Why We Can’t Trust Government on Technology

-By Warner Todd Huston

Free market advocates have for years been fighting the anti-capitalist left over government control of the Internet, a battle that has reached a temporary plateau when Obama’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) arbitrarily decided that it was in full control of the Internet and by fiat implemented the left’s long-sought net neutrality rules. This isn’t the only technology kerfuffle that the federal government is involved in, either.

Another techno-mess has been raging over a contract being considered by the Department of the Interior for its new email/messaging system using a cloud computing solution. The fight has been between Microsoft and Google and the results tends to prove that the government is as tech stupid as a Luddite on steroids. It tends to show that the government simply can’t be trusted with technology issues, whether net neutrality or otherwise.
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Why We Can’t Trust Government on Technology”


FCC Chief Still Pushing Net Neutrality Without Congressional Action

-By Warner Todd Huston

With the recent midterm election and the resulting GOP tidal wave that is about to inundate Congress, many people have wondered aloud if net neutrality was dead? Well if FCC Chief Julius Genachowski has his way, net neutrality will be implemented by fiat when he has his agency simply change rules without involving congress at all.

The results of this election doesn’t even seem to be giving FCC Chairman Genachowski the slightest pause. Reports are that he is still working on a proposal for the FCC to take over the Internet and implement net neutrality anyway.

In The Hill, Genachowski is quoted saying that he fully intends to bring these rules to fruition.
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FCC Chief Still Pushing Net Neutrality Without Congressional Action”


Democrat’s Anti-Capitalist Net Neutrality Wounded, But Not Dead

-By Warner Todd Huston

Just before election day the liberal blogs were aflutter with news that 95 Democratic Congressional candidates had taken the pledge to support Net neutrality if they were elected. That turned out to be a very big “if.” More like a forlorn hope, if you will.

Of those 95 Democrats, the number actually going to Congress in January will be… zero. There hasn’t been a wipe-out like this since the Redskins beat the Broncos 42-10 in the 1988 Super Bowl. Or since Atlantis was swept into the sea, or something.

As far as Internet policy is concerned, last night’s lesson for Republicans should be clear: Internet “neutrality” regulation is a loser with the public. It’s also a loser with businesses. It’s even a loser with the labor unions. That’s not a surprise. Union leaders can sometimes get realistic very quickly when confronted with a federal policy that will cost their members jobs.
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Democrat’s Anti-Capitalist Net Neutrality Wounded, But Not Dead”


Net Neutrality: Free Press Loses a Schtick Contest

-By Warner Todd Huston

Recently Comm Daily (subscription required) reported that an FCC decision on net neutrality was unlikely before its January meeting. While uninteresting in itself the one remarkable line in the story had to be this quote from a senior FCC official:

“While they are busy handing out waffles and making posters, we are focused on creating jobs and protecting consumers.”

The FCC official was referring to Free Press, the group that has been relentlessly attacking the FCC and many Democrats for not jumping off the cliff for net neutrality.

As far as can be determined, this is the first time the FCC has ever called out Free Press for its buffoonery. And it’s about time, too. This may be a sign that the FCC has realized that the far left will never stop attacking them – Free Press’s business model depends on staying to the Left of whatever the FCC does — so it’s pointless to try to make them happy.

Who is Free Press? Taking a look at its Flickr photo stream shows why nobody, Republicans or Democrats, actually take Free Press seriously.
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Net Neutrality: Free Press Loses a Schtick Contest”