We already paid for the god damn infrastructure ourselves and the invention of the Internet itself through our tax dollars. Why the hell do ISPs get to profit from it infinitely with almost no meaningful regulation to protect you and me (who, again, already paid for this shit several times over).
Fun fact: ISPs have received almost half a TRILLION dollars in kickbacks funded by taxpayer dollars on top of everything else. Regulatory capture is a real problem.
And because corporations aren’t people, here’s the CEOs that ran things during 2014:
Hans Vestberg (b 1965) Verizon
Randall Lynn Stephenson (b 1960) AT&T
Glen F Post (b 1952) CenturyLink
We let these people act with impunity in our society but it doesn’t need to be this way. Look at how Elon, who thrives on attention, flips out over being tracked and heckled. They stole hundreds of billions from us but we don’t even act like it.
If only there was some tool available to the government to hold these companies accountable to an agreement. Like some way to document what needs to be done in exchange for the money and be able to receive the money back if that isn’t performed. Oh well.
Internet is not a base requirement like water.
Without food, water, shelter, you die. Without internet and electricity you are left behind, you don’t die. It should be regulated like electricity
Internet is not a base requirement like water. Without food, water, shelter, you die. Without internet and electricity you are left behind, you don’t die. It should be regulated like electricity
Yes because being homeless and without power will definitely ensure you can stay alive. This whole argument doesn’t make sense. Electricity doesn’t need to be regulated like water because for the most part, there can’t be tainted electricity. But you can still get your water cut off just like power so clearly the government doesn’t ensure you have ready access to it.
Oh and shelter is a base requirement but we still let people die in the streets. And for those people we aren’t supplying them with water: they can drink from what few public fountains exist in parks…if the cops don’t beat them for “loitering”.
No, internet should be a requirement to be provided to everyone like we regulate water and electricity and (used to) telephone service.
No thanks, power companies get away with an absolutely insane amount of bullshit. They should absolutely be more strictly regulated and held accountable.
I loved it when my local giant ISP kept pushing broadband connections, saying they couldn’t possibly deal with costs associated with Fiber. Then they begged money from the Government to install infrastructure. Queue absolutely no work in my area. Fast forward a few years, a new ISP rolls in with Fiber and like magic my ISP was suddenly able to provide similar services.
Good luck convincing the taxpayers of that fact. It should be regulated and made available as such, but made to run for free by government agencies…I think that will piss absolutely everybody off for a number of reasons.
ISPs need to fucken die. Internet should be provided as a social service.
We already paid for the god damn infrastructure ourselves and the invention of the Internet itself through our tax dollars. Why the hell do ISPs get to profit from it infinitely with almost no meaningful regulation to protect you and me (who, again, already paid for this shit several times over).
Fun fact: ISPs have received almost half a TRILLION dollars in kickbacks funded by taxpayer dollars on top of everything else. Regulatory capture is a real problem.
Also, they took billions of government dollars, promising to build out infrastructure, and then…just didn’t. With zero consequences.
Not just billions, hundreds of billions.
ISPs
And because corporations aren’t people, here’s the CEOs that ran things during 2014:
Hans Vestberg (b 1965) Verizon
Randall Lynn Stephenson (b 1960) AT&T
Glen F Post (b 1952) CenturyLink
We let these people act with impunity in our society but it doesn’t need to be this way. Look at how Elon, who thrives on attention, flips out over being tracked and heckled. They stole hundreds of billions from us but we don’t even act like it.
One of the greatest quotes of all time.
If only there was some tool available to the government to hold these companies accountable to an agreement. Like some way to document what needs to be done in exchange for the money and be able to receive the money back if that isn’t performed. Oh well.
That’s rank communism and I’m going to report this because our poor mistreated billionaires shouldn’t have to read it from their mother ship Yacht!
(Can I have free Internet now please Daddy?)
its a base requirement, like water. it should be regulated as such. zero profit motive, ubiquitous access.
Don’t compare it to water. Nestle will want a cut.
And they will fucking kill you and your whole village if they don’t get it
Let’s add healthcare to this list
Throw it on the pile of “things Americans will never get socialized.”
Internet is not a base requirement like water. Without food, water, shelter, you die. Without internet and electricity you are left behind, you don’t die. It should be regulated like electricity
Yes because being homeless and without power will definitely ensure you can stay alive. This whole argument doesn’t make sense. Electricity doesn’t need to be regulated like water because for the most part, there can’t be tainted electricity. But you can still get your water cut off just like power so clearly the government doesn’t ensure you have ready access to it.
Oh and shelter is a base requirement but we still let people die in the streets. And for those people we aren’t supplying them with water: they can drink from what few public fountains exist in parks…if the cops don’t beat them for “loitering”.
No, internet should be a requirement to be provided to everyone like we regulate water and electricity and (used to) telephone service.
If I don’t have internet, I can’t do my job, therefore I can’t get money I need to spend on food, water and shelter, which I need to live.
Adding to this, we aren’t being charged separately for using the bathroom, livingroom, or garage. The internet should not be divided as such.
No thanks, power companies get away with an absolutely insane amount of bullshit. They should absolutely be more strictly regulated and held accountable.
Given what I was paying last summer for electricity in Rhode Island, I am not sure I can endorse your sentiment
In my town it is a city utility like electricity and water. Gigabit fiber up/down for $70 with net neutrality
I loved it when my local giant ISP kept pushing broadband connections, saying they couldn’t possibly deal with costs associated with Fiber. Then they begged money from the Government to install infrastructure. Queue absolutely no work in my area. Fast forward a few years, a new ISP rolls in with Fiber and like magic my ISP was suddenly able to provide similar services.
Good luck convincing the taxpayers of that fact. It should be regulated and made available as such, but made to run for free by government agencies…I think that will piss absolutely everybody off for a number of reasons.