Oct 26 2009
Net neutrality and me…
MaddisonConservative has a great post over at Hot Air on this issue.
The idea that the government has a clue of what net users in the US want is laughable , but let’s just get to the nuts and bolts of this issue. The Chinese government runs the internet market in their country. That means that the words “Liberty” and “Freedom” are banned from their searches as a result. Several companies in the US have been working feverishly to boost internet speeds in the US, but we are lagging way behind Europe and other foreign countries. The reason for this is the vast space in which companies have to span their networks, and the sparseness of the populations in many areas. Companies are juggling profit with service to stay in business. In steps the government to say that the internet should be controlled and operated by the government, because of fears that the corporations will have tiered pricing based on location and competition in those locations.
All of that sounds really good in theory, but there will always be that nagging feeling in our stomachs that the government will over step it’s bounds and ban certain Key Words, much like China does. Comcast was caught up in a public outrage when they started to ban P2P searches in the realm of “Public Interest.” Again, it sounds great, but there are draw backs. People started walking away from Comcast.
If the government were allowed to “Govern” the internet, they would eventually begin to overstep their bounds, and there will be no ability of the people to walk away from their control over the internet. In today’s political environment, and given the nature of the people that have been in office for the last 20 years, my fear is that the people in Washington will decide that what I do, and the Daily Kos, and Hot Air, and every other political Blog for that matter, are breaking the law and will start going after people who criticize the administration in the oval office whether liberal, or conservative. The laws that would come down would not be a result of congress, but simply mandated by the FCC. It amazes me that liberals are for a free internet, clutching to the first amendment. But, when it is their guy in the Whitehouse they are all for “Regulation.” And, that criticism isn’t reserved for the left, there are many on the right that would like to see the same thing, when their guy is in the Whitehouse.
The problem is that the first amendment applies to everyone regardless of ideology. I have the right to say or write what ever the hell I want, as long as my words don’t turn to action that violates others civil liberties. And, the same applies to people’s points of view that I would spend my life voicing my opposition to. We need to start having a debate about the first amendment and the importance of taking the government to task, regardless of the letter behind their name. We have rights, and those rights are equal no matter your beliefs. Government, and the people in this country for that matter, have forgotten this fact, and it is time we remind people what exactly our rights are. We also need to come together on issues we agree on, and get past the partisan crap to find common ground on issues that effect us all.
