Obama ruins the internet

Wait so the FCC are the ones who actually get to make these decisions and Obama appointed someone who is firmly anti-net-neutrality to the position of chairman of the FCC? If so it sounds like he's done more harm than good on net neutrality..

(I don't actually know much about this issue. I'm posting under the presumption that the things people have said in this thread are accurate. Corrections/clarifications welcome.)
 
theprestige said:
The OP says that Obama has saved the Internet. You and I agree that this is probably not true. Yet for some reason, you're arguing with me over things we agree on, instead of directing your objections towards the OP where they belong.
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Because of the reasons for Obama not saving the internet. I believe it is because he won't be allowed to, because of the Republican knee-jerk opposition to anything Obama is in favor of. See Ted Cruz.
 
Upchurch said:
True, but it is definitely a step in the right direction.

And, according to the link Mumbles posted, it looks like at least Ted Cruz is against doing the right thing, either because he was paid to be or because Obama supports it.

Oh, wait. I mean he's against it "on principle."
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In an odd way, Cruz is actually right. Obamacare provides affordable access to health care for everyone, blocking companies from turning people down for preexisting conditions or suddenly denying insurance when a woman gets breast cancer. Net Neutrality, similarly, requires that internet access companies provide the service they say that they will, instead of throttling Netflix or Youtube because they want you to buy their expensive TV package.
 
theprestige said:
The OP says that Obama has saved the Internet. You and I agree that this is probably not true. Yet for some reason, you're arguing with me over things we agree on, instead of directing your objections towards the OP where they belong.
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Maybe he continued to read the thread beyond the OP?
theprestige said:
It's a little premature to say that Obama has "saved" the Internet.
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Upchurch said:
True, but it is definitely a step in the right direction.
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cornsail said:
Wait so the FCC are the ones who actually get to make these decisions and Obama appointed someone who is firmly anti-net-neutrality to the position of chairman of the FCC? If so it sounds like he's done more harm than good on net neutrality..
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The commissioners are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Although it was a questionable choice at the time, I don't think Wheeler gave any specific indication that he planned to dismantle network neutrality until after he was chairman of the FCC.
 
Upchurch said:
The commissioners are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Although it was a questionable choice at the time, I don't think Wheeler gave any specific indication that he planned to dismantle network neutrality until after he was chairman of the FCC.
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Well, that and the FCC lost a lawsuit on the way they were going about it.
 
Upchurch said:
The commissioners are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Although it was a questionable choice at the time, I don't think Wheeler gave any specific indication that he planned to dismantle network neutrality until after he was chairman of the FCC.
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Fair point if true. And yet... Was there no one he could have nominated whose opinions on important and relevant topics weren't a total mystery? I've been very unhappy with some of Obama's past appointments besides this. Nominating Michele Leonhart for DEA administrator, for instance, was really bad.
 
cornsail said:
Fair point if true. And yet... Was there no one he could have nominated whose opinions on important and relevant topics weren't a total mystery? I've been very unhappy with some of Obama's past appointments besides this. Nominating Michele Leonhart for DEA administrator, for instance, was really bad.
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I think that prior to the "nuclear option", a huge number of Obama's nominees could not get a vote and were stalled indefinitely. I'm pretty certain that lists of nominees are floated to administrations as "acceptable" and that presidents get to choose from these small lists. I'm confident that the list for FCC director did not include any people hostile to cable companies and their interests. That said, I'd like to see Obama put real pressure on the FCC to get this right. I think the bigger question is whether or not the Tea Party/GOP goes all in with Ted Cruz on this.
 
Unabogie said:
I think that prior to the "nuclear option", a huge number of Obama's nominees could not get a vote and were stalled indefinitely. I'm pretty certain that lists of nominees are floated to administrations as "acceptable" and that presidents get to choose from these small lists. I'm confident that the list for FCC director did not include any people hostile to cable companies and their interests. That said, I'd like to see Obama put real pressure on the FCC to get this right. I think the bigger question is whether or not the Tea Party/GOP goes all in with Ted Cruz on this.
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I bet they will. Now we're gonna hear all about the evils of net neutrality, just like a year ago we were hearing that health insurance is a waste of money. Reactionaries can't help but react, eh? Should be fun...
 
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