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Obama's FCC to Abandon Net Neutrality?
Is the Obama FCC siding with the largest cable and phone companies, and against Net Neutrality and universal Internet access?
The Obama administration has long vowed to protect Net Neutrality and bridge the digital divide, and FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski picked up this baton when he took up his post last year. But now Genachowski appears to be wavering.
According to an article in the Washington Post, Genachowski may sit on his hands rather than "reclassify" broadband to make sure the FCC can protect Internet users. The decision not to reclassify would be a grave mistake - one that would threaten the Internet as we know it.
A recent federal appeals court decision jeopardized the FCC's authority to establish Net Neutrality protections and carry out its National Broadband Plan.
Chairman Genachowski can fix this by reclassifying broadband as a "telecommunications service" under Title II of the Communications Act - where it was in the first place before a Bush FCC changed it, creating the mess we're encountering now.
If Chairman Genachowski fails to re-establish the FCC's authority to protect Internet users, he will be allowing companies like Comcast, AT&T and Verizon to slow down, block or censor content at will. And it will cripple the FCC's ability to ensure universal Internet access for rural, low-income and disabled Americans.
If he doesn't reclassify broadband, the phone and cable giants will be able to block any website, blog post, tweet or outreach by a political campaign - and the FCC will be powerless to stop them.
Basically, without reclassification, nearly every broadband-related decision the agency makes from here forward will be aggressively challenged in court by companies who know the FCC stands on shaky legal ground, and the FCC will likely lose.
Which means, we could lose the Internet as we know it - the only remaining open communications platform where we all have a voice.
Genachowski's inaction would be an outrage. But we can't just grimace, sigh and resign ourselves to yet another broken promise, one more Washington letdown. We have to draw the line.
Tell the FCC chairman to stand up to the industry pressure, keep his promises and do the right thing: Reclassify broadband, protect Net Neutrality and promote universal Internet access.
47 Comments so far
Show AllI just wrote to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski
I hope you will do the same via the link below.
http://www.fcc.gov/commissioners/genachowski/mail.html
Thanks for the link Lily_otv. I sent my appeal and an impassioned statement of the consequences for the entire professional political class of not pushing back against the plutocracy. I'm sure I've been added to another list soewhere.
Oh, I think Team Obama's position is that "net neutrality" would be the way to go if we were starting from scratch-- but Obama thinks the "largest cable and phone companies" are doing a pretty darn good job, and he's not about to put them out of business!
But seriously, folks, it must be kept in mind that concepts like "net neutrality" are reduced to semantic place-holders in the present depraved political discourse.
Similar phrases, e.g. "health care", the "public option", "nuclear disarmament", "withdrawal of combat forces", and... oh yeah, "civil liberties"... CAN be invested with specific and unequivocal meanings, especially from bottom-up sources.
But once they soak in the ever-simmering, corrosive, toxic Beltway/corporate media broth, they are reduced to mere MacGuffins*.
And bogus MacGuffins-- chimeras-- to boot. Ironically, it's the two-dimensional "pragmatic", "common-sense" thinkers who are the last to recognize or accept this, and to the bitter end treat the politically fictionalized versions of these generally worthy concepts as the real thing.
* See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacGuffin
'starting from scratch' - good one ;)
How about: 'It's not a perfect internet, but...'
or 'We need to stop looking backward at what worked, but now look forward...'
While the article presents a concise summary of how we got to where we are on the net neutrality issue, it needs to advise us what action we can take.
Does Congress have any power to influence the FCC's decision ?
Will writing to an Obama appointee be of any use since we now know that Obama only hires yes-men, and women ?
Even relatively conservative newspapers in my area have editorialized against the outcome of the Comcast case. I guess Rahm and Obama are not going to chance losing bribes from the telecom industry.
They proved that point beyond the shadow of a doubt when Obu$ha rallied for retroactive telecom immunity from lawsuits for spying on comunications among Americans without a FISA Court required warrant.
Well, there goes the last medium for the broad dissemination of "unembedded" news reports and non-conformist viewpoints. It was inevitable once the final step in the process could be undertaken by the "alternative" corporatist party.
Better get those pamphlet printers warmed up for whatever that may be worth under the circumstances. Considering the oil and gas situation, it might not be a bad idea to warm up a few delivery horses too.
What happened when Wikileak's was blocked by facebook? The danger is that we are seeing the end of "Freedom of Press" and "Freedom of Speech"....The Plan is total control!
Unless the 9/11 Truth Movement gets some movement out of an international court for an independent investigation of 9/11, the next "False Flag Attack" will bring an end to any personal liberties and freedom. And, Obama has reinforced his right to invoke "Marshall Law" in times of emergency! Scary what the next two years will bring.
The Internet technologies and initial operations were paid for by the U.S. tax payer.
Thus the Internet is public property.
Allowing a common public resource to be taken over and controlled by private interest is an attack on our freedoms.
Allowing a common public resource to be taken over and controlled by private interest is an attack on our freedoms.
------------------------------
One of many, and not the first.
I suppose there is always distribution of CDs and DVDs for large files and videos and such, and the old BBS systems -- or maybe some boy genius will come up with some new technology or adapt wireless.
But Obama? I expect he will go with the corporations: it's the fascist thing to do, and he likes stylishness -- being in fascion.
Good one, bluepilgrim, except I wish it weren't true.
/cm
I was at CD this morning and reading about Obama's "big speeches" this weekend on campaign finance reform and, of course, read the comments. Some felt that Obama was going in a new direction -- finally moving along progress lines. Others knew better.
Then I come in and this is the first article I read tonight and, guess what, Obama apparently is meeting my expectations on yet another issue -- i.e. siding with the corporate sector.
So, yes, I would say Obama did a lot of bloviating BS this past weekend. He did this in response to the Schumer-Feingold bill. Once that settles down, he will say nary a word about it again, not lend it any support, as Congress in the guise of his fellow Blue Dogs and Repubs, tear it to shreds.
CFR was already a big joke when the Mccain-Feingold bill passed and this one will be just like that one and worse.
We've arguably had a chance to use the Internet to overcome the media since the 2000 election. The 2010 election may be our last chance.
I realize many think I'm the new one on the block, yet if you look at my findings at http://RealityBeKnown.com, you'll see I've been working hard since 2000.
Please take a look, and tell others, before it's too late.
If we keep on electing people who are corporate puppets, what can we expect?
Again, this may be OUR last chance. I'm not running for office, but others are, who stand for the values we espouse.
Voting for a corporate puppet is a wasted vote. As others who've been posting have brought out, and I have in my online book, both party's leaders are bought off by corporations. They control the media and want to control the Internet since that opening is available to us.
This is NOT the time for petty infighting. We're all in this together. We need a team effort to overcome the disproportionate few who are having their way with us and the world.
one thing i know for sure...if they put martial law in place, then by god we'll draw the line there...yes sir, draw the old line.... ......peace......
Why am I not surprised? Obama is Bush in black face. Maybe he plans on running as a Republican in 2012. He has proven himself to be a small man. Bush was all hat and no cattle. Obama is all shuck and jive period. It's long past time for the left to call him out.
The Corporate Citizens are ethnically cleansing the country of us Lowly Human Citizens. Our government is falling all over itself to help the Corporations at the voter's expense.
"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. " Mark Twain
Oh please Obama, astonish us.
Joe
I'm fairly sure his idea of 'right' and ours are 270 spherical degrees out from one another, Joe.
Check out MARCY WINOGRAD, a progressive on every issue, bar none, who is challenging Jane Harman for the House seat. Marcy is not accepting corporate donations. So, every donation would help. They also need volunteers to do other things. She has a page on Facebook and a website, which I think it is www.Winogradforcongress.com. Of course, one does not need to live in the LA area to be able to donate or help. Please pass this along, especially if you know people who do live in that area.
Another point I've brought up on CD before is the fact that Public Finance Campaign, headed by Nick Nyhart, is set up to help localities establish public financing as an option. The locals need to initiate the process. Even though it is going to be slow, the local level is the only way public financing has any hope since our federal govt. has been sitting in corporate pockes in a major way.
Neither of these is a sweeping solution but a step in the right direction. "The longest journey starts with the first step."
The newspapers, radio and TV are pretty much under the thumb of the right-wing elite; they control the message. They are frustrated that they can't control the Internet. So, now they are on the verge of controlling the Internet through the big ISPs and so-called "owners" of the pipes. If the FCC can't get it right, we are screwed; the only message will be that of the corporate, right-wing elite.
You are correct. Follow the money to see exactly how this is being done http://www.teletruth.org/docs/ShortSCANDALSummary.pdf
Thank you Dennis Kucinich, for nothing. This is the President you said you had to protect when voting against your conscious by voting for on the sellout health care bill that you said was a giveaway to the insurance companies. It doesn't end: since your vote, Obama has pushed for more drilling of the US coast, threatened countries with the possibility of an unprovoked nuclear attack (Iran and N. Korea)...
Kucinich and all Dems are worthless politicians--just like the Republicans.
Kucinich is a sell out as is Obama.
The pair of them make me sick.
Chelsea
just wanted to say hi to Chelsea. i got a stinkin badge on HP now:).
Hi jspkim!
Good to see you.
I have not been on the HP for a few weeks now-- too many Obamabots.
How are you?
Chelsea
Ah, a badge on HP. I hadn't been there in a while, and haven't posted any comments in weeks. As Chelsea said, too many O-bots and other dumb people. But I happened over there the other day and saw this badge thingy going on and I was WTF!
More Hopey Dopey "Change" we can believe in......
Chelsea
It's about time that those farsighted enough to see the direction in which the multi-nationals are aiming to take us, circled the wagons and started to lobby back. There are enough of us around the country to put the fear of god into any of our elected officials if we set our mind to it, and that does not mean we should be any gentler in our approach to the appointed members of the FCC. They are really there at our sufferance,if we would, seriously, draw upon our resources to influence them. Make no mistake about it, as the above article indicates, unless we draw a line in the sand here, and make sure that we reclassify broadband as a"telecommunications service" under Title II of the Communications Act, we may soon be kissing net neutrality goodbye.
After all the expense of spending taxpayer money to ENSURE that all Americans would have access to FREE TV, why are you doing this about face, FCC?
I bought an adapter box, but I still need an antenna; maybe I could make one from all of the cable providers who keep sending me mail to join them!
It's been almost a year, and I still have no antenna, and therefore, no TV!
It's a "WONDERFUL LIFE!"
Let's see, 5 to 7 " corporate people" own all the airwaves, but I don't like them, so having a TV with canned news is silly.
If you, government, in all of your omniscience, thought we should all have FREE TV, then perhaps you'd better rethink the FCC's stance and make sure that we have a FREE internet too.
The internet has become my "religion" and my right to use it is my "free speech." Besides, I am using my right to "peaceably assemble" in cyberspace ( while on American soil) "...to petition the government for a redress of grievances!" ( and those grievances are LEGION", by the way,
Oh yes, the Constitution" is supposed to be" a living, breathing document." Stop trying to smother it!
You folks are sweet but disappointing. If you u'stood the way the internet is put together, you would understand that the creatures cannot control it. For one thing, when they try, certain people will make it impossible for the creatures' stooges -- comcast and the like -- to function. In fact, these certain people have for a while now been fashioning various tools in eager anticipation of the coming party.
sigh.........
As long as all our traffic must pass through their ports to get on or off the net, they can control it. We could do a certain amount of traffic by registering with a friendly, non-US ISP and phoning long distance, but the Really Big Chunks that own the backbones can refuse reciprocity and bankrupt smaller ISPs.
As far as people stopping the Really Big Chunks from functioning, you'd have to convince me. Worms, viruses, and DDOS attacks via zombie nets can certainly work, but only for awhile and they're not untraceable. If you're a hostile foreign government, you can stonewall any investigation. But if you're just political dissidents, that crashing sound at your door is the SWAT thugs and their battering-ram.
A bit of brainstorming here:
For organizing purposes, do we really need full-speed internet? Ordinary phone lines are still open and protected by common carrier laws. Phone modems are fine for what we need the internet for.
Also, Radio hams already have their network of 2 meter-band repeaters which could be put to use with their help.
100% control is not necessary, and gov't and contractors have been dragging through old logs for old penetrations that escaped them previously --- apparently to recruit.
As to the party, Kloro laissez les bons temps rouler.
O- No Bundler/big Corporation Left Behind.
Hopey Changey:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xQZtiZNEX0
Just tell them that you know where their transmitters are and that you are working on a "jammer"--if it's not the people's net then we will make our own on a different level and put yours out of service to boot.
If tomorrow you notice that you are being followed by Semitic peoples go to your nearest temple/shrine.--but for god's/Allah's sake make sure you are not followed.
The vast majority of all traffic goes across country via big bundles of glass fibers, not satellite.
A people's network of significant bandwidth would be quite hard to establish and maintain in the face of a hostile government.
Ordinary broadcast, cable and satellite TV and radio are still an important part of the same corporations that want exclusive control of the internet, so we could still hurt them bad by taking out their transmitter towers, uplink dishes and cable headend-downlink dishes.
The problem would be the same one the farmers faced up in northern Minnesota back in the '70s when they were fighting the high-tension power lines being strung across their land. They knocked down a few pylons, but the companies rebuilt and put guards on. It cost the power company some front money, but the pylons stayed up and ultimately it didn't cost the company anything--they got it all back in rate increases.
You still haven't figured out Megan that Obama is a corporate rat and a liar? Must still be buying all of that hopey, changey crap!
To be fair, she did write "we can't let this be just another broken promise." I see nothing to indicate that the writer is naive about Obomber's hopey, changey BS--she is merely trying to get people to contact the FCC and demand that they protect net neutrality. That is something we should be fighting for right now.
Obviously the corporate elite have net neutrality in their cross hairs, and I am more than cycnical enough to believe that Obomber and his administration, along with the democrat party itself, will ultimately be on their side in this fight. But at this point, sending our comments to the FCC is the appropriate and strategic option. We have a profoundly broken democracy, but one of the only ways to fix it is going to be to start making more use of it.
Briggs Seekins
briggsseekins.wordpress.com
What is the dynamic of American Politics? To do the bidding of those who fund your campaigns-- but to appear to listen to public sentiment to gain legitimacy and votes. Call the FCC commissioners by all means, not to plead your case but just to tell them that they are not fooling you, that you know who they serve and that when the time comes to throw the whole stinking lot of them out, you will remember who they are. At first they will laugh, but if enough send them that message the ruling elites will begin to sweat a little-- not that they will show it-- till the end of their reign.
Dear Verizon and Time-Warner---
I am no longer a pacifist and I'm tired of your mediocre bullshit.
-30-
We can expect 0's administration to work against Net neutrality: that is consistent with the imperial quest in the Middle East, mountaintop mining, presidential fiat-murder, and other anti-human measures that 0 espouses.
We have to object now.
I have written Congresspeople, the White House, the FCC and so forth, but this is still woefully inadequate, particularly since information control is such a central goal for US business and government.
The response needs bite.