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You’ve probably heard a lot of screaming and yelling about net neutrality lately, the latest thing left-wingers and right-wingers are expected to get angry about (in addition to the tax cuts, but I’ll talk about those in a few days). I talked about net neutrality quite a while ago, but the issue is a much bigger one than internet traffic. The issue of net neutrality is a classic example of the no-win scenario you have when your government and culture stupidly embraces corporatism.
-By Caleb Jones
Let’s say you have two options:
Option A – Your life will be run by big, incompetent, corrupt government.
Option B – Your life will be run by gigantic, soulless, monopolistic corporations.
Which option do you choose?
Seriously, which one do you want?
The correct answer, if you’re a sane person that is, is neither. You don’t want your life run by either massive government or massive corporations. Handing power over to either of those entities means your freedom will be crushed one way or the other, at least in the long-term.
Now let’s switch the question slightly. You have two options: Option A – The internet will be controlled by big, incompetent, corrupt government. Option B – The internet will be controlled by gigantic, soulless, monopolistic corporations. Which one do you want? Again, if you’re a sane person, the correct answer is neither. I don’t want the internet run by Verizon or Comcast, and I don’t want the internet run by some Obama/Trump politicians or bureaucrats in Washington DC. I want big corporations and big government to stay as far away from controlling internet traffic or content as much as humanly possible.
The problem is, under corporatism, which is the political system the USA utilizes, this isn’t possible. We are now stuck with the horrible, no-win choice of having big, incompetent, authoritarian government being in charge of the internet, or big, powerful, unfair, monopolistic corporations being in charge. Both of these options suck balls. Both of these options are completely unacceptable.
The problem is that you don’t hear any of this. Instead, you see progressives and SJW’s scream that if we put government in charge of internet traffic and content, everything will work out fine (which is completely incorrect). Then you see corporatist Republicans huff and puff that if we put the internet in control of gigantic corporations like Verizon and Comcast, everything will be just fine (which is also completely incorrect). The Societal Programming narrative is, once again, that given a choice between getting raped with a broom handle or raped with a pogo stick, one of those options is bad, and the other is good, or at least okay.
No, shitheads. They’re both unacceptable. Now obviously, since I’m a libertarian, having government in charge of the internet concerns me a little more than having big corporations being in charge, but I won’t sit here and say that having Comcast be in charge of the internet is a good thing; no, that would be a terrible thing, since Comcast fucking sucks. Two horrible options. Two irrational sides championing one of the horrible options like idiots. That’s what happens when you embrace corporatism.
What is the solution to this problem? It’s quite simple. Legally de-couple the final mile of fiber from the internet to your home, and open up that link to any company who wants to provide internet service in any given region that is able to do so, and with minimal or zero regulations. Use free market capitalism to get companies, big and small alike, to compete for your service, and to win your business by providing the best service for the lowest costs. The problem is that what I just described won’t ever happen. Neither the leftists in big government nor the corporatist right in gigantic corporations will ever allow anything like that. Big government and/or big corporations are going to be in charge, now pick which one of these ghoulish entities will control your internet. Have fun!
There is some slight good news. At some point in the future, perhaps even near future, net neutrality won’t be an issue, since it's entirely likely we’ll be using privately owned satellites to wirelessly get an internet signal instead of using cables in the ground. At that point, you will (likely) see a more free market solution, free (or at least freer) from both big government and gigantic, multinational corporations. Until that day comes though, we’re going to all suffer, eventually, from either reduced internet speeds for certain services (thanks, corporations!) or limits on certain types of content on the internet (thanks, government!).
Oh well. As usual, I don't care. Merry Christmas everybody! Want over 35 hours of how-to podcasts on how to improve your woman life and financial life? Want to be able to coach with me twice a month? Want access to hours of technique-based video and audio? The SMIC Program is a monthly podcast and coaching program where you get access to massive amounts of exclusive, members-only Alpha 2.0 content as soon as you sign up, and you can cancel whenever you want. Click here for the details.
Now let’s switch the question slightly. You have two options: Option A – The internet will be controlled by big, incompetent, corrupt government. Option B – The internet will be controlled by gigantic, soulless, monopolistic corporations. Which one do you want? Again, if you’re a sane person, the correct answer is neither. I don’t want the internet run by Verizon or Comcast, and I don’t want the internet run by some Obama/Trump politicians or bureaucrats in Washington DC. I want big corporations and big government to stay as far away from controlling internet traffic or content as much as humanly possible.
The problem is, under corporatism, which is the political system the USA utilizes, this isn’t possible. We are now stuck with the horrible, no-win choice of having big, incompetent, authoritarian government being in charge of the internet, or big, powerful, unfair, monopolistic corporations being in charge. Both of these options suck balls. Both of these options are completely unacceptable.
The problem is that you don’t hear any of this. Instead, you see progressives and SJW’s scream that if we put government in charge of internet traffic and content, everything will work out fine (which is completely incorrect). Then you see corporatist Republicans huff and puff that if we put the internet in control of gigantic corporations like Verizon and Comcast, everything will be just fine (which is also completely incorrect). The Societal Programming narrative is, once again, that given a choice between getting raped with a broom handle or raped with a pogo stick, one of those options is bad, and the other is good, or at least okay.
No, shitheads. They’re both unacceptable. Now obviously, since I’m a libertarian, having government in charge of the internet concerns me a little more than having big corporations being in charge, but I won’t sit here and say that having Comcast be in charge of the internet is a good thing; no, that would be a terrible thing, since Comcast fucking sucks. Two horrible options. Two irrational sides championing one of the horrible options like idiots. That’s what happens when you embrace corporatism.
What is the solution to this problem? It’s quite simple. Legally de-couple the final mile of fiber from the internet to your home, and open up that link to any company who wants to provide internet service in any given region that is able to do so, and with minimal or zero regulations. Use free market capitalism to get companies, big and small alike, to compete for your service, and to win your business by providing the best service for the lowest costs. The problem is that what I just described won’t ever happen. Neither the leftists in big government nor the corporatist right in gigantic corporations will ever allow anything like that. Big government and/or big corporations are going to be in charge, now pick which one of these ghoulish entities will control your internet. Have fun!
There is some slight good news. At some point in the future, perhaps even near future, net neutrality won’t be an issue, since it's entirely likely we’ll be using privately owned satellites to wirelessly get an internet signal instead of using cables in the ground. At that point, you will (likely) see a more free market solution, free (or at least freer) from both big government and gigantic, multinational corporations. Until that day comes though, we’re going to all suffer, eventually, from either reduced internet speeds for certain services (thanks, corporations!) or limits on certain types of content on the internet (thanks, government!).
Oh well. As usual, I don't care. Merry Christmas everybody! Want over 35 hours of how-to podcasts on how to improve your woman life and financial life? Want to be able to coach with me twice a month? Want access to hours of technique-based video and audio? The SMIC Program is a monthly podcast and coaching program where you get access to massive amounts of exclusive, members-only Alpha 2.0 content as soon as you sign up, and you can cancel whenever you want. Click here for the details.