And once again, we are back at the ropes. It seems like this is becoming a yearly (if not more frequent) occurrence, but it’s an important fight to champion. One one side, we have the titans of capitalism who espouse the absolute rightness of free market principles (which don’t even exist in reality). And on the other, we have all users of the Internet and its symbolism as the expression of freedom that we are losing more and more each day at the hands of said capitalistic system.
Internet Tolls will become common without Net Neutrality (courtesy: Imgur)
In a fair fight, it would be principles against profit, but this has not been anywhere near a fair fight when the so-called titans of free market have their hands up the skirt of the system that defines what we citizens are allowed to do and have. How do you trust rules, laws, and agendas when their writings are full of loopholes resulting in the decimation of all that we hold dear? So, once again we have to fight for a free Internet that no longer resembles what it was created for, but has become so much more for all of humanity.
The Internet is not a reflection of the real world, but it is the world as it would exist without the interventions of those who seek order above all. Good or bad, it is what brings dreams into reality for so many people around the world, and without a free Internet, there would be no innovation. Innovation requires the minds of everyone and not just the free market itself. Creations are born from the fires of inspiration and not the hollow bellies of the profit machines.
We all have voices, and yet some of our voices are not heard over others who claim prominence simply because they paid for it. If paid voices are given more value to non-paid voices, then how can we claim a democratic system when the inequality is obvious by the available content?
I write because it is part of who I am. I choose not to allow advertising simply because it will change or even suppress my voice. Like it or not, the payer has expectations for the revenue. Their agenda gets precedence over my own thoughts because that is what a free market means to our current state of economics. But that is not what free market actually is. When another authority (say money) dictates what I can or cannot write about, then the market is no longer free from intervention. A free market means that anything can come into reality and its life will be dictated on whether it is liked and wanted by others. Even a single person supporting something gives it the ability to exist for others. While I write to express and clarify myself to both me and others, I have the freedom simply because I am not engaging in the market via its accepted rules. While I may not have exposure, I have existence which is all that I need at the moment.
In Internet terms, Net Neutrality is the free market of the digital content creators and not just the power of the ISPs. Both are needed in order for the Internet to exist, and one will wither without the other. The ISPs have captured the system and are trying to undo the ruling of the last FCC decision for Title II that said that the Internet is a public utility that will allow all content to move freely without interference.
It is a fight that is as old as money, as we are all supposed to have a voice that can be heard without preferential treatment. Now that makes it hard to hear all voices, but it also allows it all to stay out there so that we will hopefully find the one we want (and many more we never knew we needed). The new FCC under Pai is aiming to dismantle the freedom that was guaranteed under the previous administration, and only one member spoke for the wishes of the people.
The fight is also embroiling Congress simply because everything is about politics, and no longer about the principles that we fought for in the past: equality, transparency, freedom, opportunity for all – you know all of the things that brought our nation into being as well as the Internet to mature into. Until we realize that life is more than the rule of law, everything will have to fought for because those free market supporters are now trying to sell everything as though it is theirs to sell. This is not the decision for Congress alone to make, much less the FCC panel or the titans of capitalism. This belongs to us all because we all made it into what it has become. It is bigger than the system. It is a reflection of humanity.
We’re so scared of the ugly that we don’t remember that it is just as necessary in order to recognize the beauty that also exists in the eye of the beholder. It’s the duality of life that allows us to learn and grow into proper humans who recognize that everything is about more than themselves. And that seems to be something that those in governance and power have chosen to forget as they go about the daily rituals of upholding all that exists at the expense of what could be. Order must prevail, even if our system falls in the process, because a few got what they want at the expense of the rest. Or because a civilized citizenry cannot abide by chaos (or so they like to remind us on a daily basis). Kind of like the fight we’re having over every other aspect of our lives as shown in the daily news cycle, mainstream and fringe included.
So, here we go once again, until we all get involved to stop the daily vacillation that profit fans.
- Learn more about the fight for Net Neutrality at Fight for the Future’s Day of Action page.
- The latest about Net Neutrality at the Guardian: The open Internet is at Stake; Here’s Why Net Neutrality Matters
- Why this fight is on: Net Neutrality Goes Down In Flames as FCC Votes to Kill Title II Rules
- Read EFF’s take and its coverage on Net Neutrality
edit: and I forgot to add the most important message to pass along:
or normal, or whatever you want to be...on a free Internet
