With Friends like this..Civil Rights Groups sell out Net Neutrality (Article)

[Armstead]

http://www.republicreport.org/2014/leading-civil-rights-groups-just-sold-out-on-net-neutrality/#sthash.3vH6PL9i.dpuf

Leading Civil Rights Groups Just Sold Out on Net Neutrality (New Republic via Bill Moyers)
Excerpt:

Last Friday, just before the Federal Communication Commission closed its comment period for its upcoming rule on “network neutrality,” a massive coalition of Asian, Latino and Black civil rights group filed letters arguing that regulators should lay off of Internet Service Providers regarding Title II reclassification and accept FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s original plan. In other words, something close to half of the entire civil rights establishment just sold out the Internet.

The civil rights group letters argue that Title II reclassification of broadband services as a public utility — the only path forward for real net neutrality after a federal court ruling in January — would somehow “harm communities of color.” The groups wrote to the FCC to tell them that “we do not believe that the door to Title II should be opened.” Simply put, these groups, many of which claim to carry the mantle of Martin Luther King Jr., are saying that Comcast and Verizon should be able to create Internet slow lanes and fast lanes, and such a change would magically improve the lives of non-white Americans.
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A number of K Street consultants have helped make this epic sell-out possible.

The Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC) coordinated many of the participants in the anti-net neutrality filings sent to the FCC last week. Last year, the Center for Public Integrity published an investigation of MMTC, showing that the group has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars from Verizon, Comcast, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, and other telecom sources while reliably peddling the pro-telecom industry positions....

Martin Chavez, the former Mayor of Albuquerque, now works with a group called the Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership (HTTP) to corral Latino civil rights groups into opposing net neutrality....As TIME recently reported, Chavez is on staff with one of Verizon’s lobbying firms, the Ibarra Strategy Group..........
More at Link

[historylovr]

1. K & R

Money talks.

[el_bryanto]

2. The Relevant section of the Letter Referenced.

As for the invitation to comment on the potential utilization of Title II, after careful thought and analysis, we do not believe that Title II is an appropriate or necessary vehicle to be utilized at this time. While we do not believe that the door to Title II should be opened, we do not believe that it should be dead-bolted and locked. Instead, further analysis of what a Title II regulatory framework represents is warranted to determine the effects of such actions on social and economic opportunities for all. Some argue that it gives the Commission an opportunity to promulgate a stronger, non-discrimination rule. Others, however, assert that it will provide future commissions – under different leadership – an opportunity to stifle growth and development and allow barriers to investment and entry. Any framework should encourage inclusion and investment – not impede it – and we will not support any framework ab initio that would promote ill-defined interests. Because of the myriad questions that still exist, further due diligence, information, analysis and clarification regarding what reclassification would indeed mean is necessary so that consumers and the nation clearly understand what rules and regulations would be promulgated by the FCC in a Title II regulatory regime.

El Bryanto

[Armstead]

5. That's horseshit

It's the same line the Corporate Powers have been using for 40 years to bludgeon any attempts to limit their power and freedom to screw us.

It sounds eminently reasonable, but how often does turning the keys over to Corporate Interests really translate to innovation and freedom to improve things? If the Internet were regulated in the public interest they'd still have the ability to make a profit and a motivation to innovate. They just wouldn't have the opportunity to screw the rest of us over in the process.

[el_bryanto]

6. Fair enough - I don't know enough to know where the actual authority will devolve to

If it devolves to the local governments, well, local governments in some places have a history of discriminating against minorities.

Bryant

[Armstead]

7. Net Neutrality only has to do with preventing discrimination based on Money

The only beneficiaries of a system that would allow ISPs to set up different speed levels of delivery of content at different prices are the ISPs. Everyone else -- all races, creeds and colors -- will be subject to economic "pay to play" discrimination.

[el_bryanto]

8. I agree - I support net neutrality

I'm just trying to see it from their point of view. If a local government makes the decision on which content downloads the fastest and which downloads slower that it's not hard, given the history of race in America, to imagine a local Net Moniter allowing faster content on websites he considers valuable and slowing down websites that he considers less valuable. Because local governments have made those kind of calculations for a long time (consider how long it takes a policeman to show up in a wealthy neighborhood vs. a poor neighborhood.

Personally I do want to see it treated like a utility and subisidized by the government such that all websites have the same connection speed. Which is probably what this is intended to do.

Bryant

[DJ13]

3. Everyone has a price

Thats sad.

[Doctor_J]

4. I guess that makes those of us in favor of net neutrality racists

I'm already one for being against for profit healthcare. Welcome to all of you new racists