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- FCC Stalls on Internet Regulation; Asks for More Comments
- Why was the Volcker Commission Constrained by Obama’s Tax Pledge, but not the Simpson-Bowles?
- Daily Media Spotlight September 2, 2010
- Harry Reid Looks to Resurrect RES During Lame-Duck
- Calculating the Cost of Government (CFA Site »)
Thursday, September 2, 2010
- Daily Media Spotlight September 1, 2010
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Obama Tax Commission Report:
Baby Step Toward IRS Tax Preparation - Dina Titus Launches False Attack Ad on Joe Heck and the Taxpayer Protection Pledge
- Indiana LaunchesTransparency Website (CFA Site »)
- Rally for Jobs Kicks Off Today in Texas
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
- Daily Media Spotlight August 31, 2010
- Let us All Join in on the NOT so “Green Cause”
- California Bag Ban Bill Up for Vote Today
- Norquist to Gov. Pat Quinn: Pick a Flawed Income Tax Hike and Stick With It
- Phil Moffett Signs Taxpayer Protection Pledge in Kentucky Gubernatorial Race
- New Mexico Sets Trends in Transparency Websites (CFA Site »)
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
- Robert Gibbs’s Fuzzy Tax Hike Math
- Daily Media Spotlight August 30, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
- 2011 Could Be Ugly for Nevada Taxpayers
- Lame Duck Governor Ed Rendell Not Going Gently Into That Good Night – New Call for Higher Taxes
- Happy Cost of Government Day, California
- Bay Staters Spent 239 Days Paying for Government Burdens in 2010 (CFA Site »)
- Washington Welcomes Cost of Government Day (CFA Site »)
Friday, August 27, 2010
- Spill Commission Should Lift Moratorium Which Has Cost Gulf Residents 12,000 Jobs and $2.1 Billion
- Daily Media Spotlight August 26, 2010
- Why is Dan Onorato Knowingly Misleading Pennsylvania Voters?
- Unions plan on spending big this election cycle
- Utah Tobacco Sellers Feeling the Impact of Tax Hikes
Thursday, August 26, 2010
- Daily Media Spotlight August 25, 2010
- WI Democrats Launch “Blatantly False” Attack on Sean Duffy
- Unions plan on spending big this election cycle (AWF Site »)
- Philly's New Blog Tax May Foreshadow Other eTaxes
- BNA: For 14 States, Existing Tax Code Leaves Room for Etax (Stop eTaxes Site »)
- Philly's $300 Blogger Tax (Stop eTaxes Site »)
- Cost of Government Day Arrives in the Commonwealth
- Pennsylvania Finally Celebrates Cost of Government Day
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
- California Budget Proposal Advocates eTax (Stop eTaxes Site »)
- Daily Media Spotlight August 24, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
- Daily Media Spotlight August 23, 2010
- Government Workers' Pensions are Underfunded by $3 Trillion
Monday, August 23, 2010
- Fourteen Ways to Reduce Government Spending
- FCC Report on Broadband Performance: A Scare Tactic
- Sen. Al Franken Doesn’t Understand Wireless Networks...or the First Amendment
Friday, August 20, 2010
- Daily Media Spotlight August 19, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Fairness Doctrine 2.0: "Nudging" What You Read Online
From Kelly William Cobb on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 5:39 PMThe Fairness Doctrine was a rule abandoned in 1987 that required broadcasters to give equal time to opposing points of view. While the stated goal was to expand discourse in the name of the “public interest,” the policy trampled all over basic property and First Amendment rights. It has been pushed in recent years primarily as a means of silencing prominent talk show hosts that don’t share the same political views as the politicians in charge.
Despite President Obama’s statements in opposition to reinstituting the Fairness Doctrine (at least on broadcasters), it appears his regulatory czar, Cass Sunstein, holds a different take when it comes to the Internet. An uncovered clip from a radio program has found Sunstein declaring:
“Sites from one point of view agree to provide links to other sites so if you are reading a conservative magazine they would provide a link to a liberal site and vice versa…If we could get voluntary arrangements in that direction it would be great. …But the word ‘voluntary’ is a little complicated. Sometimes people don’t do what’s best for our society… And the idea would be to have a legal mandate as the last resort and to make sure it’s as neutral as possible…”
This in effect would entail heavy regulation and enforcement of all content on the Internet, and would be a gross violation of property and First Amendment rights. And why should anyone blindly assume government bureaucrats are neutral enforcers? In effect, this is the Fairness Doctrine for the Internet.
The new push for Net Neutrality centers on subjecting Internet access to Title II of the Communications Act, thereby applying a vague rule preventing “discrimination” to allow the government to manage the way service providers run their networks. By simply tossing the content side of the Internet under Title II as well, one can imagine how this same rule can result in Fairness Doctrine 2.0.
Sunstein’s suggestion should come as no surprise. He recently co-authored the book Nudge, which argues that policies should be designed to “nudge” people into making better choices without full-on coercion. Sunstein says he opposes outright bans or mandates, but if you aren’t forced to read the story, someone will certainly be mandated to put it in front of you. There also appears to be quite a slippery slope (which prompted a fantastic discussion in the Cato Unbound blog last month) from Sunstein’s oxymoronic term “libertarian paternalism” (or “nudging”) to hard paternalism with heavy government involvement.
Yet, for posterity’s sake, here is an absurdly false editorial from Free Press on Huffington Post about why all of Congress supports Net Neutrality. And here is a more reasoned post about why Congress largely opposes it. Now, I think Free Press should be “nudged” into displaying my article about why Net Neutrality is a government takeover. And if they don’t maybe Cass Sunstein can help mandate it.
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Comments
This maneuver to push for regulation of the internet is yet another prime example of how the federal government is subverting/ignoring the language of the Constitution. I would also like to note that Cass Sunstein is the author of Republic.com 2.0: a book that, to a substantial degree, rails against freedom of speech and freedom of the press. He purports that having polar opposite viewpoints is ultimately detrimental to society. It's therefore no surprise that Obama's cronies are endorsing the prospect of regulating and overseeing new media; a First Amendment violation nonetheless.
>> B. Peck Thursday, May 20, 2010 10:10 AM Report Comment
This is another example of a broader issue: government intrusion. Obama and his administration feel the need to give government an improperly strong paternal role and make sure that all views are represented. That is not a role for government. It should be up to the individual to determine what he or she wants to read or listen to. The assumption that citizens cannot make up their minds without help from the media, and that they have no capacity to research both sides of an issue, is insulting and illiberal. What this boils down to is an effort that has been going on for years to weaken the successful right-wing media, which has been overtly more successful than its liberal counterpart. Can you say jealousy?
>> G. Russo Thursday, May 20, 2010 10:51 AM Report Comment
The persistence with which these people are promoting such an intrusive and authoritarian measure of control is disturbing. If these people spent their time and consideration on an actually productive project, the world would be a much better place.
>> Rob K Thursday, May 20, 2010 11:09 AM Report Comment
The Fairness Doctrine might have made sense when there were just 3 networks and that was the only opinion/slant that was available. However, now, conservatives can go to their sites, liberals can go to their sites, and nobody needs help to find either one. Does this mean that Atheists will have to post a link to Christian websites and vice versa? Will homosexual sites have to post a link to heterosexual sites? You see how far this can be taken.
>> Michelle Roeker Friday, May 21, 2010 3:31 PM Report Comment