Comments on: Obama on Network Neutrality, Open Government, etc. [Video] http://dmiessler.com/blog/obama-on-network-neutrality-open-government-etc-video in search of intervals Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:32:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7-bleeding By: ncloud http://dmiessler.com/blog/obama-on-network-neutrality-open-government-etc-video#comment-148915 ncloud Sun, 01 Jun 2008 16:10:08 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/blog/obama-on-network-neutrality-open-government-etc-video#comment-148915 <p>So, he believes solutions should come from the bottom up... unless those solutions get too big, and then the government needs to step in and tell the "bottom up" what it should do? "Net Neutrality" is anything <em>but</em> neutral. Do you think that the internet exists on its own? That it doesn't require the private capital of telecom companies to survive? Neither the president, nor congress, have any right to tell <em>any</em> private company what they can or can't do with their privately owned infrastructure, period. That is the basis for private property and freedom. Just because we may not like what companies choose to do doesn't mean we have the right to compel them, by <em>force</em>, to bend to our desires. We can choose to shop elsewhere and hope the monetary impact speaks for itself, but as soon as you run to the government and whine "my internet bill is too high! my internet speeds are too slow! I can't get to the internet content that matters to me!" you are no better than any other special interest group that suckles at the tit of the nanny state.</p> <p>The great error of capitalists, and it appears Google has bought into this lie too, is that the government can be wielded as a tool to serve their agenda. This always leads to disaster, even if intentions are "good". Don't you see what Obama is doing? He's using the class warfare tactic of dividing people into "us" and "them". He clearly implies that if telecom companies are allowed to use and dispose of their own private property how they see fit that companies like Google would never have succeeded -- that the "little guy" who just "needs a chance" would fall prey to those evil, big, heartless, greedy monolithic companies. </p> <p>What's funny is that everyone said that about Microsoft -- that they would dominate the internet (after they effectively flushed Netscape down the tubes -- no pun intended) and stifle innovation. And yet, even with their browser "monopoly", we've seen staggering innovation on the internet in the last five years (AJAX, RIAs, etc.) <em>regardless</em> of Microsoft's market position.</p> <p>Don't buy into the "us" and "them" rhetoric. Don't let your love for technology blind you to what this is really about.</p> So, he believes solutions should come from the bottom up… unless those solutions get too big, and then the government needs to step in and tell the “bottom up” what it should do? “Net Neutrality” is anything but neutral. Do you think that the internet exists on its own? That it doesn’t require the private capital of telecom companies to survive? Neither the president, nor congress, have any right to tell any private company what they can or can’t do with their privately owned infrastructure, period. That is the basis for private property and freedom. Just because we may not like what companies choose to do doesn’t mean we have the right to compel them, by force, to bend to our desires. We can choose to shop elsewhere and hope the monetary impact speaks for itself, but as soon as you run to the government and whine “my internet bill is too high! my internet speeds are too slow! I can’t get to the internet content that matters to me!” you are no better than any other special interest group that suckles at the tit of the nanny state.

The great error of capitalists, and it appears Google has bought into this lie too, is that the government can be wielded as a tool to serve their agenda. This always leads to disaster, even if intentions are “good”. Don’t you see what Obama is doing? He’s using the class warfare tactic of dividing people into “us” and “them”. He clearly implies that if telecom companies are allowed to use and dispose of their own private property how they see fit that companies like Google would never have succeeded — that the “little guy” who just “needs a chance” would fall prey to those evil, big, heartless, greedy monolithic companies.

What’s funny is that everyone said that about Microsoft — that they would dominate the internet (after they effectively flushed Netscape down the tubes — no pun intended) and stifle innovation. And yet, even with their browser “monopoly”, we’ve seen staggering innovation on the internet in the last five years (AJAX, RIAs, etc.) regardless of Microsoft’s market position.

Don’t buy into the “us” and “them” rhetoric. Don’t let your love for technology blind you to what this is really about.

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