The Most Important Free Speech Issue of Our Time

Al Franken U.S. Senator, Minnesota Dec 21, 2010 This Tuesday is an important day in the fight to save the Internet. As a source of innovation, an engine of our economy, and a forum for our political discourse, the Internet can only work if it’s a truly level playing field. Small businesses should have the same ability to reach customers as powerful corporations. A blogger should have the same ability to find an audience as a media conglomerate. This principle is called “net neutrality” — and it’s under attack. Internet service giants like Comcast and Verizon want to offer premium and privileged access to the Internet for corporations who can afford to pay for it. The good news is that the Federal Communications Commission has the power to issue regulations that protect net neutrality. The bad news is that draft regulations written by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski don’t do that at all. They’re worse than nothing. That’s why Tuesday is such an important day. The FCC will be meeting to discuss those regulations, and we must make sure that its members understand that allowing corporations to control the Internet is simply unacceptable. Although Chairman Genachowski’s draft Order has not been made public, early reports make clear that it falls far short of protecting net neutrality. For many Americans — particularly those who live in rural areas — the future of the Internet lies in mobile services. But the draft Order would effectively permit Internet providers to block lawful content, applications, and devices on mobile Internet connections. Mobile networks like AT&T and Verizon Wireless would be able to shut off your access to content or applications for any reason. For instance, Verizon could prevent you from accessing Google Maps on your phone, forcing you to use their own mapping program, Verizon Navigator, even if it costs money to use and isn’t nearly as good. Or a mobile provider with a political agenda could prevent you from downloading an app that connects you with the Obama campaign (or, for that matter, a Tea Party group in your area). It gets worse. The FCC has never before explicitly allowed discrimination on the Internet — but the draft Order takes a step backwards, merely stating that so-called “paid prioritization” (the creation of a “fast lane” for big corporations who can afford to pay for it) is cause for concern. It sure is — but that’s exactly why the FCC should ban it. Instead, the draft Order would have the effect of actually relaxing restrictions on this kind of discrimination. What’s more, even the protections that are established in the draft Order would be weak because it defines “broadband Internet access service” too narrowly, making it easy for powerful corporations to get around the rules. Here’s what’s most troubling of all. Chairman Genachowski and President Obama — who nominated him — have argued convincingly that they support net neutrality. But grassroots supporters of net neutrality are beginning to wonder if we’ve been had. Instead of proposing regulations that would truly protect net neutrality, reports indicate that Chairman Genachowski has been calling the CEOs of major Internet corporations seeking their public endorsement of this draft proposal, which would destroy it. No chairman should be soliciting sign-off from the corporations that his agency is supposed to regulate — and no true advocate of a free and open Internet should be seeking the permission of large media conglomerates before issuing new rules. After all, just look at Comcast — this Internet monolith has reportedly imposed a new, recurring fee on Level 3 Communications, the company slated to be the primary online delivery provider for Netflix. That’s the same Netflix that represents Comcast’s biggest competition in video services. Imagine if Comcast customers couldn’t watch Netflix, but were limited only to Comcast’s Video On Demand service. Imagine if a cable news network could get its website to load faster on your computer than your favorite local political blog. Imagine if big corporations with their own agenda could decide who wins or loses online. The Internet as we know it would cease to exist. That’s why net neutrality is the most important free speech issue of our time. And that’s why, this Tuesday, when the FCC meets to discuss this badly flawed proposal, I’ll be watching. If they approve it as is, I’ll be outraged. And you should be, too.

Take a look at this thread. It is exactly what we will be looking at. Shortly.

abovetopsecret.com...

S&F!!

This is VERY important for freedom on the Internet! Do NOT listen to scumbags like Beck who argue against net neutrality, they are paid for by corporations!

Too late we loose. well just have to use word of mouth and samizdat for communication between dissenteing orgs. and people.
Time to go underground for sure....
When this goes down, then thats it the war is on for real, and any harm one can do to the systems ability to persecute and incarceate people for speaking their mind will be your responsibility to carry out.
Everybody better understand that this is a battle to the death.Either our children will be free or theyll be slaves because we failed them.

I operate an isp system,I have no plans to shape bandwidth,never will,you pay for your package and I dont care what you do with it.

I think the last thing we need is the fcc having anything to do with it the way it is now,free market. If the gov does anything with it, its gonna cost money,and guess whose internet bill is gonna go up? Thats right, yours,as an isp operator I can gaurentee you the price will be passed to you, and maybe more, just for the privilage of having to do the fcc related paperwork.

I'll give you this little tidbit,if your isp recieved broadband stimulous money,part of the agreement is to provide and maintain co-ords on all modems. Yeah, keep asking for the gov in your internets,it wont be fun you can bet.

People don't get it. You will no longer be able to afford the Internet as the price skyrockets. There are many ways to control speech. Next on the agenda will be censorship based on content. First regulate the information source, then censor it. The regulation must come first. Once regulation starts it opens the door to complete control.

The argument may sound good on the surface, but those making it know what the end game really is. They will win this one with arguments like this to trick those who base their beliefs on the packaging. They know how dumb "The People" are and that pretty bows and wrapping paper easily hide the real contents.

Finally a leader and member of the US Senate courageously stands up and speaks the truth, without fear or favour.

The time has come to rally around him, empower him to fight the good fight legislatively. If he fails, then we will know which side other elected officials are siding on, and each free human must do what needs to be done, if not for himself, it will be for the innocent next generations to come.

What happens in US does not stay in US, for it will be an example to follow around the world, by authoritarians and dictators to either follow suit without remorse or be browbeaten to it by shadow rulers. Further enslavement of mankind will only follow.

Lyrics.
I was wrong to say I wouldn’t change a thing
‘Cause in the story of our lives, the best of times through colour glass

And if you should call
It’s no trouble, no trouble at all
I’ll take out the sun, back where we begun again

Time goes on enough to let me move on past
But every little now & then it creeps on back to shade my smile

I’m here once again
But I’m deep & I’m feelin’ a pain
So who takes the fall that covers it all again

Put it on the right track, get it right back
A message from my heart it’s too loud to stay apart
So put it on the right track, steal it right back
It’s high time now