blue meme I would like to begin by thanking you for your post! I heard about this bill about a week ago, and due to a busy schedule, forgot about it
There is now an ugly symbiosis between the telecoms and their regulators in Congress. An unfettered, content-neutral Internet has zero direct cost to the telecoms, but muzzling the political rabble certainly won't displease them -- the more you own, the more you tend to value order. On the other hand, we have become a growing thorn in the side of the political establishment, and making it easier for their corporate keepers to keep us out is a high (if unstated) priority. So I have no doubt that, behind closed doors, the ability to shut us up was integral to the game plan.
Content can and will be sensored as a result of this bill becoming law.
From the carrier's standpoint, my ones and zeros are no different from Instapundit's ones and zeros, which are no different from Sesamestreet.com's ones and zeros. But mine are the ones with a bullseye painted on them. So it doesn't surprise me that the conservative blogs aren't talking about this. But I am surprised that the left hemiblogosphere isn't making a serious stink about this.
[Update] I disagree with The Lighthouse Keeper:
There is clearly an argument to be made that the telecom bill wending its way through the House means trouble for the freewheeling Internet. The biggest concern is that the Internet could be bifurcated into a high-speed "Cadillac" network for those who can pay, and a lower-speed "McDonald's" network for everyone else on the public Internet.
As I understand this bill, telco companies will be able to regulate/charge for anything that is on their network.
[/Update]
Imagine an internet where you have to subscribe to groups of sites like cable tv! Or imagine a world where you have to pay for the ability to FTP or SSH os Telnet. That is the inevidible progression of this bill.
I urge you to call these democrats/Repulicans that voted for the bill:
Ed Markey, Rick Boucher, Anna Eshoo, Jay Inslee, John Dingell, Mike Doyle and Frank Pallone. The eighth vote was Republican Heather Wilson. Markey, Boucher, Eshoo and Inslee were the sponsors of the amendment, which means only three Democrats who weren't sponsors voted for it.
On the other hand, six Democrats voted against it: Eliot Engel, Bart Stupak, Ed Towns, Al Wynn, Charlie Gonzales and Bobby Rush. Inexplicably, two D's weren't around for the pivotal vote, Sherrod Brown and Bart Gordon (not that their vote would have mattered in the end, but it would have been nice to have.) There are 33 members on the Subcommittee -- 18 Republicans and 15 Democrats.
And praise those that voted against it. If someone has time please post links to email for those mentioned above; I have to be at work early tomorrow
Imagine a world where a fee is charged for email, but government propeganda is desiminated to everyone free and mandatory. The telecoms want the ability to extort money from the content providers (kos, weatherbug, google, blogspot, washington post, nytimes, and even personal web sites.) Though I have nt read the bill, I am think that this will also open the door to direct fees to the consumer.
As I understand it the telco companies will have full control of and be able to charge anyone for anything that is on their network.
I would be interested to see how much the telco PACs contributed to these Congressmen/women.
I will post again tomorrow an this subject. This is important to all of us!
The internet has given the people power that they have never had before. Corporations and the corrupt congress do not want us to have it.
Plese write diaries to all public officials that post here and let them know that a vote for this bill is a vote for anyone that will run against them. Taking away this tool for democracy (the internet) should be a deal breaker.
I beg your help and recommendation.
Education effects to be posted tomorrow.
Also I apologise if this diary is hard to follow, I am very nervous about this news.