******Internet under attack in Congress******

[MsConduct]

I don't know if this been posted yet, it's very important.

http://www.freepress.net/action/sessionsbill

[Blue Belle]

1. Great!

Thanks for posting!

[SlipperySlope]

13. That bill is crap.

Especially since this was triggered by community wi-fi, which uses a frequency allocation that was set aside specifically to be open to use.

[ClintonTyree]

2. It doesn't surprise me....

it's pro corporate monopoly, so the Pukes would be all for it. These bastards will sell themselves out for a quarter.

[FreedomAngel82]

14. They can't do that!

[Roxy66]

3. Holy Cr*p......this is all piling up quickly

[Media_Lies_Daily]

4. Here's a quote from the link posted above:....

A bill just introduced in the House could destroy universal, affordable Internet access everywhere.

The “Preserving Innovation in Telecom Act” (H.R. 2726) would let big cable and telecom companies shut down Community Internet and municipal broadband projects being planned across the country.

The bill would prevent state or local governments from providing “any telecommunications service, information service or cable service” anywhere a corporation offers a similar service.

This outrageous legislation was introduced by Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) — a former SBC executive — and is a blatant effort by the telecom and cable companies to cement their monopoly control of communications at the expense of innovation, competition, and local choice.

As the poster noted, this is a VERY important piece of legislation that we do NOT want to see Congress pass.

[Junkdrawer]

5. Note the Orwellian “Preserving Innovation in Telecom Act” name...

I shudder anticipating the "Freedom of Liberal Speech Act"...

:scared:

[me b zola]

6. There is also a petition at that link

Everone needs to sign!!!!

[chknltl]

8. signed and thanks n/t

[MsConduct]

10. LOL thanks, I forgot to say there was a petition to sign. Also,

I forgot to say I emailed it to everyone I know before I posted it. Duhhh!

[AuntiBush]

18. They're AFRAID of the INTERNET because the TRUTH is out HERE!

This is important. Heard about this 2 months back and the report stated it would be roughly 2 months from that point. So, here it is.

Florida, Texas, Ohio: What's up? *sarcasm* Must be their base of deceit!

If Internet goes: We're screwed for good.

[Vitruvius]

28. The PUBLIC paid for the research that created the Internet;

it was ALL government funded research. And the early users, who worked the bugs out of the technology and made it usable (even the browser was invented at a university), were government agencies, universities, and national labs. ALL publicly funded.

Big business had absolutely nothing to do with creating the Internet or getting it up and running. It was all too risky for them, and it didn't have the next-quarter payoff that big business demands. Now they want to make it illegal for the public sector (which took all the risks) to offer Internet service to the taxpayers who paid the bill.

Hence the "Preserving Innovation in Telecom Act" -- to Rethugnican Big Businesses -- like Verizon -- "Innovation" means ripping off other peoples' innovations; ripping off innovations from smaller competitors or from the public.


P.S: I remember how big business ridiculed the research that created the Internet, ridiculed the scientists who did it, and ridiculed Al Gore for sponsoring the legislation that funded it. Without mercy. They ridiculed Gore again when he pushed government agencies to adopt the Internet to help get it going. Now that the Internet is a moneymaker, everybody who had anything to do with pioneering the Internet has been dropped right down the memory hole by the Rethugnican - Big Business axis that is now running the country.

[glitch]

35. Disgusting isn't it? nt

[doublethink]

7. Brings back the PNAC's ideas to control Cyberspace.

:grr:

[peacetalksforall]

9. As each week goes by...it seems they are panicking - rushing it all out -

piling on.

The operatives appear to be hyper.

Programs and personalities. They are going crazy.

[Jose Diablo]

11. Yes, "They are going crazy."

They see the end of the line, and they won't be on the train after that.

Bu$h is a 'uniter' alright, the world of progressives and socialism is uniting against him and his.

[faithnotgreed]

12. kick for the people

[Nothing Without Hope]

15. VERY important. Recommended - and please consider reposting in the

Free Speech, Press, & Internet Forum:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=319

I spearheaded setting up that DU forum and then have let it languish while I worked on other projects. We need to use it NOW to organize information to fight for freedom of information and expression in ALL forums.

If the free internet is destroyed, we might as well be back in Hitler's Germany as the Nazis took over everything. The corporate media are all too compliant with the fascist coup d'etat. The internet is our medium for resisting, and they know it.

[MsConduct]

27. Good job getting that forum set up. I had no idea it was there.

It is VERY important that we don't lose any more rights or freedoms. Thanks, I just posted the thread over there.

[Nothing Without Hope]

32. The free internet is critically now - I really don't think we can resist

the criminals effectively without it. They don't need the freepers and would jetison them without a qualm. But we need our connection to one another and to the truth from outside the propagandizing corporate American media.

That Forum is also intended to have lists of organizations and contacts dedicated to watchdogging and publicizing encroachments on First Amendment freedoms. I have some of them from when I was pushing for the forum but haven't posted them there yet.

I'll finally post a "launching" thread within the next few days.

And thanks for reposting there!

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

16. kick

[atommom]

17. Yikes! This needs to stay kicked -- it hits us all where we live!

[AuntiBush]

19. You have VERIZON to thank for this. Seen it on C-Span months back.

Might still be on C-SPAN's website...

[stickdog]

24. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

GOOD!

[AuntiBush]

37. Thank you. Hope Verizon see this! I got "1" up, too!

[Vitruvius]

29. Verizon also sent a rather shady executive -- Edmond Thomas --

to be Michael Powell's deputy at the FCC. For obvious reasons.


P.S: The key competitive advantage of Verizon (and the other RBOCs) has always been influencing and controlling the government -- especially the PSCs and PUCs, but also the legislative and executive branches, at least as far as telecommunications policy is concerned. And they're very, very good at it.

When it comes to lesser matters -- like providing acceptable service quality or adopting new technologies -- they are less skillful. But that's not what's important to them.

[AuntiBush]

36. I've been trying to find another company but they have us locked in

Hate Verizon! And I too caught that on C-SPAN a month or so back... they merged w/MCI. PA is reportedly fighting them spending millions to get rid of them but I dunno.

Verizon started out by taking down Ma-Bell "because" they were too big. Well, look at Verizon not.

[deadparrot]

20. Which Internet?

:P

Okay, okay. Seriously. Tons of bills are introduced in Congress every day. The problem is, most don't get out of committee. What are the changes that this one will?

ETA: I'm not being sarcastic. I'm wondering if anyone has any information on the subject. :)

[MsConduct]

38. I can bet as long as big business wins and the poor working stiff

suffers, the bill will pass. Have you forgotten who's in control? Not 'we the people' that's for sure!

[lonestarnot]

21. This is the beginning of civil war!

[Kurovski]

22. It has been posted, and it is important=worth posting again.

Sign up if y'all haven't yet.

[jazzjunkysue]

23. They have a better chance of passing the draft....zip

[chknltl]

25. kick, nt

[chknltl]

26. An uninformed electorate....

...is a controllable electorate. This is an early step to that goal.
I signed that petition earlier this morning because the Freepress alerted me to this in my e-mail. The After Downing Street guys alert me in my e-mail as well. Both give me breaking news alerts about things which I feel are important. I recommend signing up with both of these groups. I like being a member of the informed electorate. These 2 along with the DU keep me informed quite well thank you. :patriot:
Links:
www.afterdowningstreet.org and http://www.freepress.net

[rodeodance]

30. signed--and thanks

[rodeodance]

31. and nominated, as we need to keep this on the radar screen

[chknltl]

33. kick nt

[troubleinwinter]

34. the number of people who have participated in this action 18,823

"Your signature brings the number of people who have participated in this action to 18,823"

http://www.freepress.net/action/sessionsbill