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highplainsdem

(49,004 posts)
Thu Dec 14, 2017, 02:21 PM Dec 2017

Damn the 3 Republicans on the FCC, but kudos to Democratic commissioners Clyburn and Rosenworcel

From TechCrunch, "The FCC officially votes to kill net neutrality":

https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/14/the-fcc-officially-votes-to-kill-net-neutrality/

Despite overwhelming opposition from Congress, technical experts, advocacy organizations, and of course the American people, the FCC has voted to eliminate 2015’s Open Internet Order and the net neutrality protections it established.

The order passed today, “Restoring Internet Freedom,” essentially removes the FCC as a regulator of the broadband industry and relegates rules that prevented blocking and throttling content to the honor system. The FTC is now ostensibly has that role, but it is far from an expert agency on this topic and cannot make preemptive rules like those that have been in place for the last few years.

As expected, the vote was 3 to 2 along party lines, with Chairman Ajit Pai and Republican Commissioners Brendan Carr and Michael O’Rielly voting in favor of the order, and Democratic Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel voting against.

Clyburn and Rosenworcel made their feelings known at the meeting with some fierce remarks on the order and the procedures leading up to it:

“I dissent from this fiercely-spun, legally-lightweight, consumer-harming, corporate-enabling Destroying Internet Freedom Order,” said Commissioner Clyburn. “There is a basic fallacy underlying the majority’s actions and rhetoric today: the assumption of what is best for broadband providers is best for America. What saddens me is that the agency that is supposed to protect you is abandoning you, but what I am pleased to be able to say is the fight to save net neutrality does not end today. This agency does not have the final word. Thank goodness.”

“I dissent from this rash decision to roll back net neutrality rules,” said Commissioner Rosenworcel. “I dissent from the corrupt process that has brought us to this point. And I dissent from the contempt this agency has shown our citizens in pursuing this path today. This decision puts the Federal Communications Commission on the wrong side of history, the wrong side of the law, and the wrong side of the American public.”

Both will soon also publish more substantive dissenting statements that lay out the problems with the order as voted on and perhaps give a hint as to how it may be legally challenged once it takes effect.

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Damn the 3 Republicans on the FCC, but kudos to Democratic commissioners Clyburn and Rosenworcel (Original Post) highplainsdem Dec 2017 OP
Like the assault on our constitution and democracy when McConnell refused Eliot Rosewater Dec 2017 #1
what would be helpful AC_Mem Dec 2017 #2
I just posted something from the ACLU that you might find helpful: highplainsdem Dec 2017 #5
Sometimes statements like these, while eloquent and professional, tymorial Dec 2017 #3
K&R for visibility. nt tblue37 Dec 2017 #4

Eliot Rosewater

(31,112 posts)
1. Like the assault on our constitution and democracy when McConnell refused
Thu Dec 14, 2017, 02:26 PM
Dec 2017

the citizens their SC choice, this is an act of pure insurrection.

Nothing more violent than taking away our ONLY access to information.

AC_Mem

(1,979 posts)
2. what would be helpful
Thu Dec 14, 2017, 02:29 PM
Dec 2017

is to lay this out very simply in a point by point manner. This is what this means to American Citizens... and then VERY SIMPLY, state what we can expect as home or small business consumers. Simple scenarios are good too (example - Sally currently pays $ for __ speed. She enjoys watching Netflix. The future implications of this may be ____". Or a scenario of how someone's business who can spend $$$$ will have advantage over someone who has $. then send this info to the news, you tube, fb, etc.

I'm pretty internet savvy but I do not understand fully the implications of this - We need something that can easily be discussed/debated based on simple, true facts.

THIS we can take to the kitchen table, to the holiday dinner table - armed with facts on what we can expect from these decisions.

We need this education!

If someone on this site can provide this, I'll take the info and make my own little flyer to carry with me!

Thanks for listening,
a

tymorial

(3,433 posts)
3. Sometimes statements like these, while eloquent and professional,
Thu Dec 14, 2017, 02:35 PM
Dec 2017

Simply do not convey the loathing and utter contempt felt. Emotions are sometimes hard to express perfectly without devolving to language which can be viewed as offensive and vulgar.

Just once In would love a Democrat tell a republican to fuck off. I know it would be news fodder and it would probably cost the Democrat some political capital but seriously, just once I would like to see someone walk up to McConnell, Ryan, trump etc ( any of them) and just let them have it. Raw and unscripted . It would be so cathartic.

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