[ExI] internet regulation as a public utility

[spike]

>… Behalf Of Adrian Tymes
Subject: Re: [ExI] internet regulation as a public utility

On Nov 10, 2014 5:07 PM, "spike" <spike66 at att.net> wrote:
>>>> I read up on it and I come away with little doubt: any attempt at regulation is a bad thing.  It sets up too many risks for violation of free speech enforced by the IRS.

>>>...at least target the right agency, please!  The IRS wouldn't be regulating this, but the FCC …

>>…The IRS is the universal enforcement arm.

>…That is factually incorrect.  If nothing else, there are other enforcement arms - starting with the military…

Was there a single military officer who has recently pled the fifth and refused to answer questions about the content of the missing evidence?

>…I understand your paranoia, but get your facts straight.  Otherwise, you have as much credibility on this issue as a flat Earther or a creationist…

 

Consider this explanation.  The IRS “lost” email, then gave us the very flimsiest of insulting excuses.  Now they are saying they didn’t bother looking for backups of their data because they already knew nothing would be found there.  Indeed?  How did they know that?  And how can they be so sure their accidental destruction of evidence didn’t accidentally miss something?  And why would they go to such extraordinary measures to destroy that evidence?  And why the stupid half-hearted excuses, in a country which has more IT experts per square mile than Australia has kanagroos?  Theory: those emails included the identities and actions of those who influenced the IRS to suppress an entire political party, which may have tipped an election.  If so, the IRS would stop at nothing to hide that evidence trail, because it would cause congress to pass laws making it illegal, which it apparently is not currently.  My point: the reason the IRS would be used as the government’s universal enforcement arm is that it has demonstrated that it has arbitrary power without accountability.

 

If ever there was a good argument for libertarian principles, this is it.  The irony should be lost on no one that the whole scheme came to light in the suppression of the party perhaps closest to libertarianism.  The government used the IRS to crush libertarianism.

 

>…No, they could not.  Especially since not all Internet operations are US-based, or anywhere the IRS can get to…

They can figure out who in the US is receiving the content they find objectionable, then tip off the IRS, and the recipient gets audited beyond recognition and is never heard of again. 

>…Corporations could, and would.  And they don't lean toward letting just anyone speak - their default is to give slow, preferably no, service to anyone not paying them.  The FCC at least defaults toward "voice for everybody"…

 

The FCC is so nice and so fair, they would never go corrupt, the way the IRS already has, with the EPA is close on their heels.  (Not.  We know what happens when any agency has power without accountability.)

 

Adrian, I’m just not buying it.  It will take a generation to restore trust in government destroyed in the past 12 years alone.

 

I don’t see why we couldn’t set up a system that guarantees a minimum free bandwidth allocation, a voice for everybody, available free everywhere, which would be more than adequate for text applications (which require almost nothing.)   Then let the corporations fight with their money (it’s their money, not ours) over who gets to deliver high-bandwidth streaming of the latest funny cat YouTubes, porn and epic fail videos.

 

spike

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