Maryland Green Party
http://www.mdgreens.org/
Kevin Zeese Maryland Green candidate for US
Senate
kevinzeese.com/content/view/153/51/
June 27, 2006
Released June 24, 2006
Voters! Wake-Up and Fight to Keep America's Virtual Main Street Free From Big Business
Domination
The vibrancy of American culture is seen on its
virtual Main Street - the Internet. But now the big telecom companies want
to change that and the House of Representatives is ready to help them.
The Internet has been open and independent - a place for immense human creativity. It has
produced sources of independent news, blogs with commentary and discussion on all matter of
issues, viral videos that spread through the net sharing new ways of seeing our times. It has
allowed for virtual communities where people gather, discuss, meet - communicate freely. And
so much more - sharing of music, digital art, photo shop, email - and, if it remains free and
independent who knows what new creations are in store. It is one area where Freedom of Speech is
flourishing in the United States.
But, this could all change. The big telecom and cable companies - the same ones that shared phone
records with the NSA - want to get control of the Internet. They want to start charging people who
use the Net - to take money for something we don't need them for - to determine which website,
search engine, and other net communication tool gets priority on the information superhighway.
Rather than a competition of ideas and creativity the net will become controlled by who has the
most money.
Could there be any more obscene example of our Congress selling the country to the highest
bidder? What, other than campaign contributions - and there have been millions of dollars in
telecom contributions - could politicians be thinking when they vote to turn the Net over to
major corporate interests? What is the public benefit? The private benefit is evident, as the
Net is an economic engine creating jobs, businesses and profits for many, but a benefit to
the public interest is hard to discern.
This is a classic case of corporate control of government and it demonstrates the two-party
nature of the problem. Earlier this month, when the Congress voted 321 to 101 for the
misleadingly-named Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act (COPE) it showed
its true colors. COPE does not include network-neutrality protections and allows
telephone and cable companies to exploit the Net by doing away with requirements that they
maintain a level playing field for access to Internet sites. Even in the Democratic Party
there was majority support 106-92, it is evident who the corporatists are and who are those who
want an independent Internet for the people. The number two Democrat, Steny Hoyer (MD) and
centrist Democrats like Ben Cardin (MD), who is running for the U.S. Senate, voted for the
telecom and cable companies.
We don't need a corporate controlled Internet. Americans are turning off to the corporate media
- newspaper readership has dropped from 64 million in 1984 to 42 million today and is still
dropping 2 percent a year. People are watching less television news, a Pew Research Center
survey shows that 75% of 18-25 year olds prefer the Internet 15% prefer TV.
The Internet is the future - nightly network news shows are viewed regularly by 64% of people 65 years old or older
but by only 22% of those in their 30s and younger.
But now the Congress is moving to give corporations control of the Internet. The
corporations will decide which content is easily accessible, which web sites download easily, and
which search engines work most quickly. They'll decide what personal information to share with
the government as telephone companies did with the warrantless eavesdropping
program of the NSA.
Advocates for an independent Internet point to examples of discrimination by Internet service
providers against content and competing services they don't like, noting:
· In 2004, North Carolina ISP Madison River blocked their DSL customers from using any rival
Web-based phone service.
· In 2005, Canada's telephone giant Telus blocked
customers from visiting a Web site sympathetic to the Telecommunications
Workers Union during a labor dispute.
· Shaw, a big Canadian cable TV company, is charging an extra $10 a month to subscribers in
order to "enhance" competing Internet telephone services.
· In April, Time Warner's AOL blocked all emails that mentioned
www.dearaol.com - an advocacy campaign opposing the
company's pay-to-send e-mail scheme.
It is time to put in place rules that ensure an independent Internet with a level playing field
for everyone. The United States cannot let the Internet become captive to the self-interest of a
handful of big companies. The Internet has thrived because it allows creativity to flourish
and lets ideas like blogs, google, Wikipedia and My Place to start with an idea and attract
gigantic audiences.
The major challenge facing the United States on issue after issue is big business control of
government. The debate over an independent Internet highlights who is on the side of the
people's interest and who is on the side of the corporate interests. There can be no real
democracy if information is controlled, manipulated and censored by special interests
working hand-in-hand with those they fund in the Congress. Voters need to fight for the freedom of
the Internet - to keep America's virtual Main Street open.
Kevin Zeese is running for the U.S. Senate in Maryland. One of his campaign innovations is a
wiki-Campaign site, <http://www.Zeese.US>
where people can come together to develop policy and organize campaign activities.
