Here are a few that may turn out a little differently than its proponents had hoped for:<\/p>\n
Scott Cleland over at the PrecursorBlog has an interesting analysis of what the FCC’s recent Report & Order regarding Comcast’s hidden traffic management activities means<\/a> to the future of Net Neutrality.\u00c2\u00a0 While NN proponent Larry Lessig seems to think it a big success<\/a>, Scott Cleland sees the order as having “reined in the net neutrality movement much more than it advanced their agenda.”\u00c2\u00a0 I haven’t had a chance to full parse the R&O, but I suspect that Scott is right.<\/p>\n ~<\/p>\n Heard this NPR story<\/a> on the radio about the Bush Administration’s latest attempt to shoehorn more government regulation into private lives.\u00c2\u00a0 This time, it wants to use the power of the government to give special rights to certain minorities<\/span> bar private employers from taking any disciplinary action against an employee who claims that he doesn’t want to perform his duties because of his religious beliefs.\u00c2\u00a0 Can we safely presume, now, that Republicans will be consistent and recognize that it’s legitimate to balance some public interest concerns against the private freedom of contract?\u00c2\u00a0 Yes?\u00c2\u00a0 No?<\/p>\n Heh.<\/p>\n ~<\/p>\n There appear to be a number of people (including lots of Democrats) who support a return of the Fairness Doctrine<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 The short description of the Fairness Doctrine is that when a controversial subject of public importance is discussed on broadcast television, a balanced presentation is made. Now, try and clearly nail down a definition of every word in that last sentence after “when”.\u00c2\u00a0 Kinda tough, eh?\u00c2\u00a0 So who does it?\u00c2\u00a0 Why, the FCC, of course!\u00c2\u00a0 Do you see the problem?\u00c2\u00a0 Well, lots of Dems don’t – which sort of boggles me, considering the lesson in ideological manipulation of the levers of government we’ve gotten in the past 8 years.\u00c2\u00a0 Why would you want the government to get involved in even more censorship than it does already?<\/p>\n The original argument was that since they were using the public airwaves, there was a public interest obligation that justified this intervention.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Now, as a legal theory, I find that acceptable (in fact, it’s a theory that underlies a lot of regulation).\u00c2\u00a0 But as a practical matter, it’s a really bad idea.\u00c2\u00a0 And, apparently, it’s an idea that almost 30% of people in a recent poll<\/a> would like to see extended to the Internet (and blogs, in general).\u00c2\u00a0 Think about that.<\/p>\n ~<\/p>\n Update<\/strong>: I figure that this is as good a place as any to put myself on the careful what you ask for hook, wrt the Obama VP selection.\u00c2\u00a0 My own worst to first: Clinton (for many many reasons, none of which involve the question of her ability to be President).\u00c2\u00a0 Bayh would be an awful choice (primarily for the reason noted here<\/a>).\u00c2\u00a0 Kaine doesn’t inspire me, but would be acceptable (and a good campaigner).\u00c2\u00a0 I am surprised to find myself coming around on Biden (but still shudder at the thought of him actually being President).\u00c2\u00a0 But I’d still like to see Brian Schweitzer (Governor of Montana) top the list.<\/p>\n *I know, I left off Sebelius, but I still haven’t managed to form an opinion of her.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Here are a few that may turn out a little differently than its proponents had hoped for: Scott Cleland over at the PrecursorBlog has an interesting analysis of what the FCC’s recent Report & Order regarding Comcast’s hidden traffic management activities means to the future of Net Neutrality.\u00c2\u00a0 While NN proponent Larry Lessig seems to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":4,"activitypub_interaction_policy_quote":"anyone","activitypub_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,4,6,8,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-content-distribution","category-law","category-policy","category-politics","category-tech"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t