The proposals that the people at http://www.savetheinternet.com are advocating are faulty and will just give the government more power to regulate the internet. The problem with said proposals is that they use more socialism in order to obstensibly save us from the problems of socialism.

We wouldn't be facing these problems in the first place if the government didn't grant monopolies to the telephone and cable companies when it comes to laying communications lines.

The solution is not more government regulation of the telecommunications industry--which just gives the government another club in which pummel those who don't toe the government line--but to make it so that the government can't grant monopolies (which are typically done in pay-to-play deals that benefit the politicians granting the monopoly) which thereby exclude competitors in this field.

James Redford - I didn't really examine the site - I just trustingly signed the petition because I trust the source of the link. Thanks for pointing out some possible problems with this drive. I will look back into it.

James Redford YOU ARE A BLINKERED IDEOLOGE.

Your anti-socialism one-trick-pony blinds you to the wonderful world of regulation.

Contrary to what the (mainly US) business lobby has been hammering into your heads for 90 years...

REGULATION is good.

The goverment is the ONLY defence we people have against the powerful, fascist, unelected corporations.

Regulations PER SE are good, because we can always change them, make them better, adjust them to the times.

The ideology that ALL REGULATION IS BAD is good for corporations. They, indeed, are against ALL FORMS of regulation coming from the representatives of the great unwashed.
BUSINESS want to fashion regulations according to their greed-motive. They can DO WITHOUT REGULATION because their regulation is MONEY... everything has a price, you know.

This negates HUMANS, spirit, soul, holyness, common-good, activism and UNIONS... because their value CANNOT BE COUNTED WITH MONEY.

We urgently need more regulation.

Unlike what you have been pavlov-trained to believe, the European Union has made some VERY GOOD regulations. Consumer protection:
10years spare parts, 2 years full guarantee ... stop poison in foods... and the most contested going through now is this CHEMICAL INDUSTRY thing REACH
http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/reach/

Basially.. the more industry lobbies AGAINST something the more yous should be sure that its a good thing.

In other words... if Industry opposes a regulation, then you know its good.

More EU examples:

German deregulation of telecom...
these bastards have the cheapest and EASIEST toll-call rates.

They just dial a 5 digit prefix that they look up under www.cheaper-phone-calls.de and then they phone the usa for 1us cent per minute round the clock.. they have a voice announcement what it costs and it is itemized on their TELECOM bill.

Geriatrics can use it!! No more joining some robber-baron, credit card nonsense. Just pay the ONE bill... and its dirt, dirt cheap. Skype is not gaining in germany! Calls are too cheap... why bother?

And how did this come about?

The goverment TELECOM REGULATORY AUTHORITY one morning decided to "make it so" .. they wanted small telco competitors to be able to take part, so they made some very low barriers to enter the market, the rules being the same for everyone. and voila! Business is BOOMING... and the big companies have to stay honest.

James Redford, keep your evil bean-counter-logic out of these 911 comments... don't propagandize the blue-eyed kids here.