from the reasons-the-political-class-should-be-ashamed dept.
boing boing brings us Washington: "You should be ashamed of yourself."
Former FCC commissioner Michael Copps has publicly excoriated Congress and the FCC for the state of Internet access in America, which he called "insanity", saying that America's political class "should be ashamed of ourselves". Copps was speaking at a DC event examining the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which created the short-lived practice of requiring American telecoms operators to share their lines with new entrants, allowing many competing DSL providers to flourish. This practice ended in 2005, and led to today's situation in which most Americans have 0, 1 or 2 broadband options.
Do you think that the Oligarchy will allow the plebeians a choice of internet service; or reclassify the Monopoly providers as Common Carriers?
(Score: -1) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 21 2014, @05:01AM
Has the Occupy Movement become the Oligarchy Movement or something? The same group of idiots learned a new word, and they use it constantly like little children would? Oligarchy, oligarchy, oligarchy, it just slips from the fingertips. You know some of the most famous sci-fi franchises are full of celebrated oligarchs? What do you think Starfleet Admirals are, or Jedi Knights are, or Grey Council members are, or Lensmen are? Do you even know what oligarchy means? Do you?
(Score: 2) by redneckmother on Saturday June 21 2014, @05:06AM
I know what it means - it means our opinions, wants, needs, desires, happiness, etc. mean SHIT to those in control. Kinda like in real life.
Mas cerveza por favor.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 21 2014, @05:11AM
The Force is weak in this one.
(Score: -1) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 21 2014, @05:21AM
The Soylentwiki says a small group of powerful people run SoylentNews! Dear holy fucking shit, SOYLENTNEWS IS OLIGARCHY!!!!!!! HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN???????
(Score: 4, Informative) by aristarchus on Saturday June 21 2014, @06:43AM
Lesson in Greek (yes, it is a language, and more influential in its classical forms)" ARCHE' Means primary, first or ruling, thus we have "monarchy, oligarchy, and so on. KRATOS' meaning power, so we have Aristocracy, rule of betters, democracy, rule of the people, and most importantly, Plutarcracy, the rule of the rich. Now, for extra credit, who can tell me what the Greek word "anarchy" means? Anyone? Bueller?
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 21 2014, @06:51AM
Rule by Anne?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 21 2014, @09:29AM
I've always liked the word kakistocracy: a government under the control of a nation's worst or least-qualified citizens.
It's easy to remember; it sounds a bit like caca. Pretty much what modern politics is all about.
(Score: 1) by Horse With Stripes on Saturday June 21 2014, @09:50AM
So kakistocracy == run by politicians?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 21 2014, @06:43AM
Cool. Didn't know about the Wiki or the list of oligarchs [soylentnews.org].
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 21 2014, @10:18AM
Pfft, the homeworld has gone to hell since we got a half-human Vorlon sympathizer in charge.
(Score: 2) by Dunbal on Saturday June 21 2014, @10:35AM
Er, it is pretty standard to use a word when that word correctly describes something. Maybe you are seeing the word oligarchy so often because you are living in one? Please, do tell me about all the different choices of ruler you have.
(Score: 2) by SpockLogic on Saturday June 21 2014, @02:22PM
Is the AC a shill paid by the corporate kleptocracy who want to deflect discussion away from from the dismal state of broadband in the US. If so he's earned his coin on this thread.
Overreacting is one thing, sticking your head up your ass hoping the problem goes away is another - edIII
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 21 2014, @03:06PM
> You know some of the most famous sci-fi franchises are full of celebrated oligarchs? What do you think Starfleet Admirals are, or Jedi Knights are, or Grey Council members are, or Lensmen are?
Sci-fi authors tend to suck at creating realistic societies, they over-simplify to an incredible degree mostly because the social order in the stories is just a trivial framework to hang the background on. When they make society a central character in the story, they always make it oppressive or at least dystopian.
The lesson you should be taking away from your own examples is that oligarchy only works in fiction.
(Score: 2) by tathra on Saturday June 21 2014, @10:53PM
feudalism, which is certainly an ogliarchy, lasted for more than a couple hundred years, and is currently making a comeback in a new form. it would be nice if ogliarchies didnt actually work in reality, but they do. the worst thing about this current mess is that something like half the population considers themselves to be part of the ruling class, despite being dirt-poor and having no chance of ever having any actual power, and not only vote consistently against their own interests, but also consistently vote to increase the power of the people over them, because for some fucked up reason they think they might be able to wield some of that power and are so delusional they dont seem to realize that they're the ones making it certain that they'll always be powerless.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 21 2014, @06:50PM
Don't forget stasi. That's another favorite new word.
It is also a shame that the commentary on the end was permitted in the article submission. You'd like to think the article summaries should be for fostering discussion and debate and not come off sounding like the standard Slashdot flamebaiting or moralistic name calling.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Reziac on Sunday June 22 2014, @02:50AM
The wise AC says:
===
It is also a shame that the commentary on the end was permitted in the article submission. You'd like to think the article summaries should be for fostering discussion and debate and not come off sounding like the standard Slashdot flamebaiting or moralistic name calling.
===
I agree. Guys? Let's at least try to be objective when it's news -- if you're posting an editorial, so label it.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 1) by Horse With Stripes on Saturday June 21 2014, @09:56AM
The joke is on you*. Washington DC has no shame, and neither do those who aspire to be there.
* and by you I mean all of us.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Saturday June 21 2014, @02:14PM
Well guys we're coming up fast on a paradigm shift. telecom monopolies are setting themselves up next to big oil and wall street for the fall. five years from now none of us will recognise the world. except there will be many AT&t Guys swinging from lampposts.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 21 2014, @02:57PM
> five years from now none of us will recognise the world. except there will be many AT&t Guys swinging from lampposts.
You are crazy optimistic. It's going to be more like 20 years. The wheels of justice grind slowly. It took ~30 years from the end of ma bell to get back to where we are now, that kind of thing does not get undone quickly. Especially when there are literally billions of dollars lined up against it getting undone.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Saturday June 21 2014, @03:01PM
Not much point in shaming psychopaths. They don't compute that. Power language is the only compatible one. They would react to people colluding against them. But don't give a shit about much else.
An image is just a way to get power.
(Score: 2) by cafebabe on Sunday June 22 2014, @05:19PM
I thought that psychopaths were very sensitive to loss of status, very insensitive to the threat of physical pain and very typical when experiencing pain. (Read The Psychopath Test [wikipedia.org] for more details.) On this basis, inflicting pain on a psychopath does very little to alter their long-term behavior. However, identifying psychopaths and restricting their freedom of action is action for the greater good. Failing that, laugh at them and don't tell them why they're the butt of the joke.
1702845791×2
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Sunday June 22 2014, @05:28PM
They are sensitive in the same way as you mourn the loss of $100. It's an item lost. Kind of like corporations that pays parking fines regularly as a cost of business. I would say that the best option is to identify the location of psychopaths and avoid them.
They are like the Star trek borgs, you don't mess with them. You have them removed from your life and move on.