[kictanet] Techdirt: Net Neutrality Debate Again Descends Into Shouting, Farce

[Alex Gakuru]

[farber]

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070622/093628.shtml

from the par-for-the-course dept

Net neutrality is a complex issue, but as tends to
happen
with most things these days, it gets boiled down into
easily
consumable, though not wholly accurate, ideological
soundbites from both sides. And even when people try
to have
an open, even-keeled discourse about the issue, they
still
run into problems explaining things well. For the most
part,
debate on net neutrality has glossed over the
fundamental,
but perhaps less incendiary issues, and been
characterized
by intellectual dishonesty and propagandizing from
activist
groups on both sides. It was hardly surprising, then,
to
read about a panel at the Supernova conference
descending
into a shouting match between a Commerce Department
official
(ie the "anti-regulation" guy) and "pro-net
neutrality"
supporters in the audience. Really, it's an apt
characterization of the whole debate: a bunch of
yelling,
very little exchange of useful information, and nobody
really moves from their previously established
ideology. All
this means is that, in the end, it's very unlikely for
the
right, or even a good, solution to emerge. Instead, it
will
just come down to whichever side can muster the most
political clout -- which is pretty much how things
have gone
in telecom regulation anyway

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[Reading Provocative Comment No 4 at
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070622/093628.shtml]
#
by Stu on Jun 23rd, 2007 @ 8:29am

"political clout -- which is pretty much how things
have gone in telecom regulation anyway."

The problem is that political clout has become a
function of money, rather than votes. It's much too
difficult to replace an incumbent elected politician -
also a function of money. Just listen to the news
reporting about elections - it's all about the money.

Out goes legislation for the common good - in comes
legislation for big money interests.

"The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people
tolerate the growth of private power to a point where
it comes stronger than their democratic state itself.
That, in its essence, is fascism - ownership of
government by an individual, by a group, or any
controlling private power."
Franklin D. Roosevelt



       
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