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Common Dreams reports:
Proponents of an open internet are holding a rally on Monday [February 27] to mark the two-year anniversary of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) vote that enshrined net neutrality protections that the new Trump administration has already begun eroding.
The 3pm event in Washington, D.C [was] backed by the Color of Change, National Hispanic Media Coalition, Center for Media Justice, and Free Press, and will feature the FCC's only Democratic commissioner, Mignon Clyburn.
[...] According to Timothy Karr, senior director of strategy for Free Press, "No FCC chair over the past 40 years has been so bent on undermining the agency's public-service mission and destroying the safeguards on which hundreds of millions of Americans rely."
Laying out the stakes, Max Anderson, coordinator for Human Rights Watch's general counsel's office, wrote last week:
Should net neutrality be scrapped in the U.S., it will enable service providers to throttle internet speeds or block access to websites based on commercial deals they cut with media providers. That would undermine freedom of expression and access to information. Once these practices have been established, it's a short step to other human rights consequences. Governments that already attempt to stifle lawful online expression will welcome a new tool for silencing critics. The FCC should retain its good example to the world and enforce net neutrality. If the internet stands a chance of enabling the realization of human rights, then access needs to be nondiscriminatory and in line with human rights in the widest sense.
[...] So, what can people do?
"The short answer is to raise hell", said Craig Aaron, CEO of Free Press, to Mercury News columnist Troy Wolverton.
"Net neutrality is an issue that a lot of people care about--millions and millions more than the FCC ever expected", Aaron said. "We need to hear from those people again."
The good old days: U.S. Appeals Court Upholds Net Neutrality Rules in Full
What's that? You thought we fought this one before? FCC Extends Net Neutrality Comment Period (Again)
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 01 2017, @05:26AM (10 children)
Net neutrality IN THE CROSSHAIRS.
Proponents of an open internet
vote that enshrined net neutrality protections
new Trump administration has already begun eroding
so bent on undermining the agency's public-service mission and destroying the safeguards on which hundreds of millions of Americans rely
.... I could carry on, but I'm sure you get the idea.
Funny thing is, I'm a proponent of net neutrality - in fact, I'm a proponent of an opaque net design, so that neutrality is the only option. But then I get fed tripe like this, as if I were too weak-minded to choose the side of gleaming righteousness, defended by a harried band of underdog paladins against the ravening orcs of Mord ... I mean, DC.
Come on. Try to at least get neutral enough in the stories that I'm not embarrassed to agree with you, maybe?
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 01 2017, @07:01AM
What's your gripe? Given what they're reporting on - the deliberate and willful dismantling of a public good - this is remarkably unbiased headlining.
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Wednesday March 01 2017, @08:29AM (4 children)
Classic method of rationalising awful things - convince yourself (and, maybe, others) that anyone who is telling about how crap things are is being irrational - as you are the epitome of rational, thinkjng man. "look, the sun is still coming up, everything is not that bad!"
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 01 2017, @03:17PM
But the scientists turned the sun into a giant nuclear reactor, and now people are getting cancer from it! ;-)
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Wednesday March 01 2017, @04:16PM (1 child)
mumble mumble Ayn Rand mumble mumble rational self-interest mumble mumble Fuck You Got Mine
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 01 2017, @10:12PM
Eejit Pie is a corporate shill and if someone claims otherwise with a straight face, then I have a beautiful bridge to sell them. I suspect quite a few Americans who voted for Trump didn't realise they'd get the Party of Personal Responsibility (aka fuck you, I got mine) too.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Zz9zZ on Wednesday March 01 2017, @05:18PM
AC specifically stated they are in favor of Net Neutrality. I am also tired of verbose emotional rhetoric in articles, its a cheap propaganda trick that treats people like children (rightfully so it would seem sometimes) and journalists should rise above it. That said, the quotes AC selected are far from the extreme edge of the spectrum... could be a troll... "Now I agree with this, but just listen to how stupid these people are!"
~Tilting at windmills~
(Score: 2, Disagree) by linkdude64 on Wednesday March 01 2017, @03:33PM (2 children)
Ironically it seems the political side who most vehemently supports "Net neutrality" are apparently the least able to remain objective and neutral when it comes to politics.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday March 01 2017, @07:01PM (1 child)
That's not irony, Allanis. To vehemently support something is to lose neutrality, by definition.
(Score: 2) by linkdude64 on Friday March 03 2017, @08:58PM
Irony is defined as, "the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning." Doesn't the statement "I support net neutrality" fit that description? Genuinely not sure - I have had a long day.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 01 2017, @03:57PM
I'll grant you the language is a bit more verbose than needed, but compared to some other articles I've seen it is downright mellow. Hardcore environmentalist articles are 10x worse, and conservative articles spew so much more hatred and emotional language. Same level of ridiculous but centered on anger. Net neutrality isn't some liberal fantasy you knobs.