Yesterday’s edition of Prof. Bob McChesney’s weekly radio program was dedicated to net neutrality, with guests Tim Karr of Free Press and Adam Green, of MoveOn.org, which I think only recently joined the campaign. It’s a packed hour and worth listening to, especially since guys like Karr have been pretty much living and breathing net neutrality for the last five months.
You can listen to a RealAudio stream, or download an mp3 of the program.
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Thanks for the download. I for one am against this hyped up version of government sticking its nose where it doesn’t belong. The Internet is based on captitalism, competition and innovation. If the FCC steps in, my fear is that all that will go by the wayside and I am not willing to let that happen!
I don’t relish the idea of the FCC regulating the internet either, given it’s rather spotty record.
However, I do think it’s important to recognize that the internet is not the exclusive product of “capitalism, competition and innovation.” Rather, it started as a well-funded defense department program, that was then expanded to the research community before finally being opened to the public.
The internet is, at essence, a public project, not a private one. Which is why I am concerned about the Baby Bell’s efforts to privatize it fully though their control of the last-mile networks to homes and offices.
If you listen to the internet’s original architects, they share my concern and also believe that the openness will not remain if the Telcos get their way and neutrality is not the law. They believe that innovation will be stifled, and given their own pedigrees I think their opinion is worth taking seriously.
I agree that we should take their opinion seriously. That doesn’t mean that they’re right. And although the internet started as a government-funded project, it’s obviously come a long way since then. I actually fear a return to a government-controlled internet far more than I fear ISPs and content carriers duking it out in the market. I also fear for those college kids working in their mom’s basement on the next big thing when they have to navigate burdensome regulations composed by members of Congress beholden to special interests on both sides of the issue.
I think it’s mistaken to characterize the ISPs and content carriers as duking it out “in the market.” There is no “market” in telecomm services. At best there’s a duopoly for most people, and for others there’s only one choice. So if both the cable companies and Baby Bell DSL providers start filtering content in the same manner — as they’ve threatened to do, where’s the market? Where’s the choice?
This isn’t about regulation vs. deregulation. It’s about who benefits from regulation.
Will it be a windfall for Verizon and AT&T at the expense of the public and consumers? Or will we have a fighting chance at preserving the internet we know?
Wow, this guy McChesney — and this whole “net neutrality” idea is an attempt to limit free speech and limit ideas. These guys obviously don’t want “other” people to say anything…just them! Sounds “undemocratic!”
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