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Network Neutrality — Without Regulation
boyko.at.netqos writes "Timothy B. Lee (no relation to Tim Berners-Lee), a frequent contributor to Ars Technica and Techdirt, has recently written 'The Durable Internet,' a paper published by the libertarian-leaning CATO institute. In it, Lee argues that because a neutral network works better than a non-neutral one, the Internet's open-ended architecture is not likely to vanish, despite the fears of net neutrality proponents, (and despite the wishes of net neutrality opponents.) For that reason, perhaps network neutrality legislation isn't necessary — or even desirable — from an open-networks perspective. In addition to the paper, Network Performance Daily has an interview and podcast with Tim Lee, and Lee addresses counter-arguments with a blog posting for Technology Liberation Front."
It was called the Community Reinvestment Act, enacted under Carter. It was intended to stop the practice of redlining. You know, redlining, where banks would refuse to make loans into certain neighborhoods that had a high percentage of bad loans and ineligible borrowers.
The CRA forced them to make bad loans so they could stay in business. Clinton increased the regulations so they had to make more. And Bush the Recent tried several times to re-regulate the system to reduce the requirement to make bad loans, every time opposed by Franks and Obama et.al. "We don't need regulation, there is no problem", sang the Dems.
There is a strange element of faith that has developed around the free market. It's not enough for the Chicago school people to study the markets, model them, and make predictions or develop policy around those ever improving models. It seems as if they believe that a free market is universally benevolent to the point where they are willing to disregard any evidence to that there could have outcomes many people might not find desirable. The a major problem with this view of economics is that even in its idealized form it really isn't that profitable and no one wants to run a business while fighting cut throat competition when they possibly avoid it. Markets are made of people.
The credit problems and the various bubbles are rooted in a few generic problems: 1. People taking part in the markets are often poorly informed and irrational. 2. Over a short period some people can cheat a market for higher profits and often escape the consequences of doing so.
Markets are based on a notion of value and that is a psychological thing. To ignore the human element in favor of a model based on some vast crowds of these mythical, rational buyers and sellers is a mistake.
If you didn't come to party don't bother knocking on my door. Prince '1999'
Tell me about it. How dumb to blame ISP availability on such tiny things, such as .. oh, I don't know .. cable monopoly status granted by franchise agreements with local governments, for periods lasting decades.
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