How Norquistites Are Framing Net Neutrality: A "Tax" on the Internet

[BurtWorm]

If that meme takes off, it's going to be very difficult to keep the internet free from corporate control.


http://www.freepress.net/news/15388


Tax Foes Attack Net Neutrality

From Broadcasting & Cable, May 8, 2006
By John Eggerton

Calling itself a conservative response to moveon.org’s pro-“network neutrality” regulation lobby, the Internet Freedom Coalition has formed to “fight regulation of the Internet.”

The “network neutrality” issue is tied to the 1996 Telecommunications Bill rewrite currently being considered on Capitol Hill. Specifically, it is the debate over whether to specifically define and regulate network neutrality, which, loosely, is nondiscrimination in the provision of Internet access service. But how different groups tighten that definition, and what they say that means for the Internet, is the crux of the debate.

The new coalition, including limited-government groups like Americans for Tax Reform, the Center for Individual Freedom, and Tennessee Center for Policy Research, argue that tough network neutrality language in the bill would be “the first major attempt by Washington to regulate the Internet.” They will fight moveon.org’s Internet fire with fire, promising to launch a massive e-mail campaign, take out Internet banner ads to fight what is says will be a tax on the Internet.

For example, Americans for Tax Reform monitors Senate and House votes for its “pro-free market” rating. Any legislator who votes for tougher network neutrality regs will lose that rating, the group says.

Why is network neutrality regulation a tax? If networks aren’t allowed to recoup their build-out costs by charging more for bandwidth, security or other services, the argument goes, they will have to pass them along to customers....

[Mythsaje]

1. How these loons can see corporate control

as promoting "freedom" is beyond me. And the people who respond to these groups, who pay any attention to them, are probably beyond hope anyway.

The common citizen is the voice that must be heard on this subject. They are the people who stand to lose the most.

Now if we can get people to realize that it's for real and not just another internet hoax.

[BurtWorm]

2. What I fear is the astroturf roots these guys have immediately at

their disposal, since they've been whipping their troops into strict obedience for 25 years now. Just whisper the word "tax" and these dopes go apeshit. Then the media buy it (particularly those out to kill Net neutrality) and start talking of the "internet tax" on cable news shows, etc.... All it takes is a constant drumming of the phrase by wingers in Congress and on TV and it becomes received "wisdom."

Unless the Norquistites are more played out than I fear...

[Mythsaje]

3. I'm not sure they have the credibility to pull this off this time...

At least I hope not.

[BurtWorm]

4. They don't have it with us, that's for sure.

But with their "base?" I don't know what's happened to change anything. They view Bush as a moonbat!

[Mythsaje]

5. He IS a moonbat...

THEIR moonbat.

If you consider that half of his base is the corporatists, and the other half the rabid fundamentalists who don't care so much about the fiscal theory, I'm not sure their numbers are going to matter too much compared to the millions of Americans who don't give a damn.

[BurtWorm]

6. They will matter to the moon-dipshits in Congress

I fear.

[Mythsaje]

7. It's about educating the politically unaware or disinterested...

THEY outnumber the kool-aide drinkers by a long shot. If they start screaming, it's in the bag.

[Canuckistanian]

10. Remember the "email tax" urban myth?

That sure had a lot of people going and it wasn't even remotely true.

Or the bogus "Kosher inspections are a hidden Jewish tax" story line?

All you have to do to fire up a lot of ignorant people is to tell them they're being taxed unfairly.

[BurtWorm]

21. Is that just a US phenomenon

or is that kind of idiocy a world disease?

[rman]

13. Well, it does increase corporate freedom

Besides, they couldn't get away with it if they'd be honest about it.

[izzybeans]

20. Don't you know? corporate fascism is freedom.

[BurtWorm]

8. kick

[BurtWorm]

9. kick

[Selteri]

11. It is as realistic and viable of aplan as giving people....

priority phone networks, when it's busy it kiccks the people who aren't paying as much for their phone service.

Somehow I don't think the American people would like that idea too much. It's just the same thing. We're already paying for our bandwidth access, why should we have to pay again for better access to sites?

[jumptheshadow]

12. How naive

Don't they know that the construction costs will probably be passed on to customers anyway?

And I bet these guys lobby against municipalities that want to provide Internet access for free to their residents...

[JHB]

14. They're not naive, they're salesmen, and they're trying to sell something.

They're trying to sell Congress on legislation that will let their benefactors open up a new avenue for gouging the public, and they'll say whatever they have to to make that sale.

[althecat]

15. Follow the money... follow the lobbyists....

These morans need a good discrediting.

[The Wizard]

17. Discrediting?

How about horse whipping in the public square? Some people just need a good beating. With pain comes awareness. They do all the tough talking when someone else is doing the fighting for them. Let's see how they react to taking responsibility for their greedy actions.
The questions are, however, who gets the salt concession when Norquist is getting 40 lashes with the aforementioned horse whip, and will that salt be taxed?

[nicknameless]

16. Kick

[MsTryska]

18. this makes no sense.

if anything the Internet is a brilliant example of a free-market economy.

~No Regulation
~Buyer beware
~If you don't liek something, don't frequent it.

[annabanana]

19. the internet has become the "Public Square"

This is where we excercise our Right to Assembly. Access should be considered protected by the Constitution.