Barrett Garese

Republicans Move to Block Network Neutrality

Just hours after Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski proposed expanding the network neutrality authority of the agency Sept. 21, Senate Republicans moved to block the initiative. Using an appropriations bill as a vehicle, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison introduced an amendment that would deny the FCC any funds for developing or implementing new Internet regulations.

Of course.

Let me be crystal clear: if you oppose Net Neutrality you’re supporting negating the very existence of the single most transformative technology of the past two millennia. You’re supporting allowing private industry to arbitrarily change the open access rules which have allowed the evolution of human communications to make huge leaps, and you’re not doing it because you agree or disagree with the policy, but because you’re playing party politics.

Now normally, I’m in favor of staying out of local elections if you’re not actually local, but I’ll make an exception here for two reasons: First, the internet is global so you’re actually legislating on much more than just your local constituency. Secondly, you’re interfering with my workplace and my livelihood - not to mention fucking with the future of international communications and creativity. All of a sudden the maxim “all politics is local” will take on a whole new meaning.

So it comes down to this: If you oppose Net Neutrality I’ll do everything in my power - small as my sphere of influence may seem - to keep you out of any elected office. That effort may amount to doing my damnedest to make sure you don’t get re-elected, or it may be trying to get you actively kicked out of office but the fact remains that I will be a thorn in your side and a constant pain in your ass.

Your worldview is valuing one private industry’s profits and party politics higher than maintaining the precidents that allowed the largest shift in human communications, information, commerce, and entertainment in the history of our species. You’re not just fucking with my business, you’re fucking with the future - and you don’t even have a good goddamn reason aside from “I’m a Republican, this is what we do.”

But let’s get back on track: If this sounds petty, remember: you’re firing a shot across my bow, and this is mine in return. I don’t know how many will help me, but I’m damn sure I’ll know where to find them. And in the meantime, I’ll be doing my research on what the most effective way to ruin your world is - as you seem to be doing your best to ruin mine.

Barrett Garese

Source: marco