2006 telecom bill

How did the US House of representatives pass a telecom bill without Net Neutrality provisions, yet the Senate has been bogged down in controversy over the issue?

It seems once the House passed the bill to the Senate, the public became aware of the Net Neutrality issue. And once people became aware, they began to question elected representatives for better clarification.

As a result of public questioning, the telecom bill has stalled. People are very leery of conceding their internet rights to the corporations that own the lines running into their homes and businesses.

But more importantly, why were the bulk of Americans totally in the dark about the issue until they were informed by sources over the internet?

Look carefully at what happened:
1.    Our House of Representatives wrote and passed a telecom bill that would affect every American, but did it without gathering a consensus from the people they serve.
2.    The ‘mainstream’ cable and network TV media never picked up the story or informed people about this piece of legislation.
3.    The people only became aware of Net Neutrality through news sources on the internet.
4.    The internet sources that informed people about the telecom bill would have been adversely affected by a bill without Net Neutrality. And without Net Neutrality, these alternate sources of news might dry up and be unavailable to the people, yet no public servant made mention of this.
5.    And interestingly, once the public started reacting negatively to the telecom bill, other ‘news’ stories appeared over the internet labeling Net Neutrality as ‘government interference.’ Yet the bill itself was asking the government to interfere with the internet for the single benefit of those corporations that own lines running into people’s homes.
6.    The telecom corporations claimed that the bill would increase competition when in fact there is only one provider of land-lines coming into each home or business. There are not multiple hooks-ups available in front of each home for connecting to the internet. There is only one line and the owners of that line want a bill passed that lets them decide what information will flow over those lines, and how much it will cost to receive it.

The real question raised by this political episode is not so much about the telecom bill, but instead is about who is responsible for keeping the people informed about government activity?

Our House of Representatives wrote and passed legislation that tilts the table to telecom corporations, and they did it without asking the public for input. It’s painfully clear that our representatives are being told what legislation to write and what to vote for.

Obviously the trappings of power are so intoxicated by big money that no representative is willing to proclaim loudly in favor of the people.

What’s even more striking is that Americans today are getting so much spin and half-fact from the media that it’s difficult for people to make informed decisions beyond a swift-boat here or sound-bite there.

And when finally some clear facts are reported about government activity, the newspaper that carries the story is labeled traitorous for exposing the activity.

There is considerable money and power controlling the news that is funneled to the public, and much of it attempts to distort a story in order to placate or excite the public about a specific issue that affects the flow of money.

The public is being misled by big money when news stories discredit scientists for saying the ice is melting. The public is being misled by big money when news stories tout the benefits of ethanol without telling people about the gross inefficiencies. The public is being misled by big money about the war and reasons for the war. The public was misled that we needed to cut down forests to prevent forest fires. Furthermore, the public was misled when news stories exposed a CIA operative and claimed need for illegal wiretaps and other unconstitutional lies and activity.

Most insidious however, the big money that wants to buy the internet is also running our elected officials. And that’s why there was no news about the telecom bill before it trickled out over the internet.

Big money only wants a public that will do as it’s told and not ask questions. And the eye-popping lack of truth and discussion in the media today is failing our American society.



Gene Haynes