Re: [PLUG] Net Neutrality

[Art Alexion <arthur@alexion.com>]

On Monday, December 06, 2010 03:19:50 pm Doug Stewart wrote:
> > To serve a similar purpose, we have had Antitrust laws for nearly 100
> > years. The purpose is to not allow a company to use its market share to
> > suppress competition.
> 
> And we, as consumers, HAVE choice currently. We may not have a LOT of
> choice, we may not have the best choices or the best slate of choices,
> but we ultimately have choice. We can have (depending on residence, of
> course) DSL, Cable, Satellite, WiMax, Dial-up, FiOS, T1 service, ISDN
> -- the choices are there. They may cost more than we want, they may be
> slower than we'd like, or we may have to pay companies whose very
> existences are anathema to us. This in no way negates the fact of our
> choice. If ISP selection is ultimately such a huge, life-altering
> circumstance, then we can even choose to move into the operating area
> of an ISP we DO like.
> 
> > Net Neutrality addresses the same concerns by attempting to equalize
> > access to the Internet in order to prevent anti-competitive pressure
> > from the big players.
> 
> No, it doesn't. It offers the federal bureaucracy yet another toe-hold
> into our lives in a way that will be impossible to win back, once
> ceded.

In high school, I was taught that the problem with democracy is that the 
voters largely get what they deserve.  To this day, I still think it is one of 
the most important civic lessons I was taught. 

Some people believe that in our democracy, our governement imperfectly, but 
mostly, represent us, while others believe that it is always the enemy.  When 
someone believe the latter no fact or point of reason can convince them that 
governemnt involvement in anything can be good. I surrender.


-- 
Art Alexion

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