I’ve read over and over that it’s a bad idea for an author, especially a beginner to get political. But damnit, I’m not going to be able to keep things to myself and I need a longer format space to vent about all the shit that’s going on in washingtop. Full warning, this post is going to get a little sweary, so if “Adult” language bothers you, perhaps skip this particular blog entry. <\/p>\n
Congress, that spoiled little brat of a kid, has its hand in the cookie jar, yet again. After we have repeatedly told them “NO! BAD! Go sit in the corner and play with your military contractors.” I am, of course, talking about the internet. Comcast has its hand so far up Congress’ ass, whenever Ted Cruz speaks<\/a>, I hear nothing but “Sponsored messages”. Perhaps someone can refresh my memory… but I seem to recall something in the Constitution about the government being for the people, not for coorporate America. If that’s right, then why does corporate America get such a big say in Washington? Oh right, millions and million spent in lobbying and campaign donations. <\/p>\n And you have to hand it to the internet. Social media has allowed it to build its own defense mechanisms. Public backlash against Washington’s hamfisted attempts to give both Internet Service Providers and media providers like the MPAA and RIAA everything they wanted have, thus far, met with failure. Unfortunately, for me at least, this isn’t proof that our system is working anymore. Its proof that we don’t live in a democracy (or a republic) but an oligarchy. He who has the gold, makes the rules.<\/p>\n Proof positive of this is the FCC’s recent ruling on Net Neutrality and supporting strong rules protecting it. Do NOT listen to conservative ass-clowns like Cruz<\/a> and Limbaugh<\/a> on this (or really any other issue regarding technology…or science of any kind). As much as they blather on about a government run internet, they’re all pretty much parroting what ISP’s want them to say. Net Neutrality largely happened because of the overwhelming surge of public support that drove it forward. Net Neutrality IS the will of the public. The will of the people. Yet, what is Congress doing right now? Putting legislation through that will reverse the FCC’s decision.<\/p>\n They’ll spout reasons that sound good like “protecting the internet from harmful government regulation” or “the internet moving at the speed of government” but once again, they’re full of shit, packed tight in there by the grasping paws of their corporate sponsors. See, Congress didn’t give two shits about Net Neutrality, until it looked like it was really going to happen. I’m guessing most behind the recent legislation would have responded with some flavor of “Wha?” or the legalese equivalent of it.<\/p>\n So, we had to fight to even get it through. Tom Wheeler, who, I’ll grant, eventually did the right thing, really had to be forced into it by an overwhelming amount of public pressure. I may be wrong about him, but I’m highly cynical about government’s relationship with the Internet. Now, we’re going to have to fight an even harder battle to keep it, since the ISP’s are fighting it both in the courts and in Congress. Why do you think they’re fighting? To protect us? No, because there’s money at stake. <\/p>\n We had to fight down SOPA, we had to fight down PIPA, we might still be fighting down CISPA, we’re fighting to keep the Net Neutrality victory that we just won, we’re fighting to end government surveilance and protect privacy rights online. And now its time to fight the Trans-Pacific Partnership. <\/p>\n The TPP is a piece of closed door legislation, funded by corps that has its roots in SOPA and PIPA but also contains crap<\/a> from other things<\/a> we’ve been fighting. And wouldn’t you know, the government didn’t want anyone to know about it until it was too late. Thankfully, it leaked, but Congress has it about to try and get it on a fast track before the internet can bring its guns to bear. <\/p>\n