OT: Net Neutrality
November 21st, 2017 at 7:00 PM ^
Fat lot of good that did. It may have created competition in the long-distance world but breaking Bell up into the baby Bells did nothing but create a whole bunch of monopolies on local service. And then rates for local service (the thing people used most of the time) rose considerably faster than inflation, because they didn't have long-distance to subsidize them anymore and they all had monopolies anyway.
And then the little monopolies all merged with each other to create Verizon and AT&T anyway.
November 21st, 2017 at 6:46 PM ^
November 21st, 2017 at 6:52 PM ^
Fair points. I wasn't even thinking remoteness necessarily. I live in the Old West Side in AA and looking at the map, I'm right on the border of 3-4 ISP options. That number could and probably should be much higher.
November 21st, 2017 at 7:50 PM ^
I am a 40 minute drive from a major city and I have DSL.
November 21st, 2017 at 7:27 PM ^
November 21st, 2017 at 8:24 PM ^
I do work for TMobile and they are just starting to try out satellite back haul. Results aren't too good yet. Only using it really remote areas. I'm sure it will get better as more effort is put into developing that possibility but that will be a while.
November 21st, 2017 at 6:38 PM ^
Yes, this is true
November 21st, 2017 at 6:00 PM ^
The absolute definition of regulatory capture
November 21st, 2017 at 6:01 PM ^
November 21st, 2017 at 6:05 PM ^
November 21st, 2017 at 6:10 PM ^
November 21st, 2017 at 6:14 PM ^
By it's very definition, our government is for our country. Multi-national corporations do not care where the money comes from. Their goal is just to make it.
November 21st, 2017 at 6:17 PM ^
November 21st, 2017 at 6:18 PM ^
November 21st, 2017 at 7:03 PM ^
November 21st, 2017 at 9:15 PM ^
No. Not even close. The overwhelming majority of government employees are not political positions but career public servants. In fact, elected officials and appointees are a tiny fraction of the overall number so you're way off. Even as long ago as the end o 2011 there were over 2.79 million civil servants employed by the federal government.
If you add state, local, and federal, there are over 22 million. So the facts just don't line up with what you're saying. It hasn't always been this way where the government was the boogeyman. Lately it has been an easy target for demagogues though so now people see the government as they see politicians which is unfortunate because there are millions of good hard-working people making sure this whole thing stays working as well as possible.
November 21st, 2017 at 11:10 PM ^
November 22nd, 2017 at 9:10 AM ^
November 21st, 2017 at 6:42 PM ^
November 21st, 2017 at 10:08 PM ^
You have not been following recent news out of the EPA. The destruction underway right now is unprecendented and brazen. It is not the America you have trusted. It is next level corporate takeover at citizen expense.
November 21st, 2017 at 11:14 PM ^
November 22nd, 2017 at 12:02 AM ^
Blaming the totality of "the government" for Citizens United is like blaming your foundation when it's invaded by termites.
November 21st, 2017 at 6:11 PM ^
November 21st, 2017 at 6:11 PM ^
November 21st, 2017 at 6:40 PM ^
Only to the extent the electorate allows, or demands it.
November 21st, 2017 at 6:36 PM ^
Big Govt... the root of all evil !!
November 21st, 2017 at 6:41 PM ^
"Hello, I'm from the government and I'm here to help you."
November 21st, 2017 at 6:45 PM ^
November 21st, 2017 at 9:02 PM ^
November 22nd, 2017 at 8:32 AM ^
November 21st, 2017 at 9:02 PM ^
November 21st, 2017 at 8:20 PM ^
November 21st, 2017 at 6:06 PM ^
Yes, because as we all know, large corporations with limited to no competition always do what's best for their customers. Customers are so happy with their ISPs now, it'll only get better once they can determine what web sites their customers can't visit.
November 21st, 2017 at 6:13 PM ^
November 21st, 2017 at 6:16 PM ^
Now this is an interesting viewpoint! Inherently, the purpose of government should be to PROTECT human and individual rights. But of course countless examples over history have shown otherwise, and led to a viewpoint like this. Which is unfortunate.
November 21st, 2017 at 6:16 PM ^
Now this is an interesting viewpoint! Inherently, the purpose of government should be to PROTECT human and individual rights. But of course countless examples over history have shown otherwise, and led to a viewpoint like this. Which is unfortunate.
November 21st, 2017 at 6:20 PM ^
November 21st, 2017 at 6:54 PM ^
Don't worry, things will certainly get better for us humans once the AI corporations are developing will automate government.
November 22nd, 2017 at 3:20 PM ^
Humanity is tribal and best suited to form loose collectives of internal responsibility with about 75-150 people each. At that size tasks can be shared but breaucracy is unnecessary.
November 21st, 2017 at 6:17 PM ^
Nice to see you back on your main account SQ. Was the new one with one "t" not working for you?
Now go theorize about governments and corporations over there while we deal the real world which boils down to two options:
govt bought out by corporations or govt somewhat listening to the public.
November 21st, 2017 at 6:22 PM ^
November 21st, 2017 at 6:29 PM ^
Someone must be trolling you b/c there deff is another SQ account around here made this past week.
November 21st, 2017 at 6:44 PM ^
November 23rd, 2017 at 11:54 AM ^
is a real ray of sunshine:
November 21st, 2017 at 7:37 PM ^
Like you're one to talk, Yost.
November 22nd, 2017 at 1:11 AM ^
I really am not Mr. Yost. It was a joke I made in that thread.
November 22nd, 2017 at 4:22 PM ^
I saw no thread, this is just from my observation.
November 21st, 2017 at 6:19 PM ^
Any organized mass of human beings, like the ISPs and other large corporations? You sure seem fine with placing faith in them when history shows they'll abuse customers when they think it'll make them more money. Something needs to keep them in check.
November 21st, 2017 at 6:23 PM ^
Actually that point of his I can sympathize with. Government will always have the use of force over populace - and of course the hope is that they are using that force to protect human rights. But the beauty of a free society is that if you don't trust large corporations, you are free not to do business with them. And competition will always be there to keep them in check - unless of course companies are buying politicians, and we come full circle to cronyism which is my topic of the day...
November 21st, 2017 at 6:28 PM ^
Your viewpoint falls flat when considering those same big corporations enabled by government can now barracade any new potential competition.
You think Comcast and Verizon will now all of a sudden allow some Mom and Pop internet company to sprout out of nowhere?
It's not based in reality. These corporations are too big due to anti-trust laws being broken left and right.