Justice Department Hearts AT&T: Says No To Net Neutrality
By bluegal Thursday Sep 06, 2007 6:20pm
Hardly surprising. AP via CBS News, h/t Make Them Accountable:
The Justice Department on Thursday said Internet service providers should be allowed to charge a fee for priority Web traffic.
The agency told the Federal Communications Commission, which is reviewing high-speed Internet practices, that it is opposed to "Net neutrality," the principle that all Internet sites should be equally accessible to any Web user.
Several phone and cable companies, such as AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and Comcast Corp., have previously said they want the option to charge some users more money for loading certain content or Web sites faster than others.
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Big surprise!
Mitt Romney got caught smoking!!
The guy is selling the picture to the highest bidder!!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180156692383
No one could have anticipated that the Bush justice department would side with the corporations.
Did they teach about the internets at Reagents University?
The DOJ is only looking out for the interest of big communication corporations in finding ever clever way to increase their bottom lines. Screw'em. Time to hit the key borads again folks. It's time to put people and knowledge above corporate greed. In fact, when the issue comes up with regard to suing these communications companies for spying on us, I sincerely hope that the Dems will find their ever elusive spines!
Nits into lice. Let us strangle the infant in its crib, lest it grow to embrace the harlot, Free Speech.
I don't know what the complaints are about. Aren't we all filthy rich and isn't the economy booming?
... Oh, yeah.
The little guy gets screwed again. Yet another notch in The Chimp's belt. They might as well remove the word Fairness from the American vocabulary. Corporations win. Consumers lose.
P.S. If I ever discover the secret of high speed internet, I'll start my own company and everybody surfs the net free :-)
Huh? What business is it of the Justice Department to tell the FCC (or any other regulatory body) what it "likes" or "dislikes"?
I thought the Justice Department was in the business of enforcing the Laws, not making them.
Is this a common practice? Perhaps I've been in an extended coma and missed it...
Money...it's a gas
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash
Perhaps someone more informed than me can answer this question. If local cities decide to offer high speed internet service as a service akin to water and sewer service, and the city governments require net neutrality as part of the deal, is there any way the ISPs can get around it? As I understand it, net neutrality is only an issue for the last mile--please correct me if I'm wrong. If cities are supplying that mile, the ISPs are generally screwed, right? Or at least they don't get to make as much money as they'd like to.
The justice department ought to be barred from doing ANYTHING because it has proven to be politicized and not neutral itself.
Coincidence that Verizon and AT&T are both co-conspirators on the spying scandal? I think not? What better way to say "thanks" than by offering up a way to make enormous profits.
Enjoy the web, while you still can.
- JJ
boooooo
Corporate whores! Fortunately we have a Democratic Congress. This is surely something they can have a hand in controlling.
candideinnc @ 14:
HAHA! yeah right, Bush'll just put his arm up their asses and they'll speak whatever he wants
Not good.
Once we discuss or debate CONTROL, it is already being CONTROLLED.
To even enter into a discussion about it is the beginning of the END.
There is was thinking the meek where going to inherit the earth ONE KEY stroke at a time.
Silly me... it will always be the ones with the GOLD who make the rules.
That's it, i am leaving the earth now!.
- JJ
Write your congress. We can't let this happen. We still have a few rights. The corporations have stolen most of them. Let's fight.
Censorship. Disenfranchinsing those whose crime it is to have less disposable income than others. Privilege for some. After my bills, food, rent, etc., there isn't a lot left. But, I keep my credit rating triple A. Slowly they want to chip away at those hard working, yet bill-paying persons, till they have no voice. Denying access to public information is discrimination and censorship. (Next follows book burnings. We already know they're busy scrubbing the internets: which is not a truck, but is tubes.)
This has to be stopped at all costs!! We have just begun to fight!!! This shit is about to hit the fan!!
Fuck the 'Justice' Department.
And why the hell not? The rest of the country's been fucked up by the GOP in recent years.... might as well screw us there, too!
Captain Kangaroo @ 20:
There is a possible strong bit of truth in that. If the ball gets rolling fast and heavy enough, any "netroots" would no longer get the required nutrition.
Why am I reminded- just a bit- of this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUa3np4CKC4
These people must really,really despise Democracy.
These "corporate citizens".
We used to do business in a market place inside a country.
Now we do business in country inside a market place.
I think there needs to be a comprehensive hearing to determine whether there was a quid-pro-quo - in exchange for facilitating government spying, the government agreed to allow internet communications to be managed by a duopoly of cable and telco. The FCC has done its upmost to curtail competition, 1st by ending sharing of the "last mile of copper" paid for by captive consumers during the monopoly era. Lately, the FCC spectrum auctions contained rules to curtail new competition in WiMax technologies. Yet, when it comes to "net neutrality", the FCC position is to "let the marketplace decide" with full knowledge that is has manipulated the "marketplace" into a duopoly.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The corporate owned government has maintained its control by curtailing competition in the broadcast media, to drive up prices so that only corporate financed candidates can afford to get their message across. This results in corporate owned politicians who spew regulations to enable their corporate masters to maintain control.
The internet is a great chink in this corporate armor. So, naturally, it is going to be the tendencies of these corporate owned politicians to attempt to force fit the broadcast model onto internet technologies. They know full well that if they can control what people see and hear, they'll control what people say and do, and vote for.
Oh WOW...So now I guess I can somehow charge everyone who comes through my server, since I am one of the thousands of individuals who, instead of just having a PC hooked up to the net have our own servers instead. The administration is so fucking out of touch with reality. Regardless of what they think, it's not some tube as they once called it that they can knot up.
The freakos are so afraid of science and technology that they are erecting museum with men and Dino's on the planet at the same time and still believe the world is 6000 years old.
I wish I could get transported to some sane planet in another reality.
hollander @ 2:
looks like no one gives a shit. Stop posting that everywhere
They already are, at least comcast is. For another 60dollars a month or so you can up your internet cable speed to 12 mb/s or something like that. Or you can just be a plebe and deal with 6mb/sec.
guess we'll all be paying more to see you guys in the future...
Lol. Who cares what the DOJ says?
I'll bet you'll be able to get to WWW.FOXNEWS.com for nothing though.
Yes nobuddy,the cynicism of "let the marketplace" decide is unbelievable given the concentration of corporate power.The left will be relegated to back wash of the internet where they can't do any further "harm" to the fascist power base.
Imagine, now the corporations can charge extra to view anti-establishment sites, well, like this one. Imagine, Foxnews.com free and fast, Media matters, crooksandliars, dailykos, oh that'll be extra. What if they decide to now put you through to a website at all? oh, we are sorry, we don't allow our customers to access that filth at crooksandliars.com. I'ds a fucking slippery slope.
Mike @ 34:
It can be fought, I went in with three buddies, bought two Servers and got a T-! Line installed. We lease our friends cheap ISP service and get just enough to cover the cost of maintaining it.
Bet left wing web sites, blogs, PACs, AI, NAACP, AFL-CIO, AAR, ewtc. etc. will be the first to slow way the heck down.
The republicans are acting like we're never going to get in the drivers seat again. They are making all these rules they wont be able to live with once the power shift happens, then we'll be listening to a lot of whining.
Next thing you know, the Justice Department will associate net neutrality with terrorism and downright unAmericanism.
Deighved H Stern MD @ 7:
that's what i'm thinking. but it fits into the whole idea that the justice department
is a politicized entity now.
the coporations are gonna kill the internets in the same way that they have killed radio and the music industry....and our gov is just gonna sit back and let them do it
what a world
Dump them.
There is one thing large corps like this understand. Money. Dump them immediately. Any subscription you have dump it immediately. Tell all your friends, family and neighbors the same. Make it clear that these companies intend to CHARGE THEM EXTRA FEES TO ACCESS THE INTERNET.
Hit them hard in the wallet. Talk about it with others. It's a very simple issue and is obviously in no one's interest (except these large corporations).
Dump your subs. Get others to dump their subs. There are plenty of other options to the services these companies provide.
Got a year-long contract or some such other thing? Take the hit with the early cancellation fee. You will save money in the long run if we keep Net Neutrality alive.
Dump these fuckers and make it hurt so much they cave.
I smell a quid quo pro for violating the law by providing confidential customer information to the black ops department of the whitehouse.
Who do you think you are ... a citizen?
International corporations and investors call the tune .... peasant.
jumpy @ 41:
Marketing works ... people wont ... they will consume.
Ever hear that smoking will cause you to die a painful, slow, hacking, blood spitting death that will bankrupt your family ... well it doesnt matter. Odds are if you smoke you still smoke. (I smoked 33 years).
The things that should be illegal arent and the things that could help are.
Congress needs to stall this til the post-Bush era. And we need to elect Dems with a clue about technology and freedom.
I truly feel that the United States is a full-blown fascist country now. The corporations and the government have us by the 'nads, and there is NOTHING we can do.
No amount of bitching to our representatives, no options for broadband except the few monopolies that control it.
Too late to wake up, America.
[...] Original post by bluegal [...]
Lollimom @ 45:
The things that should be illegal arent and the things that could help are illegal.
I agree with you.
Oh, damn, where did you get that image!?!?!? I WANT the T shirt!!!! Please, if you have it post the source! (The internets: It's not a truck image, I mean)
miss_kitty @ 21:
And the elephant they rode in on. (ya gotta think big)
Mike @ 34:
it is... and unless we want to see the end of what little remains of the free exchange of ideas, more people need to take this issue seriously... otherwise, we'll just have to go through a period of serious pain (and i mean the kind that makes these last six years appear like a mild discomfort) before this monstrosity of a pendulum swings back in favor of individual freedoms as expressed through free speech...
"fair is foul, and foul is fair; hover through the fog and filthy air"
"but cruel are the times, when we are traitors and do not know ourselves;
when we hold rumour from what we fear, yet know not what we fear, but float
upon a wild and violent sea, each way and none."
- macbeth
Eventually this whole S*!+ Pile is gonna come down on all of us. But not just yet. Let's see how bright these dim bulbs are.
too many people must be learning about the Justice dept's crimes over the Internet and if this was in place they could control the information. I hate these sick fucks
apikoros @ 48:
You can buy that T-Shirt here , comes in six colors with the same picture as the above article.
Lets stop screwing around. Why dont you just double the income tax on everyone with an income under say 60k, then give the money to these starving monopolies.
There shouldn't be a judge that even LISTEN to DOJ attorney until these investigations are completed. Stop pretending you are governing, and change your name to CRIME INC. Bastards.
LOLZ, the "Just Us" Department.
Maybe the brave democrats in congress will do something about this. HA HA HA HA I made a little joke
Hey, one question: Is the reason that at&t is on an eating binge a direct payback for their 'help' ratting on all of America?
A very important question that needs answering I think...
THEY'RE TYING OUR TUBES!!!!!
Old Billy @ 3:
Well said. I am sooooo not surprised.
Otay @ 38:
Wait a while, it's coming. That train's never late :-)
Ron @ 18:
LMFAO!!! Oh gosh, I have tears in my eyes! Letis fight hahaahhahaahhahha. By doing what? Send an email. Please tell me you're very young.
Pr?s?d?nt-B?sh @ 53:
How come the mens' shirts are cheaper? and Women's don't come in green? (waah.)
These Regent University Pinochetists want to privatize everything
The "Justice" Department is a joke, a corporte lap dog, a pimp for big business. Screw them. Net Neutrality is essential. We must protect it.
They are already Ripping off Consumers! Now they want the Gov. to sanction it through Law.
When the economy dumps -- soon/happening -- and the populist revolt occurs
then we can toss out all this corporate controlled crap. They're losing control and
this is how they fight back.
...
Thanks for all the fun and information, Crooks And Liars. I guess I'll prepare to see your content at dial-up speeds...
uncle joe mccarthy @ 40:
NoBuddy @ 26:
These are the folks (Ma Bell) that extort $5 a month from me to not publish my name address and #. GOD!!! I hate the phone company! Andy K @ #24 referenced a movie truer (and funnier) now than it was when released in '67 or so! Was rated at one star by most of the stupid critics until fairly recently. I have really enjoyed turning friends on to it for 40 years. I have it on dvd and had it before on VHS. Follow Andy's link - then GET THE MOVIE! You won't be sorry.
Who at the "Justice" department said this? Who decided this? Do they own stock in the telecommunications companies pushing this? Was there a decree made from on high? What crap!
I am so sick of these corporations running things. We are supposed to be a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Save the internet. http://www.savetheinternet.com/
"they want the option to charge some users more money for loading certain content or Web sites faster than others".
It sounds so very ugly and greedy when they say it. Like the words "option", "some", "more".
Its like hiring Micheal Vick to baby sit your Dog while your on vacation.............
Mindfire13 @ 61:
Dam right let's fight. Don't pay any attention to him Ron. We can win and it will happen. Negative energy is the Fascist's greatest ally.
Pr?s?d?nt-B?sh @ 32:
And worth every damn penny, too.
Thanks for the hat tip, bluegal!
Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com
That the DoJ is now pimping for Big Telecom is an obscenity. That the FCC is soliciting that type of pimping from a government agency that is supposed to be a defender of the Constitution is an equal obscenity. The FCC is obviously building excuses to both prostitute itself to the people it is supposed to be regulating and to also further destroy free speech in America.
This is a disgrace.
So, Gonzo's "Justice Department" opposes net neutrality. That must be the ISP payback for allowing the "Justice Department" to get a sneak peek at the websites its customers are viewing. Gonzo is the gift that keeps on giving! And PLEEEEASE! Does anyone seriously expect this administration and its FCC reps to enforce any "anti-competitive conduct" against any of its major funders? The telecommunications industry, like Halliburton, gets a free pass and anything they want from this administration.
The quote for the FCC stooge also hinges on a bogus postal service example. The USPS is an agency of the Department of the Treasury. "The USPS does not receive tax dollars for operations and is a self-supporting agency;" however, they are also a not-for-profit organization and, therefore, their operations do not have to provide a return to any investors. Since the FCC is supporting the interests of the for-profit telecommunications industry (rather than consumers), let’s look to the example of for-profit mailing services – FexEx, DHL and UPS. I regularly mail a 9”X12” envelope of sales receipts to Chicago: the postage cost for a 3-day, first class mailing from the USPS without any of the frills is about $1.50; mailing the same package three-day, ground service from DHL would be $4.60; FedEx Express Saver (3-day) is $13.63; and the least expensive UPS option is a 2-day air service for $14.20. None of these three mailing services offers the full-service delivery of regular letter-sized mail, magazines or the dreaded bulk (“junk”) mail. Higher costs, limited services – that’s why the spokesman focused on the USPS charging different rates and not mailing services in general.
Allowing free and fair access to ALL website is in the best interest of consumers. While not wanting to be a Chicken Little here, does anyone see the potential free-speech dangers that eliminating net neutrality may mean: to businesses that don’t pay “protection” money to telecommunications companies that host ISPs; to political action groups that are not in goose-step with the current administration; to religious communities that are not in sync with James Dodson, Don Wildmon and their ilk; and to hundreds of other groups and associations that fall outside the mainstream of American culture.
Besides, the FCC has already allowed the telecommunications industry to add enough fees to equal the amount of my monthly calling charges. The telecommunications industry is returning a healthy profit to their investors while I’m running out of pockets for them to pick. I pay an astronomical amount to my telecommunications company for phone service, cell phone service, long distance, DSL connection and cable connection. Restricting (or slowing) my access to certain website in the face of all these charges is akin to robbery.
It’s time for voters to let Congress know that this chicanery must be stopped; alternatively, voters should demand a net neutrality pledge from their candidates before the 2008 vote.
By the time corporate America and Big Brother get done spinning this, a majority of Americans will believe they should pay more for equal access. Read that again folks, EQUAL access!
We have no DOJ. It has been compromised for years.
We have become a fascist state.
Mr. Jack Damage,
See! I tolll you soooo!
Chip
Still waiting for Ted Steven's take on this one....... ....... ...
The internet is and should remain a public infrastructure. Buildout should be based on demand, not on telecoms controlling supply. I would be in favor of NATIONALIZING the telecoms if they try to pull this shit.
Fucking Nazis. You guys are going the way of the Nazi's... I mean we will fucking fighting you in 5 years as you just use your military to rape for your corporations country after country....
It's Not Business... It's not capitalism... It's Rape and Pilliage by the rules "you make up".
One of the main reasons we haven't completely lost our democracy is because of net neutrality. The powers-that-be are working very hard to make it difficult for ordinary citizens to communicate with each other easily and either cheaply/at very little charge. When the federal government decides to give to communications companies the right to eliminate the free and easy exchange of ideas among citizens, then all of us will have to either pay organizations to communicate with us, or pay ourselves to receive communications from them. How is this good for democracy? It isn't. It's good for the bottom lines of telecommunications companies. I say let them find another way to rake in enormous profits, or better yet, go find something meaningful and productive to do for a living.
God Bless Americorp!
This is very discouraging. Despite how multitudes mobilize to support net neutrality every time it is threatened, the media/lawyer/politician/PR whores never give up; never back down. By this point there would seem to be very few decks left unstacked; I wouldn't expect the current high courts to rule for free speech over corporate greed, if it came to that.
Meanwhile, "on our side" is a spineless, somnolent Democratic party with neither Will, Brain, nor Leadership. The only thing worse than a Bush is a Bush Dog.
May take a little while yet, but I think big business has bought themselves one used nation. Very discouraging.
Meanwhile, In Japan http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/28/AR200708...
On another note, regardless of what the JD says, everyone here does realize that "Net Neutrality" isn't an innovation, but a term referring to the basic operating rules our nation has been applying to internet and com tech since the mid 80's, right? That's the message that we need to be getting out there; that allowing land-line owners to charge an adjustable use rate for every dl and site on the internet you access is the innovation, not keeping the rates static, which is all Net Neutrality means.
So get out there and tell people. This is exactly the same as if the movie studios asked the gov to allow them to determine the price of tickets for movies they produce, on the fly, based on how many people are watching them per showing.
Yesterday I spent almost an hour talking to customer support on why I have to pay twice to be under the ATT umbrella. I have had a att.net address for 17 years but when SBC became ATT, this modern communication company could not figure out how to transfer my old address to their new accusation - SBC. Instead ATT wants me to pay double for e-mail and pay hundreds of dollars to change stationery. business cards, yellow page ads etc. I told them in a nanosecond they could do a simple switch between ATT's left hand & ATT's right hand. No deal. I have to cancel my DSL and start all over again and also lose my almost 2 decade e-mail address. Illustration of modern corporate up to date technology but yet we can all be spied on by the same company without any trouble. I just wonder which e-mail address I am being spied upon.
RGM
The winner in all of this? Japan.
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