hearings before Obama is even sworn into office due to his affiliation with such a dangerous person as Kevin Mitnick.
After all, we no longer need to FREE KEVIN because KEVIN FREE . He is free to point out security holes and run his security consulting firm. What ever are we going to do?
Hehe, I had an old Subaru that had a FREE KEVIN sticker on it. People used to pull up along side me on city streets, parking lots, stop lights, even the highway and ask, "WHO'S KEVIN!?". It was a special challenge to explain that at a 60 second stop light, or 75 mph.
This one's tricky. You have to use imaginary numbers, like eleventeen... --Hobbes
I'd just like to point out that the OP is subtly conflating two issues here: warrantless wiretapping and network neutrality. The headline claims that Obama's supposed genius is in nominating advocates of network neutrality, but then goes on to say how they're reputed as outspoken opponents of Bush's telecom policy.
The thing is, network neutrality hasn't become a ripe enough issue for the current administration to need to take a stance on it. Bush's telecom policy has really just revolved around warrantless wiretapping and immunity to lawsuits brought concerning said wiretapping.
On a side note, the OP's attitude toward Obama's supposed genius is just another example of why Congress hasn't done something concerning network neutrality yet. Far-left groups like MoveOn.org picked up network neutrality for some bizarre reason, making the concept untouchable by conservatives, even those who understand that the regional Internet duopolies need at least a few rules to keep them from abusing the consumer. OP obviously subscribes to the MoveOn.org school of thought, as evidenced by linking election rhetoric buzzwords like "past eight years" to the FCC, even though the commissioners serve five-year terms, and the Commission can have no more than three of its five members from the same political party.
On another side note, Obama's early interest in the FCC suggests that the Fairness Doctrine might rear its head again with his support.
I am really getting sick of people propagating the myth that Wall Street was deregulated. The US Government intervenes every single day in the financial markets. The Federal Reserve sets the cost of capital in a committed effort to manipulate the cost/benefit analysis of businesses deciding how and when to grow. The government has a very heavy hand on the financial markets, especially when it comes to encouraging individuals and companies to spend when they wouldn't otherwise spend, and yet when a bubble (which by definition is unnatural valuation) bursts and companies fail because they have inadequate savings (since they spent too much), no one asks whether the existing government regulation was to blame for any of it?
(Well, that is not entirely true. There are actually a few individuals in Congress who are asking these questions. But most of the public is not asking them, because they do not understand the market.)
I am really getting sick of people propagating the myth that Wall Street was deregulated.
Wall Street WAS deregulated. You nice little straw man is that they weren't FULLY de-regulated; they were still not allowed to feed on babies.
> Markets can't be free without the proper regulation
I was going to respond to your comment, but I can't make any sense at all of this part of it. Maybe you should read up a little on what a free market is.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_market
Here, I'll even quote a bit of it since you probably won't bother clicking the link:
Got it???