The Internet Must Die!

Dear Mr. Kettle

While investing in a rather unproductive week of waiting on websites to load and not being entirely certain that they would, I had occasion to reflect upon a quiet problem plaguing our nation, threatening to tear apart the very fabric of reality to leave the American people raw and exposed. The Internet has led to the proliferation of pornography, piracy and propaganda of unprecedented levels. What's more, it's taken control of these vices out of the hands a few who might control and profit from them, placing that control into the hands of virtually everyone. Even more insidious is the fact that the Internet has leveled the playing field in the war of free speech, such that any fool might open his mouth to prove it to the world. Think of the havoc that the unwashed electorate has had on the democratic process, as they're cacophony of voices threatened to drown out well-crafted political messages meant to drive home those points necessary to push the electoral process forward.

Nearly twenty years ago I began referring to the Internet as the Wild, Wild West, rather than the World Wide Web, as an untamed wilderness where only brave, stout hearts should venture. Over the years, my opinion has not wavered even as the veil of civilization has shrouded the rougher plains of its landscape and reduced the perception of threats to seeming vestiges. Still, where there is no rule of law there can be no civilization.

Thankfully, men like Michael Powell, former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, have been brave enough to step forth and attempt to disembowel the threat of Common Carriage and Internet Freedom which might otherwise threaten the delicate structure that is our Republic. When Mr. Powell quietly redefined Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from Telecommunications Service Providers to Information Service Providers, in 2002, he lifted the yoke of Common Carriage from the backs of companies such as Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, and Charter so that they might be better able to tailor our access to the Internet content in a way that they deem most beneficial for their customers. Regrettably, Mr. Powell moved on to greener pastures. Still, in the twelve years following his heroic act, parties on both sides of this bitter war on Freedom of Speech continue rallying. The fate of Internet Freedom lingers with its last ragged breaths as we dream quietly yet fitfully, in our collective sleep, for a quick, silent death.

Not surprisingly, in January of this year, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down attempts to impose Net Neutrality onto the Internet by the Federal Communications Commission, led by newly appointed chairman Tom Wheeler. Soon our streaming video and VoIP services will see a bump in rates as those who own the information highway can finally impose upon those innovative big content providers the fees necessary to arrest innovation and competitions from upstarts who might otherwise bring something revolutionary to the Internet. Mr. Wheeler has vowed to continue "preserving the Internet as an open platform for innovation and expression while providing certainty and predictability in the marketplace is an important responsibility of this agency,..." Mike O’Rielly, the most recently appointed Republican commissioner for the FCC has expressed his concerned that the commission might consider reinstituting pre-2001 regulations ensuring net neutrality. Let us pray that Mr. Wheeler does not do something so foolish as to invoke Title II Authority and reinstate ISPs as telecommunication services, thereby ensuring a level playing field for all participants, regardless of the amount of cash they bring to the table.

Sincerely,

Mr. Pot

"Commitment to the rule of law provides a basic assurance that people can know what to expect whether what they do is popular or unpopular at the time." Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

"If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter." - President George Washington

F.C.C. Seeks a New Path on ‘Net Neutrality’ Rules