"Net Neutrality" is an Oppressive Regulatory Scheme

From what this blogger has been able to ascertain through what little public information is available, I will present a summary of potential threats to all internet users. This blog was written because several friends and acquaintances over the past few months have asked me to address the issue. Hence this blog post.

Did you know, If President Obama gets his wish, government bureaucrats would be put in charge of a new oppressive regulatory scheme?  Worst of all, Americans do not fully understand the implications of how far this could go because it’s all happening so hastily. Instead of Congress having a public debate out in the open where the American people can listen and Congress is held accountable, the Executive Branch is rushing to pre-empt Congress and force this new regulation through while the American people are not paying attention.

A plan misleadingly referred to as “Net Neutrality,” involves declaring the Internet a “public utility” and gives the FCC the power to decide what Internet service providers can charge and how they operate. This is not only a direct attack on the free market, but it will also result in an increase in Internet access fees for millions of consumers in America. It’s massive a tax on the middle class, plain and simple.

Americans should be deeply concerned about the chilling effect a Government controlled Internet could have on speech. Recent actions taken by foreign governments should make every American nervous when thinking about a Government controlled Internet. Why should one be uneasy? Because the Internet is not just a more efficient way of engaging in commerce; it’s the greatest threat to tyrannical Governments in the world today. Autocrats and tyrants do not want a free and open Internet. Government regulation of the internet could become a slippery slope in the future. A future Administration could use power over the Internet to censor speech and intimidate perceived political opponents. A government attempt to regulate the Internet could eventually be instrumental in launching a direct attack on America’s freedom of speech, freedom of information and an innovative market. The world is full of such infringements.

My take, which is likely shared by many others is, at worst, the “net neutrality” plan is a government power grab of mammoth proportions of the one place where opinions or ideas are dispersed with limited intrusiveness. At best, it’s a solution in search of a problem destined to stifle technological innovation and online competitiveness. If past government regulatory measures are true to form, adoption of Obama’s “net neutrality” plan will come at a high price.  A final thought; it's probably a safe wager to assume Obama has grander ambitions for internet control given the consternation it has caused him during his presidential tenure.