[1st-mile-nm] Broadband op-ed in today's Albuquerque Journal

[Christopher Mitchell]

Fascinating response:
"Let all of you ignorant unwashed masses let the
government to tell you the best way to operate everything. If you'll just
quit resisting, we'll have everything running as efficiently and smoothly as
the DMV and as fiscally sound as Social Security."

Of course, social security continues to make the payments it is
supposed to whereas millions of people are delaying retirement
(thereby throwing the whole workforce out of whack) because the
government allowed the banks to lend "other peoples' money" in
extremely risky ways and the resulting economic crash killed
retirement savings.

An oversimplification, yes, but broadly true.

Clearly there is merit to both government and private companies - the
question is how to balance them.  When it comes to Telecom, I would
like to see the infrastructure owned by the public and run on a common
carrier basis.  With robust competition on such a setup, fewer
government regulations (like network neutrality) are required.  There
are benefits to everyone but it will lower the profits of extremely
powerful telecom companies, so we see very strong resistance to an
approach that would benefit probably 99% of society more than the
current system.

Oh, and for the record - I can go to the DMV, wait in line, and return
home faster than I can solve a problem with Comcast using any of their
methods.

Christopher Mitchell
Director, Telecommunications as Commons Initiative
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
http://www.newrules.org/information/
http://www.muninetworks.org
612-379-3815 x209
@communitynets



On Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 12:35 PM, J A Leach <jleach at previsio.us> wrote:
> Yes, in other words, "Let all of you ignorant unwashed masses let the
> government to tell you the best way to operate everything. If you'll just
> quit resisting, we'll have everything running as efficiently and smoothly as
> the DMV and as fiscally sound as Social Security."
>
> J. A. 'Jack' Leach
>
> Malum consilium quod mutari non potest.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: 1st-mile-nm-bounces at mailman.dcn.org
> [mailto:1st-mile-nm-bounces at mailman.dcn.org] On Behalf Of Gnarlodious
> Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 12:29 PM
> Cc: 1st-mile-nm at mailman.dcn.org
> Subject: Re: [1st-mile-nm] Broadband op-ed in today's Albuquerque Journal
>
> On 7/27/10, Harris, Brian wrote:
>
>> As long as the FCC hews to this mutually contradictory notion we will
>> continue to be stuck in the dark ages.  There is ample evidence that firms
>> won't invest in their infrastructure
>
> The entire concept of "infrastructure investment" amounts to corporate
> welfare. The real solution is encouraging "Public Utility" approach to
> internet access, and to declare the wires (or fiber) to be "The
> Commons" which are owned by the public.
>
> The water and sewage pipes going into our homes are not owned by any
> for-profit corporation for a good reason. Imagine a despotic business
> putting a meter on your sewage pipe, how much would it eventually cost
> you to flush your toilet? That is the situation under the current
> monopoly where either Comcast or Qwest OWNS the wire running into your
> house.
>
> For a preview if where broadband is going, look at the trend with
> Cable TV in the decades since it was invented. Private investors "own"
> that cable through the charter of a corporation. Yet every year the
> cables have become more pervasive and uglier, content has gotten ever
> more offensive and service has reached the expense level where it is a
> target for thieves. And who can blame them? Why pay through the nose
> for crap when you can steal it?
>
> At very least, ISPs should be tightly regulated, like the gas company.
> But ideally, "The Commons" should include information infrastructure
> just like it includes water pipes and public roads. The system works
> and let's kick the greedy corporations out!
>
> -- Rachel Cogent, Santa Fe
> http://Gnarlodious.com
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