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FCC Says Net Neutrality Decision Delay Is About Courts, Not Politics

blottsie writes with this news from The Daily Dot: "The Federal Communications Commission's seemingly suspicious timing in delaying its net neutrality decision has absolutely nothing to do with recent politics, according to an FCC official. Instead, it's a matter of some people in the agency insisting they be more prepared before going to court to defend their eventual plan. In January, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., ruled in favor of Verizon, which challenged the FCC's 2010 Open Internet rules, striking down the agency's net neutrality protections. The court found that the FCC did not use the proper legal structure to establish its regulatory authority over broadband service—something that many legal experts say would not be the case if the FCC invokes Title II. The FCC's move to delay the net neutrality decision, which followed President Obama's support of Title II reclassification, was just a coincidence, according to the FCC official:" Before the president weighed in, several of our staff felt like the record was a little thin in areas, and the last thing you want when you go to court for the third time is for a court to say the record was too thin, or you didn't give adequate notice. We are going to be so careful this time that we have crossed every T and dotted every I. Some of the staff felt we're not quite there yet."

60 comments

  1. Nov 25 or 26?, or Dec 19, 22, or 23? by Bob9113 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The best days to announce things like, "We've decided to completely ignore the will of the people and do what the guys with wheelbarrows full of money tell us to" are the days right before Thanksgiving and right before Christmas. My bet is on Nov. 25, leaving a day to get home to family, but Nov 26, or Dec 19, 22, or 23 would not surprise me.

    We can also say with some certainty when they won't announce; Dec 2, 9, or 16 -- Tuesdays during full work weeks -- are extremely unlikely.

    1. Re:Nov 25 or 26?, or Dec 19, 22, or 23? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      They're feds. Why don't they just pass it in the secret courts like they do everything else?

    2. Re:Nov 25 or 26?, or Dec 19, 22, or 23? by Etherwalk · · Score: 2

      These guys don't really think like that, usually.

      They'll be aware of it, sure; they will avoid making decisions that tank later opportunities in the private sector. But they are also usually not actively trying to do the wrong thing--they're trying to figure out what a fairly decent policy is that they can get traction on.

      The FCC doesn't have big teeth, and it has a lot of people who have industry experience and therefore an industry point-of-view. They are realists, and will probably try to put together a policy that makes things slightly better than they would be otherwise.

      If they try to be too active, Congress will whip them around. Communications vendors are major Congressional donors.

      As to the will of the people--we're talking net neutrality. People support it because they like the word "Neutral." This is one of those cases where democracy is a really bad basis for decision-making; kinda like asking voters to design a network topology.

    3. Re:Nov 25 or 26?, or Dec 19, 22, or 23? by strack · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Theres not much democracy in this particular decision making process. Theres the public private revolving door and plenty of lobbyist cash. And while democracy can be a bad basis for decision making, rampant regulatory capture by a industry with a natural monopoly in order to squeeze as much money out of customers as possible, and enact regulations that allow you to funnel customers to the sites of your vertically integrated media production companies, is a worse basis for decision making. People dont support it because they like the word "neutral", they support it cause it dosent take much imagination to figure out how fucked the internet is if net neutrality is not in place.

    4. Re:Nov 25 or 26?, or Dec 19, 22, or 23? by Bob9113 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      As to the will of the people--we're talking net neutrality. People support it because they like the word "Neutral."

      There may be some like that, but people like me, who have been working on the Internet since before hypertext, support it because the idea of letting ISPs make deals for fast lanes is about as stupid as allowing the electric company make deals with companies to cut off electricity to their competitors.

    5. Re:Nov 25 or 26?, or Dec 19, 22, or 23? by Attila+Dimedici · · Score: 1
      I like the idea of Net Neutrality. However, I do not believe that the government regulation that will implement "Net Neutrality" will reflect that good idea. And of course that leaves out the question of which form of Net Neutrality? Is it:
      • A) All packets must be treated the same, no matter what protocol they are?
      • Or

      • B) All packets must be treated the same, no matter their source or destination (but different protocols can be treated differently)?
      • I am convinced that government regulators will find a third definition for Net Neutrality if they actually implement a regulation which will contain some provision which will encourage (and possibly require) ISPs to throttle data from those who represent those not politically favored.

      --
      The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
    6. Re:Nov 25 or 26?, or Dec 19, 22, or 23? by Bob9113 · · Score: 1

      which form of Net Neutrality? A) protocol neutral? B) endpoint neutral?

      Both -- the carrier should not make prioritization decisions for me. My network and software should handle that, since my ISP can't know which packets are highest priority to me.

      I am convinced that government regulators will find a third definition for Net Neutrality

      That is a good reason to be eternally vigilant of the FCC, and the Internet is worth our effort. It is not a good reason to abdicate the decision to the ISPs, whose financial interests and both naturally- and regulatory- limited competition ensures a market-inefficient solution. The ISPs have the privilege of operating the carriage of our network for a profit. If they don't want that privilege, they can sell their gear and rights-of-way to a competitor. Both Google and municipal operations are wiping the floor with the incumbents everywhere they pop up.

  2. It's not about courts or politics by Monoman · · Score: 1

    It's about money.

    --
    Keep the Classic Slashdot.
    1. Re:It's not about courts or politics by NotInHere · · Score: 2

      Yeah, and politics is never about money.

    2. Re:It's not about courts or politics by houstonbofh · · Score: 1

      But at least they are willing to reach across (reach around) the isle to support this.

    3. Re:It's not about courts or politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > It's about money.

      There are only two parties that matter in American politics.
      Those who have been corrupted by money and those who have not.
      The former party dominates by a wide margin, it doesn't help that they have been able to restructure much of the process of governing to favor their party.

    4. Re:It's not about courts or politics by duck_rifted · · Score: 1

      Politics is about convincing people. What they're being convinced of is about money.

    5. Re:It's not about courts or politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not quite.
      It's "Those who have been corrupted by money, and those who will never get to office"

  3. Pbbbt by koan · · Score: 1, Troll

    It's been a conspiracy since day one, Obama appointed a lobbyist for the industry to the head of the FCC, then after it's a republican controlled congress and he has zero clout he comes out for "Net Neutrality" mean while fascist like Cruz say it will hurt Internet commerce, and that it's extreme.

    This is about buying time to grease the congressional wheels with industry cash and figuring out the best argument against the common carrier.

    --
    "If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
    1. Re:Pbbbt by houstonbofh · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Come on... At least this is one thing both sides totally agree on and give bi-partisan support. "Screw the people" is the motto.

    2. Re:Pbbbt by NotSanguine · · Score: 1

      It's been a conspiracy since day one, Obama appointed a lobbyist for the industry to the head of the FCC, then after it's a republican controlled congress and he has zero clout he comes out for "Net Neutrality" mean while fascist like Cruz say it will hurt Internet commerce, and that it's extreme.

      This is about buying time to grease the congressional wheels with industry cash and figuring out the best argument against the common carrier.

      Absolutely! GW Bush would never have appointed someone beholden to the industry to head the FCC

      There's plenty of blame to go around -- and even more money, especially after the Citizen's United decision.

      --
      No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
  4. Re:bring back bennett net neutrality secondary by koan · · Score: 0

    Hi Bennett.

    --
    "If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
  5. "staff" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    "Some of the staff felt we're not quite there yet." by "staff" they mean Verizon, right?

  6. Re:bring back bennett net neutrality secondary by binarylarry · · Score: 0

    You make some interesting points but I'd like to hear about what Bennett has to think about your position.

    --
    Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
  7. Re:bring back bennett net neutrality secondary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I hope you realize, you're helping Bennett become the next John Katz (if you don't remember him, you are a seven digit UID twerp and are irrelevant)

    Love him or hate him, you had to read him. He would still be with us, except his panties became so twisted that it strangled him and he couldn't take it any more. I miss him, but thankfully, we now have Bennett to hold our attention. And you're helping raise Bennett awareness, and for that, I thank you :)

  8. Full Title II by sonicmerlin · · Score: 1

    If they weren't opting for a trashy "hybrid" approach designed specifically to avoid preventing ISPs from abusing consumers, and instead were going for full bore Title II reclassification, they wouldn't need so much time to create a legal defense.

    1. Re:Full Title II by Todd+Knarr · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Except for the Congressmen and Senators and ISP reps who're saying the FCC doesn't have the authority to change the classification to Title II. What they're probably doing, what I'd be doing, is preparing an iron-clad argument based on the statute and on case law since then that the FCC does indeed have not just the authority to decide the classification (easy, the statute explicitly says they do) but also the authority to change it at a later date (this takes more research to nail down).

    2. Re:Full Title II by Truekaiser · · Score: 2

      And then a month later, the law is changed after it's attached to something that 'must' pass. Then the lawsuits pour in.

  9. Like we ever believe anything the Gubment says... by Kili · · Score: 1

    It's not like we the people ever believe anything the government says anymore. The American people have been so filled with BS over the last few administrations regardless of which part is in power that we have all become jaded. If you are a republican you don't believe anything the democrats say. If are a democrat you don't believe anything the republicans say. If you are one of the aforementioned parties you have been sucked into the false dichotomy and they have you pitted against each other so they can maintain control. To quote one of the wises men ever to be quoted... "It's a big club, and you ain't in it!" -George Carlin.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

  10. I guess they have to say these things by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

    Constant repetition is a proven method of reenforcing an idea, no matter how absurd it might be. People are believing. All is well. There is nothing to complain about.

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    1. Re:I guess they have to say these things by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1

      And even if you don't believe in a certain course of action, more than 99% of people simply won't oppose the wisdom of the crowd / authority / whatever. Going along to get along appears to be an inherent trait of humans - and one that explains everything from Nazi death camps to the mortgage scams to "My country right or wrong".

      --
      "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
    2. Re:I guess they have to say these things by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      Going along to get along appears to be an inherent trait of humans...

      Nothing 'human' about it. It's plain old herd instinct. It's hardwired in. This is what is being exploited so easily, and we're not ever going to argue our way out of it. On the contrary, we will continue to write holy books wholly rationalizing it as necessary subservience to whoever's god rules that particular century. The best we can do about our biological nature is ponder. Change is not forthcoming.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  11. Today I realized... by BringsApples · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Only today, I realized that slashdot is actually over. I've been wondering why I get 15 mod points every time I log in, and only now does it hit me. I'll bet that I'm one of probably 5 people that are moderating, and I'll bet that there's less than 50 people that are actually participating in slashdot at all (commentators and moderators). Looking at the last few stories, it looks like there are less than 30 comments to most stories these days, and I haven't been seeing many posts even getting points, most (that aren't AC) are staying at 1 or 2, depending on karma I'm assuming. The stories are crap, and no one is actually participating.

    I'm out. It was fun.

    Oh, and to "I kan reed" it was me that modded you flaimbait today. :)

    --
    Politics; n. : A religion whereby man is god.
    1. Re:Today I realized... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > Only today, I realized that slashdot is actually over. I've been wondering why I get 15 mod points every time I log in

      It is a bug. Back when I still used to log in every day I would go for an entire year with no mod points, and then for about a month I'd get a never ending supply of them in 15-point increments, like it was clearing out a backlog. Feast and famine. That pattern lasted at least five years. Then soylent came around and I stopped logging in over here.

    2. Re:Today I realized... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I haven't had mod points for a month. Dice must be punishing me for expressing my opinion about inconvenient truths.

    3. Re:Today I realized... by PAjamian · · Score: 1

      I find that I tend to get them after making a few posts, I think their algorithm identifies active participants and gives them points.

      --
      Windows is a bonfire, Linux is the sun. Linux only looks smaller if you lack perspective.
    4. Re:Today I realized... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's the way it is supposed to work.
      But I was a regular poster, posting 5+ times a week and I would still get those year-long dry-spells.
      It is buggy.

    5. Re:Today I realized... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are you kidding? Several years ago, I noticed that I'd get mod points almost all the time, and I only had about 4 total comments here, and when the login cookie finally expired for me one day, I just never bothered to log back in. I've commented more as Anonymous Coward than I have on my main account, but even so, I'd still say I only comment something like once a year, if that. And I didn't even sign up for an account until about 10 years ago, even though I followed Slashdot longer than that, simply because I just never had anything to say.

      I still have Slashdot in my news feeds, but really, most of the time when I see a story here, I've already read it somewhere else first, and that used to be the main thing which attracted me here, in that it'd report on things I cared about quicker than anywhere else without sensationalizing things. The comments have never been it for me, because, I'll be honest here, Slashdot is more so designed to comment then forget it, as I'd be damned if I could find some older discussions, or even scratch that, even kept up with a particular discussion, because there's really no way to keep track of it here without getting lost in the numbers. And the current revision (not talking about beta, which is even worse in that respect, but Slashdot 3) just made that worse, not better. Slashdot's been declining for years, IMO, and it's all because comments never have really made it easy to follow ongoing discussions, and they never really bothered to try to keep up or improve that, but instead focused on highlighting what the community saw as key comments instead, ignoring the discussions around them.

      Captcha: boredom (how appropriate)

    6. Re:Today I realized... by tooyoung · · Score: 1

      We all went to Soylent News - the stories are more like the slashdot of old.

    7. Re:Today I realized... by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      I'll bet that I'm one of probably 5 people that are moderating

      I don't moderate because moderation is fundamentally broken. You cannot moderate and comment in the same story, so the people best qualified to do both have to choose one or the other.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    8. Re:Today I realized... by rsmith-mac · · Score: 1

      If that were the case, more of us would get mod points more often.

      What happens is that the moderation system is biased against frequent visitors. Visit more than once a day and you'll basically never get mod points. Go away for a day or two and you'll come back to a heap of them virtually every time.

      I'm not sure why Slashdot does this. One would think frequent visitors would be the people you'd want modding - someone who will see a story before it's too old - but perhaps they want someone a little less fanatical? Or maybe the mod points are to entice you to stay?

    9. Re:Today I realized... by WankersRevenge · · Score: 1

      Sadly, I have to agree. I've been a frequent visitor to the site since 1999, and in that time, I've seen lots of ups and downs. I think things really culminated in a fever during the iOS vs. Android arguments three or four years ago when every article was clickbait to get the masses to chew each other up. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the "old guard" packed up and left during that time.

      Since things have calmed down, Slashdot seems to be slowly sinking into irrelevance. I'm seeing a lot more conversation that almost mimics the comments of any CNN political article. I'm also seeing some terrible moderation -- flamebait being labeled as insightful and so forth.

      From 2000-2010, I probably only modded down five posts. In the past couple years, I feel like I'm moddng down all the time. It's sad but this place used to feature high quality discussion. It just doesn't anymore. It's running on pure inertia. The only thing that keeps me coming back is habit, but I rarely read stories anymore. I just skim the frontpage like it were a news aggregator, then move on.

      I'll keep doing so because of habit, but once the beta becomes the defacto version, I'll bow out. It was a great site with some good memories, but all good things must come to an end.

  12. Re:Like we ever believe anything the Gubment says. by NotSanguine · · Score: 2

    Total nonsense. You've been sucked into the false equivalence trap.

    Really, AC? What's the real truth? You obviously have the corner on the "way it is," so do tell.

    The way I see it is (sorry not a car analogy) that with the Center Right party (the Democrats), it's like walking through an underground access tunnel with a sewer pipe at the ceiling. The pipe is cracked and raw sewage is dripping on your head.

    With the Far Right party (the Republicans), it's the same tunnel, but the sewer pipe is ripped wide open and you're choking on the raw sewage instead of getting drenched.

    I suppose you could say that one is worse than the other, but I'd rather not be in that tunnel at all.

    --
    No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
  13. "Net Neutraility" a cover for regulating Internet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Do NOT be fooled by the "Net Neutrality" cover story. This is an effort to regulate the Internet by hardcore leftists, and if allowed to proceed will be the end of the Internet as we know it.

    The unregulated Internet CHANGED THE WORLD. Allowing government regulations will only destroy what has been created.

  14. Re:bring back bennett net neutrality secondary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I think we need to get Bennett's opinion on Katz before we can form an opinion about such an important issue.

  15. Re:"Net Neutraility" a cover for regulating Intern by Merk42 · · Score: 0

    Who would you rather control the Internet? Government or Big Business (who pays off Government)
    I'm not saying one is better than the other, just that it's inevitable to be one or the other.

  16. Re:Like we ever believe anything the Gubment says. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    > Total nonsense. You've been sucked into the false equivalence trap.

    Except for the part where it perfectly describes the behavior of the political bodies. You've been sucked into the twilight zone, so of course you think anything rational is nonsense.

  17. Re:"Net Neutraility" a cover for regulating Intern by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Such absolutism only encourages the worst-case scenarios.
    Far more likely is that it is a competition among all parties and that the balance of power will shift depending on the circumstances. The best we can hope for is that the balance of power does not become too rigidly fixed in any one position because that makes corruption much easier.

  18. Re:bring back bennett net neutrality secondary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Do you really think that getting an opinion from Bennett is the right way to go? We should consider getting an opinion from Bennett whether to get an opinion from him first. After all, he contributes frequently.

  19. Re:"Net Neutraility" a cover for regulating Intern by NotSanguine · · Score: 1

    Do NOT be fooled by the "Net Neutrality" cover story. This is an effort to regulate the Internet by hardcore leftists, and if allowed to proceed will be the end of the Internet as we know it.

    The unregulated Internet CHANGED THE WORLD. Allowing government regulations will only destroy what has been created.

    You sir, are uninformed. Until 2002 Cable inernet service *was* classified as a common carrier under Title II. DSL Internet was also a common carrier until 2005.

    Since those orders reclassifying internet access under Title I rather than Title II, the ISPs have slowed innovation, dragged their feet with infrastructure upgrades despite the USD$200 billion subsidies given to them, raised prices, created ever more abusive terms of service, and consolidated their stranglehold over both content distribution and last-mile infrastructure through consolidation, lobbying at the municipal, state and federal levels and plumbed the depths of poor customer service.

    All of this since we lessened regulation on the ISPs. There was huge growth, innovation, new infrastructure, more competition and fairer terms of service, *before* that. So, as I said, you're uninformed. Either that or you're being deliberately obtuse for partisan reasons. Or, you're just a shill for the big ISPs. I'll assume you're just uninformed, rather than a liar.

    --
    No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
  20. Re:The Hand Of Obama At Work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't forget that Obammy has been pimping out Sasha, Malia and Michelle for years. Mostly for the campaign contributors, but also to anyone with the cash to pay to use each of those whores. Malia and Michelle will even take it up the ass with a smile. But Sasha's asshole is reserved for Obammy's cock.

    And don' even get me started on ObammyCare. It's a complete fraud. All that money that was *supposed* to go to medicaid and the exchanges was secretly redirected to offshore bank accounts controlled by Obammy and his old whore Michelle.

    What is more, Obama has one out of every six hospital patients murdered and pockets the medical payments from the insurance companies. The families of those he murders are left with huge bills and Obammy laughs and laughs all the way to the bank.

    Some days, he goes around to hospitals in DC and murders the patients himself, usually beating them to death with a pipe and then raping them with the pipes. If the patient is female, he makes sure to rape them before beating them to death. Usually forcing the families of the patients to watch.

    Obammy hates Americans and America. He wants us all to suffer and die, preferably by his hand.

  21. Better to accept it, folks... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We know net neutrality is something that could be enforced, there is enough bandwidth available now over fiber to give everyone a standard amount of bandwidth. Fast lanes are probably inevitable; if that is the price for getting standardized internet access then fine, do it. It's a reason for companies to roll out the upgrades.

    Let's face it, business will not upgrade the networks to the speed required without being told that they will get to charge for premium access. It's a fact, you can't get around it. It's better for everyone to just accept what can't be changed, live with it, deal with it, and let's get IPTV to everybody nationwide so we get more channels, more content, etc, etc.

    Just imagine a future time when you don't have to watch football on the weekend, where you can watch whatever minority sport you prefer, be it surfing or chess or mountaineering or whatever. Imagine having the freedom to choose what shows you watch when. It's not going to happen if we don't get the networks upgraded and that is not going to happen without fast lanes, I don't believe.

    I don't think we'll ever get net neutrality, but by the trickle-down theory, we should be able to get serviceable internet to everyone which is sufficiently neutral for it not to matter. Let's shift the cost onto content rather than the medium, and we'll need fast networks to do that, and that requires fast lanes for now, I think.

    1. Re:Better to accept it, folks... by NotSanguine · · Score: 1

      We know net neutrality is something that could be enforced, there is enough bandwidth available now over fiber to give everyone a standard amount of bandwidth. Fast lanes are probably inevitable; if that is the price for getting standardized internet access then fine, do it. It's a reason for companies to roll out the upgrades.

      Let's face it, business will not upgrade the networks to the speed required without being told that they will get to charge for premium access. It's a fact, you can't get around it. It's better for everyone to just accept what can't be changed, live with it, deal with it, and let's get IPTV to everybody nationwide so we get more channels, more content, etc, etc.

      Just imagine a future time when you don't have to watch football on the weekend, where you can watch whatever minority sport you prefer, be it surfing or chess or mountaineering or whatever. Imagine having the freedom to choose what shows you watch when. It's not going to happen if we don't get the networks upgraded and that is not going to happen without fast lanes, I don't believe.

      I don't think we'll ever get net neutrality, but by the trickle-down theory, we should be able to get serviceable internet to everyone which is sufficiently neutral for it not to matter. Let's shift the cost onto content rather than the medium, and we'll need fast networks to do that, and that requires fast lanes for now, I think.

      That's a steaming load of grade A bullshit. Do you work for the CTIA? Or just one of its members?

      --
      No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
  22. Re:"Net Neutraility" a cover for regulating Intern by anegg · · Score: 1

    In fact. the original Internet was heavily "regulated" with rules against commercial use of any kind. I worked for a company that had an Internet connection through a regional educational network, and we were careful to even only send e-mail messages that were related to either educational subject matter or subject matter related to the work we were doing under government contracts with organizations reachable through the Internet.

  23. Re:Like we ever believe anything the Gubment says. by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

    Total nonsense. You've been sucked into the false equivalence trap.

    It's not false equivalence, because the argument is not that they are two things which are the same. The argument is that they are two parts of one thing, and that they are united in screwing over the non-wealthy public because they both work for the wealthy. The wealthy write the laws, then pay for them to be passed, and sometimes they pay the (R)s and sometimes they pay the (D)s and sometimes they pay both. Big Pharma, for example, gives lots of money to both sides. After the failure of Hillary Clinton's Single Payer Healthcare campaign, she took a massive wad of their money and shut the fuck up about health care reform. Then we got Romneycare (not really his idea anyway) relabeled as Obamacare. Obama is supposedly a Democrat, but he brought us the Republican health insurance plan. (It is not a health care plan. Many of us are receiving less care under the new system.)

    Also, your vote doesn't count. The People never elected GWB. Given that we can vote for one candidate and get the other, either vote is equivalent. They'll assign us whichever president the wealthy have chosen.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  24. "Nothing to do with recent politics" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    EVERYTHING about this is politics. Politics is power, control and legacy. Senators, legislators, the President, the FCC, special interest groups, and the corporate decision makers. It's what they do. It's what they eat, drink, sleep and breathe.

    Sounds like somebody just needs more time to spin their arguments. God knows there's enough of it on both sides...should I root for big corporations or big government today?

  25. Re:"Net Neutraility" a cover for regulating Intern by NotSanguine · · Score: 1

    Do NOT be fooled by the "Net Neutrality" cover story. This is an effort to regulate the Internet by hardcore leftists, and if allowed to proceed will be the end of the Internet as we know it.

    The unregulated Internet CHANGED THE WORLD. Allowing government regulations will only destroy what has been created.

    Hardcore leftists? Who exactly are you talking about? Dennis Kucinich is about as left as it gets in major parties in the US, and he isn't too far to the left of center. Obama is center-right on most issues. Eizabeth Warren is straight up center-left, as is Bernie Sanders. Based on their policy decisions, most of the rest of the Democrats in the house/senate would have been considered moderate Republicans not so very long ago.

    What the hell is it with you guys? Based on the rhetoric, if Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon ran on their records and platforms, you'd be calling them communists.

    Seriously. Go and actually look at the policies those guys pursued -- if their names weren't on them, you'd be screaming bloody murder about marxist ingrates with most of it. Geez Louise.

    --
    No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
  26. Re:bring back bennett net neutrality secondary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What does Katz think about Bennet? Does he view him as the rightful successor or as a mere pretender?