I believe that I am not the only person in this nation, perhaps the world, that felt great anger, fear and frustration when three “nominated” democrat toadies at the Federal Communications Commission decided to bypass the great majority of Internet “netizens” when they decided that they, and they alone, have the power to impose their rules and regulations on the Internet.

Let’s review …

The Internet is a free and open source of creation and connectivity that could never be found in such closed platforms as those run by CompuServe, AOL, MSN, Apple  whose dictatorial “take it or leave it” policies stifled both innovation and connectivity.

The Internet is somewhat self-regulating based on a free-market meme. The technical specifications and protocols are a collaborative effort overseen by the IETF (Internet Engineering Taskforce). The creation and management of top-level domains are overseen by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). And while other creative ideas, products and services are openly welcome, they live or die by public usage and acclaim. They do not require government regulations or subsidies to make them “popular.”

Those that abhor the openness and the freedom of the Internet are those with something to either hide or protect. The government wants to protect its political power and its secrets, the private sector wants to protect its valuable content, and those who supply connectivity want to profit based on the content that is carried as opposed to being a commodity-priced carrier of bits and bytes. 

That’s it in the proverbial nutshell. Those who profit from the use of the Internet want to control it to consolidate and monopolize their control over the medium to promote their own self-interests.

Now comes the Federal Communications Commission …

The FCC used to have an honorable mission. To control the broadcast spectrum on behalf of “We the People” who are said to “own” the public airwaves. To do this, the FCC mandated technical specifications, licensed broadcasters and broadcast equipment to prevent unwanted interference with broadcasts.

Somewhere along the line, they morphed into controlling speech, social mores as well as other technological innovation. They became hyper-politicized and a tool of the existing Administration in power – where broadcaster’s futures could technically be decided by their support of the political status quo, their openness to  political discourse and, of course, lobbyists bearing large sums of campaign contributions.

All was well until we encountered today’s crop of Congressional democrats and the Administration of Barack Hussein Obama. A duopoly of corruption and Marxist political ideology. People who I believe do not wish America or her citizens well and are willing to do or say anything to impose international socialist/Marxist norms on our beloved nation.

The issue of network neutrality …

In non-Orwellian terms, network neutrality is simply the duty of each Internet Service Provider to carry Internet packets without surcharge, premium or time delay. All packets are treated equally and some are not treated “more equal than others.”

This does not sit well with the communications carriers with aging infrastructure and relatively low bandwidth. Just as the business model of the old wireline telephone companies has been superseded by wireless carriers, those who offer current services believe that they should be allowed to use their communications facilities to maximize their profit. Demanding a portion of that movie rental or audio download. Demanding a premium to deliver your commercial message or e-mail faster in return for premium pricing. Demanding that they be able to use the “telephone tariff” system to compete on the pricing chaos where special plans, time periods, one-time offers and other such trivia are allowed to disguise the simple fact that you are paying for point-to-point connectivity.

This fits in with the government’s desire to monitor the public’s communications for law enforcement – and perhaps political – purposes. The very same mechanism of “deep packed mining” that allows an Internet Service Provider to determine the payload contents of a packet is the very same mechanism that allows our government to intercept and examine all information flowing along the Internet Backbone.

And, lest we forget, there are the content creators who have paid a handsome sum, in money and support, to the government to insure that their content – even if in the public domain – remains controlled for profit-making purposes. They already have imposed intrusive and restrictive controls on hardware, software and now they seek to have the government control the communications networks. How many people know that their computer contains GUIDs (Globally Unique IDentifiers) which are copied into each file, disk, picture, recording and other digital product that links the content with the content creator (duplicator) and perhaps to the very individual who created or duplicated the content?

Back to the FCC …

Now, in the guise of “protecting the public” from evil communications carriers, the FCC claims it now can exert governmental control over the Internet. By the vote of three hyper-partisan democrat hacks operating on behalf of the government they want to protect and perpetuate.

But there is a legal way to say NO!

Even though the FCC has effectively usurped the power of Congress as the sole law-making branch of government and attempted to impose their will on the netizens of America, they can be stopped.

One, the FCC’s power is limited to the authority given to the agency by Congress. The President cannot override this power except under exigent circumstances dealing with national security.

And two, there exists an act, the Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. § 801-808), which mandates that Congress can review, by means of an expedited legislative process, new federal regulations issued by the government agencies and, by passage of a joint resolution, overrule the  regulations.

Will our Congress Act?

We have observed that the 111th Congress saw both chambers, the House and the Senate, controlled by far-left democrats with a toxic view of America. A view promoted and ratified by the President of the United States who could sign Congressional act into law or veto them based on nothing more than Presidential whim.

Now that we have seen the Tea Party Movement begin to demonstrate to the political elite that “We the People” are awakening to the clear and present danger presented by corrupt and ideologically-driven politicians, the 112th Congress will have a Republican majority in the House of Representatives and which will face a slimmer democrat majority in the Senate. Of course, unless the President is impeached, there is no indication that he will moderate his stand and move away from his Marxist tendancies.

This is a beginning. Both the President, one-third of the Senate and the House will be up for grabs again in 2012. The democrats will try to use social wedge issues, and  a very large minority and entitlement culture, to once again split the vote to allow a fringe majority to wrest control from those who want to stop this onslaught of Marxism, increasing taxes and the loss of personal freedoms. We must stop it at all costs.

Bottom line …

It is now time for the ‘netizens to weigh-in on the matter of a free and open Internet. To stifle and stymie the attempts of those who try to use the Internet to control the Internet from gaining or retaining political power.

We are at the crossroads … where both political parties must be made to fear “We the People” instead of “We the People” fearing our government. We must act and act now.

I suggest that you suspend all contributions to politicians, political causes and to those who have been complicit in subverting our America. To avoid, whenever practical and possible, using those goods and services provided by sponsors who continue to allow the government to politically mistreat Americans for their own commercial advantage.

And I suggest you take this time to re-examine your life and re-dedicate it to yourself and your family. To insuring that you and yours have a future that you can recognize and respect. To insuring that we do not devolve into a nation of Europeans at the mercies of their government and its unions. To insure that our resources are not squandered on those who illegally enter our country and demand that we support them and their families. And to preserve America as that shining city on the hill.

-- steve