Save Net Neutrality

From CounterPunch:

These new rules shift the Internet from an open system where all data travels at the same rate to a pay-to-play system favoring preferential treatment for the giant content providers like Netflix or Google’s YouTube.  Apparently, the new rules will continue to prohibit blocking or discriminating against online content.  Had the new rules been adopted a decade ago, its anyone’s guess whether Netflix or YouTube would be viable companies today.

The FCC’s likely actions to end net neutrality is a result of a systemic campaign to privatization of the Internet and further the monopolistic efforts of the giant telecom and media companies.  Over this period, both Republican (e.g., Michael Powell) and Democratic (e.g., Julius Genachowski) commissioners of the FCC have been water-carriers for corporate interests; the one major exception was former commissioner Michael Copps.

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At the moment, this is the issue pissing me off the most.  And that's because it's so totally in-your-face, a PERFECT example of how corporations do almost ANYTHING THEY WANT in this country, and our elected representatives and leaders just let them do it.  Nobody wants this, I mean, nobody but a very small number of massive media corporations, and, it almost goes without saying, the politicians they own.  Everybody else, you, me, shitloads of small businesses, everybody, thinks this is just awful.  It's near monopolistic, anti-competitive, anti-business, anti-consumer, anti-everybody.  And it's going to happen. 

We're all going to pay more, and not simply for internet service, but for any and all services we get on the internet.  Companies doing business on the internet will now have to pay what will amount to a tax, albeit a tax levied by internet service providers, which will be passed down to consumers.  In addition to being really annoying, and infuriating, this will definitely stifle economic growth.  All because corporations own the government.  This is sick.  Twisted and sick.  Even more so when you consider the fact that the internet was researched, developed, and created using taxpayer dollars.  

We own the damned thing.  But we clearly don't control it.

And, oh yeah, this is Obama's FCC, and it seems he's not going to lift a finger to stop this bullshit.  I just love it when Democrats are down with the people.  It's a shame it hasn't been that way for twenty years. 

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