You Should Care That Obama Is Going to Pick Tom Wheeler to Head the FCC

[marmar]

via truthdig:




You Should Care That Obama Is Going to Pick Tom Wheeler to Head the FCC
Posted on Apr 30, 2013


Forget the CIA. The Federal Communications Commission is like the fourth branch of American government, and its officials are not elected.

President Obama is reported to want venture capitalist, telecommunications executive and former Obama campaign volunteer Tom Wheeler to chair the commission. So why should you care?

Think about it this way: The Bill of Rights has a lot of pull in this country and the First Amendment protects freedom of speech, but that doesn’t stop the FCC from fining anyone who uses speech it deems inappropriate. The commission can not only fine, it can revoke licenses. CBS? Here today, gone tomorrow. Broadcasters are so intimidated by the FCC’s power to censor, even those that are exempt from traditional rules police themselves and mind their manners.

Think about it another way: The telecommunications industry controls the pipes and airwaves over which all of our communications—whether TV shows or emails—are sent, and it bows to whom? The FCC commissioners. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/you_should_care_that_obama_is_going_to_pick_tom_wheeler_to_head_the_fcc_201/?ln

[Fumesucker]

1. Good hair, a major qualification

He certainly looks like a top executive.

[KG]

2. if the prez picked this guy, that's good enough for me because

word salad, gobbledygook, blah, blah and blah...

[FSogol]

3. It is hard to keep reading after this ridiculous assertion:

"The FCC is like the fourth branch of American government"

[William Seger]

4. ??? It reads like the author of that article just gave up in the middle

... never quite got around to making a point.