[mythtv-users] [Mostly OT] Comcast/net neutrality ruling - NY Times Online

[Greg Woods]

On Sat, 2010-04-10 at 11:03 -0700, Marc Chamberlin wrote:
> When one looks at the FCC and the reason it came into 
> existence as a regulatory agency, it was during a time in which most 
> electronic communication was taking place using a limited public 
> resource - the RF spectrum of transmission over the public airways.

Absolutely. This is one of those times when practical concerns justify
regulation. If the airwaves were not regulated, then the broadcasters
would fight and interfere with each other and the result would be that
we didn't really have any airwaves at all.

> to insure that the spectrum was 
> used in a fashion best suited for the public good. 

And this is where they lose me. It is one thing to parcel out the
limited bandwidth, and quite another to try and control how it is used.
The rub, as you alluded to in your post, is who gets to define what is
the "public good". It usually translates to "what is good for me and my
buddies", which is why, to most of us real "free marketeers", the term
"public good" is usually considered evil. It is often used in a
well-meaning way, but that is never how it actually works in practice
when the government is given the power to define it.

Back to sort of on the original topic: by any reasonable definition of
"public good", Comcast gaining control of NBC is NOT in the public good.
But I'll wager it goes through anyway, because Comcast has more
influence with the government than the public does.

--Greg