Thanks to the support of millions of Americans, the FCC has moved forward with a pledge to preserve net neutrality. Most people can see the Internet has opened up a world of free expression that 20 years ago seemed like something from a science fiction novel. Some people cannot handle the freedom the Internet gives us. They want to block certain Internet traffic for their own benefit, while limiting individual free speech.
John McCain is one of these people. You see while others might still believe he is some kind of “maverick,” he is in reality a stooge who is committed to doing the bidding of the powerful telecommunications industry. Need proof? Well, for starters, McCain has received more campaign money from the telecom industry than any other politician in office. Over the last two years, he has raked in more than $894,000. Not bad.
McCain was there almost immediately to cry foul over the FCC’s proposed legislation. The FCC wants to keep the Internet free from the clutches of the telecom industry. The telecoms want to limit what information can and cannot be sent freely over the Internet. In a sense, they want to turn the Internet into something resembling broadcast television.
The telecoms would set it up with networks or information paths that control this and make you pay extra for that, and so on. They could select what passes through the Internet freely and what they think should be blocked or made unavailable on their service hubs.
The Internet belongs to the people. The telecom industry, however, wants it to belong to themselves. Sure, they already have monopolies in most areas, but it is not enough control. They want to find excuses to make one pay even more to have access to certain content. The possibilities are endless and pretty scary.
Remember the presidential election? It was not that long ago McCain declared almost proudly he was computer illiterate. Now he’s back and he cares a great deal about what goes on over them new-fangled Internets. McCain is in full bipartisan-fear-mongering mode. He claims the FCC’s attempt to keep the power over the Internet in the hands of the consumer is a “government takeover.”
This is a ridiculous claim. If and when the FCC drafts its net neutrality legislation it will not be seizing AT&T, Verizon, or Comcast’s property. It is a flat-out lie. The telecom industry wants to block net neutrality because they see an Internet without net neutrality as a way to make themselves even richer. They could care less whose personal liberty they would violate in the process.
John McCain is a good example why it is more important than ever to keep the Internet a free and open forum. It has almost unlimited power to be a force for good. It is the best way to keep people informed without putting a political spin on information. We need the Internet to remain intact because if people only get their news from the telecom’s friends in mainstream media, they would actually believe the lies McCain is passing off as truth.
