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These are the rules today. Another FCC on another day will change the rules. 400 pages will become 4000. There is no end to this. It's a sad day.

rubbingalcohol 12y ago
The "free market" failed when telco companies started flexing their monopoly muscle to punish their competitors. In the U.S. we have a rich history of regulating monopolies, and these companies brought it on themselves with their inability to behave like good corporate citizens. "Free markets" should be limited when they obstruct the liberty of the majority of the public or limit competition on a massive scale. This creates deadweight loss which is an economic net negative. Imagine if, six months after moving to a new house, your electricity bill doubled because you were no longer in the "promotional period." Your electric company claims there's a free market, because you're free to install solar panels. Comcast et. al are no different than other local monopolies. Their claims of providing a "vibrant and innovative" broadband market are laughable when you look at the far superior state of broadband in other countries. The cable companies were acting like a cartel of corporate thugs, they openly defied the government's ability to do anything about it, and they got served a massive dish of justice. All because the people spoke out and pushed the government to act in their interest. This is a great moment for American activism and democracy.
- Randgalt 12y ago
  The Cable Cos have a government granted monopoly. No free market there. The simplest solution is to eliminate this monopoly.
Amezarak 12y ago
> 400 pages will become 4000. The actual rules aren't even close to 400 pages. The 400 pages consist of the legal justification, the whys and hows, and dissents. The actual rules are seven pages.
- Randgalt 12y ago
  OK - 7 today, 700 tomorrow. The first tax code was just a few pages.
  - dragonwriter 12y ago
    > OK - 7 today, 700 tomorrow. Bad rules tomorrow could be adopted whether or not the rules adopted now were adopted.
    - Randgalt 12y ago
      Not true. This initial ruling establishes the precedent that the FCC has regulatory authority over the Internet.
      - dragonwriter 12y ago
        > This initial ruling establishes the precedent that the FCC has regulatory authority over the Internet. No, it doesn't, its not the first FCC regulation directed at the internet. Its one of several assertions of FCC regulatory authority over aspects of the internet. Further, even if it did establish that precedent, it still wouldn't do anything to affect the capacity for future bad regulation, because any future regulation could do everything this did plus any bad things all at once, there is no need for separate and preceding "precedent" creating action by a regulatory body to enable future regulations.
      - Randgalt 12y ago
        You are far more optimistic than me. I'm 50 years old and I've seen this movie too many times. The regulations will grow, not shrink.

rubbingalcohol 12y ago

The "free market" failed when telco companies started flexing their monopoly muscle to punish their competitors. In the U.S. we have a rich history of regulating monopolies, and these companies brought it on themselves with their inability to behave like good corporate citizens. "Free markets" should be limited when they obstruct the liberty of the majority of the public or limit competition on a massive scale. This creates deadweight loss which is an economic net negative. Imagine if, six months after moving to a new house, your electricity bill doubled because you were no longer in the "promotional period." Your electric company claims there's a free market, because you're free to install solar panels. Comcast et. al are no different than other local monopolies. Their claims of providing a "vibrant and innovative" broadband market are laughable when you look at the far superior state of broadband in other countries. The cable companies were acting like a cartel of corporate thugs, they openly defied the government's ability to do anything about it, and they got served a massive dish of justice. All because the people spoke out and pushed the government to act in their interest. This is a great moment for American activism and democracy.

Randgalt 12y ago
The Cable Cos have a government granted monopoly. No free market there. The simplest solution is to eliminate this monopoly.

Amezarak 12y ago

> 400 pages will become 4000. The actual rules aren't even close to 400 pages. The 400 pages consist of the legal justification, the whys and hows, and dissents. The actual rules are seven pages.

Randgalt 12y ago
OK - 7 today, 700 tomorrow. The first tax code was just a few pages.
- dragonwriter 12y ago
  > OK - 7 today, 700 tomorrow. Bad rules tomorrow could be adopted whether or not the rules adopted now were adopted.
  - Randgalt 12y ago
    Not true. This initial ruling establishes the precedent that the FCC has regulatory authority over the Internet.
    - dragonwriter 12y ago
      > This initial ruling establishes the precedent that the FCC has regulatory authority over the Internet. No, it doesn't, its not the first FCC regulation directed at the internet. Its one of several assertions of FCC regulatory authority over aspects of the internet. Further, even if it did establish that precedent, it still wouldn't do anything to affect the capacity for future bad regulation, because any future regulation could do everything this did plus any bad things all at once, there is no need for separate and preceding "precedent" creating action by a regulatory body to enable future regulations.
    - Randgalt 12y ago
      You are far more optimistic than me. I'm 50 years old and I've seen this movie too many times. The regulations will grow, not shrink.