Democrat fights fascism

Here’s the statement issued by Democrat Charlie Gonzales of San Antonio, TX, on the fascist “net-neutrality” nonsense:

On its face, the Markey amendments seems fair, but the more you look at the implications of this legislation, the less fair it seems. Its most immediate consequence would be to exempt highly profitable companies like Microsoft, Yahoo, and Google from having to pay to use another company’s cable network. In essence, this would allow Internet giants to reap the benefits of operating a cable network with none of the risks or costs. Forcing cable providers to give a free-ride to companies like Microsoft, Yahoo, and Google will ultimately work against consumers by undermining the financial incentive to develop the next generation of network technologies. It would also subsidize the efforts of companies like Microsoft, Yahoo, and Google to expand their dominance of most Internet commerce and to use their brain power to force smaller companies to partner rather than compete against them.

As the late Nicholas Monsarrat so delicately put it in his great novel of WW2, The Cruel Sea, "Bulldust baffles brains."

The Net Neutrality Amendment doesn't say that it wouldn't be legal to recoup R&D and installation expenses. That is a completely separate question. Nowhere does it say that services wouldn't have to pay for using another's network -- it says that the network providers cannot give preference to one service over another.

What it does say is that on either existing or future systems, it would be illegal to give preferential treatment to any service over another, be it the net owner's own or any other.

The near-monopoly telcos and cable companies are looking back thirty or so years at the history of the long-distance business and of free competition in local phone service. With the clarity of hindsight, they see the process which has cost them so much in those areas.

And through their bought-and-paid for Congresscritters the near-monopoly telcos and cable companies are attempting to smother internet competition in its crib, as they failed to have the foresight to do to MCI and Sprint.

Speaking of "bought and paid for" -- guess who Rep. Gonzalez's #1 campaign contributor is?

Why, it's SBC Communications!

Again i find myself sympathising with that great philosopher, Iago the parrot: "I am so not surprised I could just moult."

Right-wingers, Left-wingers Like Their Free Internet

Right Wing Nut House is blogging about net neutrality, as are dedicated conservatives Kitty Litter, the Absurd Report, and Freedom Watch. And SavetheInternet was the Web Site of the Day on Right Wing News.

I’ve been adding supporting blogs to our blogroll furiously, as you can see on the right. Filmmaker magazine, DeafDC, the Asian-Pacific Islander Blog Network and Business Analysis Insight are some of the new sites on there. And we’re up to 1300 friends on MySpace.

¶ 8:42 PM