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7 comments

1 Virginia Plain  Wed, Dec 1, 2010 9:20:32am

Glenn Beck is pushing this falsehood to his rabid followers because his corporate masters know that if enough of his followers make enough noise, then the FCC will keep the rules as is. And Comcast, AT&T and others can do whatever they want.

2 nines09  Wed, Dec 1, 2010 11:13:51am

Beck once again shows who he truly is to anyone that takes his advice and LOOKS UP THE FACTS.
Glenn Beck=Lying sack of shit.
So I guess "This is opinion, not news" Billy Boy called him out on it? Or did he leave it dangle there for consumption? Let me guess.

3 AuralityKev  Wed, Dec 1, 2010 1:09:32pm

I wish it were only Glenn Beck pushing this ridiculous falsehood. I lean to the right politically but am in IT by trade. Net Neutrality is completely necessary in order to keep the internet thriving. Katz's definition is pretty close to what it actually is. Packets across a network are treated as equal to one another, regardless of whether they come from cocacola.com, pepsi.com, or reallypoorlittlecolamanufacturer.com. Everyone gets a fair shake. Comcast couldn't highly prioritize cocacola.com over any other traffic in order to solicit more money from Coke.

4 fantasmaguero  Wed, Dec 1, 2010 2:22:31pm

When a fellow from The Heritage Foundation has to correct Republicans, from their left...wow.

5 riggbeck  Thu, Dec 2, 2010 4:30:06am

The Fairness Doctrine was a badly flawed idea. If both sides (and why must there be only two sides?) must be represented in every controversial issue, then we sometimes get served a plate of steaming dingo's kidneys. A side effect is bland journalism that's afraid to offend.

Controversy is generated by interest groups. The obvious example is the push for teaching Creationism alongside Evolution in science. The mantra is: Teach the Controversy.

Nonsense. Teach the scientifically verifiable theory. And in the media, present the issues based on fact, not delusion.

Not having a Fairness Doctrine does mean that we get the nutjobs in splendid isolation, without the opposing arguments, but since when does rational argument matter to them? And from the other point of view, arguing with nutjobs gives them a spurious legitimacy, as if a flat earth was as likely as an oblate spheroid.

Terry Pratchett notwithstanding, who is a wise, humane, extremely funny writer, and therefore the polar opposite of a swivel-eyed nutjob.

6 Decatur Deb  Thu, Dec 2, 2010 4:50:34am

re: #5 riggbeck

The Fairness Doctrine was a badly flawed idea. If both sides (and why must there be only two sides?) must be represented in every controversial issue, then we sometimes get served a plate of steaming dingo's kidneys. A side effect is bland journalism that's afraid to offend.

Controversy is generated by interest groups. The obvious example is the push for teaching Creationism alongside Evolution in science. The mantra is: Teach the Controversy.

Nonsense. Teach the scientifically verifiable theory. And in the media, present the issues based on fact, not delusion.

Not having a Fairness Doctrine does mean that we get the nutjobs in splendid isolation, without the opposing arguments, but since when does rational argument matter to them? And from the other point of view, arguing with nutjobs gives them a spurious legitimacy, as if a flat earth was as likely as an oblate spheroid.

Terry Pratchett notwithstanding, who is a wise, humane, extremely funny writer, and therefore the polar opposite of a swivel-eyed nutjob.

It was also justified by the notion that the broadcast spectrum is a 'limited' publicly-owned resource. Since that public ownership hasn't been exerted over a supposedly unlimited internet, there is no serious argument to force "fair" access. Freedom of the press works best for people who own presses.

7 riggbeck  Thu, Dec 2, 2010 6:04:31am

re: #6 Decatur Deb

It was also justified by the notion that the broadcast spectrum is a 'limited' publicly-owned resource. Since that public ownership hasn't been exerted over a supposedly unlimited internet, there is no serious argument to force "fair" access. Freedom of the press works best for people who own presses.

I agree that the broadcast spectrum is a limited publicly-owned resource. The Fairness Doctrine, however, was a feeble attempt to ameliorate the worst excesses of corporate ownership. I'd compare it to Obama's Health Care Bill, where he has handed over the uninsured to the corporations. Without a strong public option, the illusion of choice is meaningless.

Similarly, without a strong, impartial public option for the news media, the Fairness Doctrine was just a sticking plaster on a gaping wound. It would be much more effective to restrict ownership so no corporation could gain undue influence. But that would be political suicide.

After 20 years in the US, I've now returned to the UK, where I'm enjoying the BBC. It has critics from both sides, which tells me it's getting the impartiality thing about right.


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