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Here was what was supposed to happen: With telco-friendly Republican Congress members swept out of the way, Democrats would usher in legislation enshrining Network Neutrality principles and give the FCC the power to enforce them.
Here’s what happened (is happening) instead: The most powerful Net Neutrality supporters (Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton) are kicked upstairs while cable-and-Hollywood-friendly Democrats are killing Network Neutrality legislation in committees.
Meanwhile, both telecom and cable companies are emboldened by the legislation’s quiet death, the deafening sound of non-action covered up nicely by the economic crisis, and both industries are soothed by interim FCC commissioner Michael Copps’ toothless proposal for a fifth unenforceable principle regarding network discrimination.
Joe Barton
The Democrat rope-a-dope strategy of the last few years is coming back around to kill Net Neutrality. The initial plan was simply to let Republicans have enough rope to hang themselves. Congressional Democrats ignored calls for investigations and impeachment of members of the Bush Administration because doing so allowed them to drop all blame square on their opponents’ shoulders for everything without putting themselves under undue scrutiny. A few years of doing absolutely nothing was tantamount to lying low while Republicans destroyed themselves so Democrats could take over…and continue to do nothing.
Henry Waxman
It’s a genius plan until people start watching and learning about the new bosses and start understanding how much they look like the old bosses. The Internet Freedom and Preservation Act of 2006, 2007, 2008? All killed by assassins with supposedly opposing goals.
The Senate version is suspicously stuck in a committee of formerly staunch proponents. The House version is under the committee supervision of net neutrality opponent Joe Barton (R-TX) and Henry Waxman (D-CA), who represents West Hollywood and Beverly Hills.
Dianne Feinstein
We’re not surprised by Barton, a Texas Republican funded by Comcast and AT&T—that’s historical par for the course. But Waxman’s a Democrat, and Democrats are supposedly pro-net neutrality. Meanwhile, we should also be surprised by Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) lame and failed attempt to sneak in “reasonable network management” provisions into the economic stimulus package as Waxman looked the other way.
So what’s going on with our supposed neutral net champions? The answer lies in the other industries opposed to net neutrality, namely the Entertainment industry, the principals of which happen to live in Waxman’s and Feinstein’s districts and donate heavily to their campaigns. Waxman gets lots of money from the cable industry, including TimeWarner and Disney. Feinstein’s donors include Time Warner and Disney as well, but also Qualcomm and GE (which owns NBC).
In the earlier days of the Net Neutrality debate, the argument centered on very technical issues lost on the general public and focused heavily on telecommunications companies like Verizon and AT&T, and some on Comcast. (Though Ted Stevens famously issued a net neutrality push poll asking constituents if they wanted more TV or less TV.)
As it progresses it becomes less about network issues (as if it ever really was about network issues) and more about Web video. Right now, very large, very wealthy, very powerful entities are battling for control of what will become the new TV (and radio and newspaper). It’s not about bandwidth or network operation. It’s about controlling Web media, especially video.
Recently we learned from the CEO of a cable company who says American cable providers won’t allow speeds they’re capable of delivering because they’re afraid people will cancel their cable TV subscriptions. TimeWarner, a maker of films and television content as well as a cable Internet and TV provider, is toeing the line with download caps limiting how much video consumers can download.
John Conyers
AT&T on the other side, quietly updated its terms of wireless service to prevent video transfers. AT&T, of course, is also getting into the video content delivery game with its U-Verse. Despite these most recent instances loudly protested, legislators have cited lack of complaints of abuse as the reason why they’ve backed off. Even former neutral net proponent John Conyers (D-MI) suddenly thinks it’s a non-issue. It’d be nice if we could look at his top donors and not see AT&T, TimeWarner, Sprint, and Cable, but sure enough, there they are, as predictable as the sunset.
You might have also noticed, like we have, that while anything the RIAA and the MPAA want goes right through Congress like crap through a goose, network neutrality legislation (wanted by the people who currently have no money) languishes and dies in committee.
With a setup like this, good luck getting net neutrality legislation passed this year or the next. Maybe in 2010 the country will suddenly favor independents and third parties so the do-nothing bums still remaining will be thrown out. But that may be overly optimistic—the people will likely still be broke by then, and its money that wins elections, and apparently what runs Congress.
Your final comment was that we should wait and hope for a third political party to solve this. The last successful third party was the Bull Moose party.
Remember the Bull Moose Party?
Right!
Surely with the millions of us on the ‘Net we can start some kind of grassroots effort that is more effective!
Looks like another Congressional sellout of the American consumer. Corporate America is waging economic and political warfare against average working-class Americans who are unable or unwilling to take the fight to Congress and demand that Congress represent “We The People” instead of the not-so-almighty dollar (corporate interests).
The issue has been out for years, people tend not to really scream unless:
1) There is a well-funded foundation for the effort, or
2) they’ve already lost something valuable.
WE SHOULD TOTALLY BRING BACK THE BULL MOOSE PARTY! YAH! I’M ALL FOR IT!
HOW BOUT YALL?
FORGET THOSE FERRY TEABAGGEN HIPPOCRITES! LETS START A REVOLT AGAINST CONGRESS AND MAKE THEM GIVE US WHAT WE WANT!
The people in the existing two parties will always spend a lot of effort trying to tell everyone else that third parties are hopeless.
We’ve seen the ‘one-party’ system go the way of the dodo bird in the communist countries. Now we need to see the equally restrictive ‘two-party’ system go away too. Especially when both parties are owned by the same corporate interests.
Your vote is one of the last free things you got. And you are wasting it if you keep voting for these bought and paid for corporate shills from both the Democrats and the Republicans.
By the way, Ross Perot got close to 20% of the vote in 92. So, don’t believe the lies that say you have to go back to Teddy Roosevelt’s day. That’s just more lying propaganda to try to keep the two corrupt parties in charge.
I don’t think this should surprise anyone…these are the same Democrats Clinton ushered in…they driven by all of their lobbyists and corporate interests.
If any change is going to happen during the Obama adm and a Dem controlled Congress it will come from political pressure. Old fashion community organizing. I expect that you have your organizing strategies and tactics in place for this issue. What action do you want those who care about net neutrality to take?
Is anything still safe from the clutches of Greed and Corruption?
Although, it is really no surprise that those who stand in the midst of a transformation that leaves their old telecom business models shattered, and will fight for every dime and acre, I think there is something positive to note in the reality of the thing.
It is inevitable that every time a restriction is placed on the free flow of info – even if it takes years or decades – eventually people will find a way to get what they want, making the restrictions useless, and thus companies will relax a bit. This pattern is as clear as day. Time brings on more access, overall, not less. Technology and the basic human need for information will prevail, that is, if history is a worthy judge.
The dynamics are quite different in China, but there in an instructive parallel nonetheless. Their Great Firewall restricts a variety of content, like on Tienanmen Square. However, with a simple download, one can break through the wall. No doubt the gov will counter. But then so will the INEVITABLE WILL of the people to get the data they seek. This process has made more content accessible in China over the years. Progress may be quite slow, for most people, but it still represents forward motion.
Unless we enter a Police State where the gov runs all media and we revoke the first amendment here in the US – info on the web will be the water, and legislative restrictions the rock.
Despite the fact that human beings never fail to grossly disappoint me, in this phenomenon I find solace.
I take solace in that thought also, thank you.
I don’t want to hear that the battles over, that we should lay down and play dead, that this is how it always goes. Corruption in Washington (and America) is fueled by our complacency. Especially with an Obama administration, this is our chance to run with it. Lets talk about what we can do about it, and the venues available to us for doing it. The old venues, emailing newspapers and our representatives, and generally spreading the word are good, but not seemingly enough. HOW ABOUT A WEB SITE that works to chronicle the B.S., to notify representatives constituents when they turn from our more collective welfare, and to explain legislation, and so expose it, so that a bills title will never disguise it again???
we could work through sympathetic organizations to get a mailing list together, like Free Press and Move On…. anybody good at this sort of thing?
You can use the internet to organize of course. But, the politicians won’t listen to you until you show up outside their offices with pitchforks and torches … figuratively speaking of course.
They’ll ignore talk, because they think money wins the next election. And the money says to screw us. You have to let them know we are mad, and that we won’t take it any more. That calls for more direct action to get lots of angry people in their faces.
So, go start your website. I’m sure you can set one up yourself. But you’d better be using it to organize some sort of ACTION, otherwise its a waste of time.
“show up outside their offices with pitchforks and torches … figuratively speaking of course”
It might have to come to that for something to actually be done…majority wants out of war..still in war..expanding war…supposed to elect people that represent the public and the public isn’t being listened to.
Why is America exempt from rebellion? Look at South/Latin America.
PS … don’t count on Move On. They are joined at the hip with the corporate Democrats. They always do what the corporate Dems want. So, Move On will prove to be very, very silent when it comes to opposing the Dems on this.
People have to learn to stop voting for the politicians that are bought off in this way. When you see a politician on TV, you see a bought politician. Only the politicians with all the corporate money in their coffers can afford all those ads. Or, if you see a politician getting free coverage on corporate TV, you know that politician supports the corporate owners of that TV channel.
What amazes me is how people line up to vote Democrat, even though all the Democrats are bought off by corporate America, then they expect the Democrats to provide ‘change’. What nonsense.
The politicians that will represent us are the broke ones that can’t afford ads, that are laughed at by the corporate TV channels, and who need to catch a ride from their supporters to get to their next event. That’s the politician who isn’t bought off.
We need to learn to laugh at and NEVER trust the politicians on TV. Those are all bought off, and they’ll never be on our side.
2010, we get a chance to throw all these bums out. Don’t vote Democrat, and don’t vote Republican. Both are corporate servants. Elect somebody else!
T Payne post: Well said. I totally agree. This is what has got to stop: government by the corporation for the corporation.
I totally agree with you! Very well said.
What the hell happened to Barack Obama?
Did he lie to the millions of people who supported him and worked so hard for him and even gave him money they could not afford?
Change You Can Believe In?
Hope?
Yes We Can?
We Are The Ones We’ve Been Waiting For?
Today I feel sick for putting my trust in Obama.
Wow, did not expect that to have happened… makes the game a bit more interesting, huh?
Thanks God this stupid political-correctness-run-a muck concept is dead or dying. Perhaps once in power, calmer heads prevailed.
Let’s keep fighting to keep government out of controlling what news we get.
Don’t worry about it, as long as Google is in the video game, we will be able to get video online. Google has all the power needed to deliver us to their profits, whether it’s from lobbyists or becoming an ISP or whatever, they will keep the bottom line healthy.
“Did Democrats support net neutrality merely because it was politically expedient and a way to differentiate themselves from Republicans?”
Replace “net neutrality” in that question with ANY issue and the answer will ALWAYS be “YES”.
GOP for the war? Then the Dems are against it.
GOP for tax cuts? Then the Dems are against it.
GOP for [ fill in the blank ] ? Then the Dems are against it.
You people didn’t vote FOR Barack Obama, you voted AGAINST George Bush. Well, that’s what you have: a president who stood against some things, but in the end, stands FOR absolutely nothing…
-jjg
DailyScoff.com
It’s time to get the Democrat, Republican and Independent dinosaurs out of Congress. Blame the death of term limits on Newt Gingrich…he promised it…then backed down. I trust him as far as I can throw him…and I’m a Republican. Actually, I’m a moderate, and if Rush Limbaugh needs a definition of what a moderate is, I’d be happy to provide it. Yes, Rush, there really are moderates. And they way outnumber the Liberals and Conservatives in this country.
Yes, definately. It’s also time for term limits and to abolish lobbyists.
The US has not had a government of the people by the people for a long long time. It’s all cash driven now and appears to be big business. Once a politician ‘retires’ their lobbyist buddies give them the hook up.
Stop this madness! These Marxist-lite concepts will crush American dynamism. We do not want the government deciding who does what with what bandwidth. Telling companies what they can or can’t do with fiber that they bought and installed is so Chinese or USSR!
Net neutrality is silly, what benefit does a internet provider have in alienating its customer base? How long would you stay with an ISP that doesn’t let you go or do what you want on the internet?
Let the market do its work and let these nutty Marxist ideas die a quick painful death!
In the article at MSNBC “Internet providers want to meter usage. Customers who like to stream movies, TV shows may get hit with extra fees”.. So this means all the people with a warcraft addiction will have to curb the habit? I noticed nothing about gamers but i would think that gaming would use more bandwidth than anyone else.
Do we just take their word for how much traffic we use?
Or is this just about the cable service offered is just too packed with commercials and Netflix and other services are more appealing than current cable services. Now the cable companies want a cut rather than offering a better product.
Doesnt look like we get a choice as i dont know about you but you dont get a choice on what cable company you get to use. You either use the big dog that owns your area or one of the lackeys that resells for them. The other oprtion is dish.
What can we do as it seems we are being held hostage?
This just seems the first steps in the death of Net Neutrality
With the Obama administration having been stuffed with former big-time lobbyists, why is anyone surprised that they will bow to corporate interests? Change you can believe in…
It is high time we eliminated political party affiliation and forced candidates to express in their own words what they believe and where they stand. The time for Party politics is OVER. If a candidate has no platform upon which to stand they should not get our vote. I am looking for a statesman not a party ditto head. I am very suspicious about the newest bill giving anyone, especially the president, the authority to “shut down” the access to the Worldwide Web.
Remember that absolute power corrupts absolutely. And unless you are willing to give ‘power’ to your worst enemy, you should not grant it to your best friend.
yes they did, they are the you owe me generation and i want it now. what do you mean work for it ? not in this life time you have now i want it. Ill get it one way or the other. oh and dont bother telling the truth al gore does that for everyone
well what did you think would happen the standard is to say what a group wants to hear without a single thought for anyone but themselves.
YOU KNOW THEY WILL NEVER NEVER PASS A LAW THAT MAKES THE NET NEUTRAL!!! Too much money to be made! and I do not mean by you and me.
Dems GOT us the internet against Republican screaming.
Dems used ti to win the Congress and Whitehouse BECAUSE of it’s “Net Neutrality”.
But the story is now Video content and usage?
Just the names themselves don’t mean the same thing.
So there’s 2 problems.
We should all write our congressmen and tell them we’re watching them BECAUSE they gave us net neutrality, and we threw OUT the Republicans BECAUSE of net Neutrality, and we’ll do the SAME to them if they try to take it away.
Obama needs to (another fight) take this to the voters and tell them to let their representatives know- give a website that shows who’s for or against.
The TRUTH needs to be unfettered.
We could ALSO use an expansion of the “Truth-In-Advertising” law to include News and talk-Show hosts. Fines would PAY for it! (Probably help pay off the debt!)
Yes, it’s time for a third party and has been since at least 1980.
The Democrats in Congress and in the White House are at best slow walking every issue that relates to restoring civil liberties, or holding Bushco or any large corporation accountable for their crimes.
Andrea
http://www.oldelmtree.com
We need a third party – or better yet, a second party since the two that we have are now one.
I always knew Obama supporters would be dissatisfied by how much differently he would govern from the way he campaigned, I just did not think it would happen so quickly!
This issue, like so many others faced by our elected officals, is swayed by who has the most money to spend on buying our elected officials. When we stop soft-money and its draining effects on “We the people…”, then maybe we will get the government we actually elected rather than the one that corporate america lets us share.
I read the comments here and I am saddened. Yesterday thousands of Americans who really believe the same thing were out in force to express their feelings about the Government and overall corruption in General. It wasn’t about the Democrats, and it wasn’t about the Republicans. Had the news agencies shown the crowds, and their signs, most would know and understand.
But News Agencies are so wrapped up in their support of “their” own parties, that it turns into being more a battle of words by the news anchors, and not what the substance of the subject was about.
Most of the Cable News networks attacked the people for protesting, when really the one they were attacking was Fox News. They have done a huge disservice to the country and the people by not showing what the REAL message was about.
People who didn’t take part or understand what this was about, have missed a huge opportunity to have the voice that is needed to change things the way you want them.
People in general are angry that politicians are so corrupt with greed, and are being controlled by their own special interests.
Yesterdays protests were about Bad Governing in general, it was about BOTH parties being corrupt. But that was missed by most, because they are fed a one sided view by the News Media.
How very sad that so many people missed a good opportunity to stand up and be heard. Hundreds of thousands, were heard however. Good for them for standing up to those who are ruining this country.
I think it’s great that teabaggers can get behind net neutrality. We don’t need a third party to get it. We just need to lobby better. http://www.google.com/help/netneutrality.html
Forget NEt Neutrality!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCkCWxv3kUE
Senate bills No. 773 and 778, introduced by Sen. Jay Rockefeller, who declared last month that the Government would all be better off if the internet was never invented.
I don’t think the answer is a third party to solve this issue. I do think term limits for senators will go much further to solve it and a cap on donor gifts.
I think we should have Highway Netrality. Simply put, if someone builds it, it should be allowed on the nation’s highways. Four-lane wide car? Sure, bring them on. 300 mile long semi’s? Hey, its their right. Why should highways be treated differently than the Internet?
My point is the Internet is engineered for certain kinds of traffic and all works well as long as traffic obeys some simple rules. Net Neutrality make it impossible for network owners to enforce those rules opening the Internet up to total chaos. It is a very stupid, if politically attractive idea.
First of all, the Ds are slime, only interested in control as Sen Rockefeller’s comment shows. They may say they are on the side of the little guy, but they actually get more donations from fat cats than the Rs. The Rs are weak kneed and, like the Ds are too dependent on fat cat contributions.
A third party sounds like a good idea, but is not practical because under the current system, there is very little chance of them actually being elected.
In view of the favorable attitude of the current administration and congress toward what is laughingly called the “fairness doctrine”, I would not expect any manner of communication to be free of their control as they have this unsatiable desire to pick winners and losers, both for fun and profit.
There are many forces at work and as it is played out, so the picture will tell intent and extent. A good example of this is at http://www.disasterprepared.net/president.html
The internet is a double-edged sword for transparency.
We have got to email and phone our local leaders to keep this from happening while everyone else is turning their backs to it. If nothing is done about this it could bring up the costs once the Cable and Telcos try and make it back to a pay per byte or use service. It will also hurt small business.