Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Net Neutrality is a Government Takeover
Americans for Tax Reform ^ | May 19th | Kelly William Cobb

Posted on 05/19/2010 10:07:43 AM PDT by Halfmanhalfamazing

Last week, Sen. Byron Dorgan spoke to a room full of Internet regulation supporters at the Free Press Summit and said that the free-market community's argument that Net Neutrality is a government takeover is a lie. He also felt compelled to say that ATR and others were spreading falsehoods by calling it such. I shot back today with a piece in the Daily Caller explaining why I believe Net Neutrality is certainly a government takeover. From the op-ed:

Sen. Dorgan dismissed the argument by the free-market community that this is a government takeover, claiming “nothing could be further from the truth.” But that’s like saying the government isn’t taking over the auto industry, just telling car companies what models they can and can’t make. That they aren’t taking over health care, just telling insurance companies what plans they can and can’t offer.

Net Neutrality is a government takeover. The free-market community isn’t arguing that under these specific regulations the government will now own the industry – though that is the end goal of many Net Neutrality proponents like Free Press. Opponents argue that under the FCC’s Net Neutrality regulations the industry becomes the near absolute pawn of the government. When management practices are approved or denied by a government bureaucrat, it is a certainly a government takeover. And when the first of such regulatory steps tap into the very spine of the Internet – the networks on which everything else depends – that opens the door for further regulation and government intrusion.

It also does not assuage concerns that the FCC, Sen. Dorgan, and Free Press want to completely reclassify Internet access under a different section of the 1934 Communications Act called Title II, only to simply use “forbearance” – or voluntarily restraint – from applying every single regulation in that section to the Internet. The FCC’s forbearance could be temporary and subject to electoral tides and politics, not the consumer-driven free-market. This should be a concern for people on all sides of the political spectrum, who can easily envision specific regulations they oppose suddenly popping up on the FCC’s agenda.



TOPICS: Editorial
KEYWORDS: astroturf; byrondorgan; censorship; fcc; firstamendment; lping; monopoly; netneutrality
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-44 next last

1 posted on 05/19/2010 10:07:43 AM PDT by Halfmanhalfamazing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Halfmanhalfamazing

Dorgan is a lying son of a bitch who has not the stomach to face his constituants.


2 posted on 05/19/2010 10:15:33 AM PDT by Lion Den Dan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Lion Den Dan

Damnit, Dorgan’s lips are moving again...


3 posted on 05/19/2010 10:36:43 AM PDT by richardtavor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

Comment #4 Removed by Moderator

To: Halfmanhalfamazing

net neutrality is simply the expropriation of property rights from isp’s to the government.
When was the last time some democratic regulation was good for the economy?


5 posted on 05/19/2010 10:55:49 AM PDT by genghis
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #6 Removed by Moderator

To: gnurr

It’s a shame to see that gun owners of america(GOA) and the christian coalition(CC) have fallen prey to the left’s sales tactics on net neutrality.

If/when net neutrality(NN) passes and GOA and CC are silenced by government along with the rest of us, I know they will become loud voices to get NN repealed.

I’ll have to take solace in that for now.

I choose to listen to the members of the left who are not trying to hide the fact that NN is a road to censorship. But others are not making that same choice.


7 posted on 05/19/2010 11:13:12 AM PDT by Halfmanhalfamazing ( Net Neutrality - I say a lot of un-neutral things. How about you?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: gnurr; Ghengis

-————When was the last time some democratic regulation was good for the economy?-———

Great question.

——————How can anyone have a property right in a monopoly franchise that was given by the government in the first place?-—————

It may have been given by the govt at one time, but it’s not that way anymore. The internet is largely a govt-free zone. And they don’t like that one bit. Too many people are saying a bunch of “un-neutral” things around here and it must be stopped.

-——————Only socialists and leftists believe that it’s somehow “theft” when the government stops giving you a free prize.————————

True, if the free thing is still even being granted by government anymore. In the case of the internet, the baby birdie left the nest a long time ago. Out of government’s hands. And they want it back. That’s what net neutrality is really all about. It’s the nationalization of the internet. They can’t silence you without really clamping down on the internet.


8 posted on 05/19/2010 11:19:15 AM PDT by Halfmanhalfamazing ( Net Neutrality - I say a lot of un-neutral things. How about you?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: gnurr

that is not the issue
some user consume more bandwidth than others
isps say, ok some users have to pay more and the government is saying no
The isps should be allowed to charge whomever they like whateve they like.


9 posted on 05/19/2010 11:27:57 AM PDT by genghis
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Halfmanhalfamazing

MindWar paper by NSA Gen. Michael Aquino (#20)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5zfrdwh1QY

Michael Aquino - deserves google searches of his own. IMO A very evil person who served in our military, not a baseballl player. Look him up - please.


10 posted on 05/19/2010 11:30:22 AM PDT by nolongerademocrat ("Before you ask G-d for something, first thank G-d for what you already have." B'rachot 30b)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #11 Removed by Moderator

Comment #12 Removed by Moderator

Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

To: gnurr

These two groups couldn’t have it more wrong.

Stripped to its core - Net ‘Neutrality’ is the government, dictating to private companies how they may allocate and charge for resources that they own.

I’m amazed at GOA getting it wrong. Not so much at the Christian Coalition.


14 posted on 05/19/2010 11:54:05 AM PDT by bamahead (Few men desire liberty; most men wish only for a just master. -- Sallust)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Halfmanhalfamazing; Abathar; Abcdefg; Abram; Abundy; akatel; albertp; AlexandriaDuke; ...
When management practices are approved or denied by a government bureaucrat, it is a certainly a government takeover. And when the first of such regulatory steps tap into the very spine of the Internet – the networks on which everything else depends – that opens the door for further regulation and government intrusion.

Still amazed that some people can't figure this out!



Libertarian ping! Click here to get added or here to be removed or post a message here!
View past Libertarian pings here
15 posted on 05/19/2010 11:58:31 AM PDT by bamahead (Few men desire liberty; most men wish only for a just master. -- Sallust)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: gnurr
Many who cannot afford the additional fees, will have to be on the "slow track", which will mean that many of our websites will be passed by because the general public will not have the patience to wait on slowly loading sites.

When I first started of FR, I'd click on the link, make sure it was loading, go have a cigarette and get a cup of coffe, come back, check, ....

Even dial-up is faster now.

17 posted on 05/19/2010 12:02:57 PM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: gnurr
Only socialists and leftists believe that it’s somehow “theft” when the government stops giving you a free prize.

Aside from the guys who invented the internet, just what has the government spent on it aside from the cost of snooping? Even then, having things in an open and preserved forum has to have saved them some money somewhere.

18 posted on 05/19/2010 12:04:59 PM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

Comment #19 Removed by Moderator

To: ShadowAce

ping


20 posted on 05/19/2010 12:07:41 PM PDT by GOPJ (Americans..speak of capitalism's glories(rather)than of socialism's greatness. Elena Kagan (thesis))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-44 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson