Net Neutrality Supporters Hammered In Elections

Pickens writes "Gigi Sohn writes in the Huffington Post that one of the results of the mid-term elections was the defeat of Representative Rick Boucher, the current Chair of the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, widely recognized as one of the most tech-savvy and intelligent members of Congress, and long an advocate for consumers on a wide variety of communications and intellectual property issues. Boucher has been the best friend of fair use on Capitol Hill writes Sohn. In 2002, 2003 and 2007, Boucher introduced legislation to allow consumers to break digital locks for lawful purposes, a fair use exception to the anti-circumvention provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and while the odds against that legislation passing were always great, Boucher understood the symbolic importance of standing up for consumers' rights to use technology lawfully. 'As important, he served as a moderating force both on the House Energy & Commerce and Judiciary Committees against those many members of Congress willing to give large media companies virtually everything on their copyright wish lists.'"

Comments

Net neutrality is not capitalism

[Relayman]

Under capitalism, the providers get to provide whatever traffic shaping they want. If you don't like it, get a another provider. If you only have one choice, well, that's part of the system, too. The people have spoken: Capitalism rules, this touchy-feely stuff like "net neutrality" is out the window.

Re:Net neutrality is not capitalism

[bonch]

How is having one government provider somehow different from having one private provider, other than that it's much harder to change governments? I've never really understood how people logically justify telling sysadmins at a company how they're supposed to regulate traffic on their network. If people are paying to use their network, they can regulate it however they want. Since internet access isn't a right but a convenient privilege, I'm not sure why the government is involved in the first place.

Re:Net neutrality is not capitalism

[jhigh]

no govt provider, just govt lines, that they lease at a small amount above cost(tax) to anyone that wants it, at publicly announced rates.

So you think that now that the private sector has spent billions paying to have these lines installed, the government should just take them over?

Holy hell, at least say that you want your tax money to go to pay for new lines, as opposed to just outright stealing them from companies that have already paid for them.

Re:Net neutrality is not capitalism

[tyrione]

You're basic premise is comically flawed. The City is a Government. Your naturally absurd conclusion is for each person to manage their own Fiber network. Your assumption is based upon the absurdly laughable self-reliance principle that fails consistently in large civilizations. Your other absurdity with localized governments being capable is the presumption that people are ethically aware. No matter who runs any system there will always be gaming of the systems by those managing them, to a varying degree.

The US Libertarian Party changes it's diapers [bylaws] every year. The Party of Peter Principles keeps changing it's Peter more often than Pinocchio lies. They will forever be relegated to a niche party for their notion of the greater good centers around the Greater World of Me.

Re:Voter understanding of Net Neutrality is nil.

[noidentity]

We don't want no government controlling MY internet. I'd rather trust big-company-x-with-no-ulterior-motives-whatsoever. God Bless America.

Yes, it's much better to have the big-governemtn-with-no-ulterior-motives-whatsoever control all the companies' data lines.

Re:Duh, it was a conservative voterbase

[Mashiki]

Sure is pretty liberal hurt feeling out there today. So tell me, how much do you listen to media matters and their ilk while soros pushes his agenda on you?

Re:nothing neutral on either side

[MichaelKristopeit131]

just like you said... it's NOT about being neutral. it is about specific action towards a goal.

Re:Worst PR EVER

[imthesponge]

Mod parent up.