More Like Death Panels For Small Websites

[vixengrl]

I dunno. Senator Ted Cruz says standard-issue stuff that right-wingers and telecom lobbyists have been saying for years like "Net neutrality is Obamacare for the Internet", and somehow, it's like no one ever said that before. Oh, they have. But it's kind of a niche issue that pretty much tech-savvy people have followed, and Ted Cruz pretty much assumes that if you aren't in the know--he can go ahead and snow you with a line as absurd as:

'"Net Neutrality' is Obamacare for the Internet; the Internet should not operate at the speed of government."

Ok. That's stupid. Net neutrality is basically what we mostly have now, and Obama wants to preserve that. It would be doing away with net neutrality that would result in crappy service and unfair policies like "throttling" that would slow down internet service to certain customers or certain websites based on whatever criteria the internet providers decide on. (Here's an excellent visual explainer from The Oatmeal.) Basically, how much do you love the fees and services you are getting from your cable company? Right. Your internet company is either a cable company or the next best thing, and that is what they will do to your service.

In fine--Ted Cruz does not know what the hell he is talking about, or is really, really dependent upon the idea that most people listening to him do not know what he is talking about. I don't care how cute "Obamacare for the Internet" sounds--it's actually really dumb. And instead of repeating ignorant bumpersticker schtick, it would be really great if we just called a big-bidness toady out for croaking the company line.

Ted Cruz? Ribbit ribbit, you are so toady. And we are not that stupid.

(X-posted at Strangely Blogged.)

[Recursion]

1. Sort of

It would be doing away with net neutrality that would result in crappy service and unfair policies like "throttling" that would slow down internet service to certain customers

ISPs can throttle Internet service to customers whenever they like. They can also block their customers from any website they wish to. That's not what NN is about. It's about whether Netflix can build a private fiber line to Comcast without having other networks use it for their traffic.

[vixengrl]

3. I'm not sure that's alll it's about--

because if we were just being all laissez-faire and all that, who hooks up with who would just be a commercial issue, and our gov't loves seeing relationships happen. If FCC gets to investigate web dealings, it might even come about that fairness in access is achieved in the recognition that we don't really have it yet. I've still got nothing concrete to be against it.

[gordianot]

2. He is just having another Obama fit "he's fer it, I'm again it".

Some of the libertarian tea party knuckle draggers who support the Cruz types were in favor of net neutrality. Maybe a little blow back for the Canadian Senator? In a similar dilemma I can't wait to see the Republican protectors from ISIL vote for war funding and what creative lines they manage to come up with since both Obama and the Pentagon are for it.