FCC and the internet

[Steve Furbish]

Amedee Van Gasse (ub) wrote:
> On Thu, October 22, 2009 15:53, Steve Furbish wrote:
>   
>> Sense Hofstede wrote:
>>     
>>> What is it with you all that you keep seeing the state as pure evil,
>>> even though it ought to represent you, be made up of you, whereas
>>> companies are universally good?
>>>
>>>       
>> In theory you would expect it to be the other way around. Private
>> industry should be taking care of itself and government should be
>> protecting the interests of the citizenry. The problem is that even
>> obvious corruption has become acceptable these days. Government's main
>> interest seems to have shifted from protecting the country to
>> maintaining it's own power and the individual wealth of it's members.
>> Corporations now use powerful lobbies to gain government favor without
>> much concern for the actual welfare of the customer.
>>     
>
> Perhaps this is true in your country, but it's not globally true.
>   

It HAS been decades since I traveled internationally. And yes, I was 
speaking about the situation in the US government since that appeared to 
be the source of the current debate on net neutrality.
 
>   
>> I think I can support the concept of net neutrality but with a healthy
>> dose of prescribed restraint (elected oversight) placed on the FCC as
>> well.
>>     
>
> In every good working democracy with separation of powers it is normally
> the job of a parliament with elected representatives (legislative branch)
> to oversee government agencies (executive branch).
>
> What you are saying about elected oversight is the normal situation. So
> actually you have no more arguments to oppose the concept of net
> neutrality. You're only worried about details in the implementation.
>   
I do believe that to be an accurate rephrasing of the original position 
I took. I never intended to oppose the concept of net neutrality - just 
expressing a concern over implementation in the US.

> Let me break you some news: all of us who are pro net neutrality (inside
> and outside your country) are also concerned that a government agency
> might screw up. But for us the glass is half full, for you it's half
> empty.
>
>   
So is it the pessimist or the optimist that wears the blindfold first?

Steve