After taking phone giants' money, these Republicans want to kill net neutrality - ZDNet

[Bang]

That ONLY GOP politicians take money from Special Interests and then introduce legislation supporting them?

Well, see, to me net neutrality is the story.. Mike's opinion is Mike's opinion.

and as noted, it's usually going one way, and he advertises he's going to be mad right from the get go. So if it's expected, I don't see how it pulls from what is the issue even if i always disagreed with Mike.

 

~Bang

[Gamebreaker]

 "The FCC rules aim to make sure that all traffic on the internet is treated equally, ensuring every user regardless of provider or service gets the same service."

 

That is one of the dumbest things I've ever read. Whoever wrote that and thought of that has no concept of how packets work and are exchanged.

 

It also doesn't take into account bandwidth limits, speed standards and limitations, etc,. 

[Kilmer17]

He's been clear what his point has been.  Im addressing it directly.

 

Good Job. There should NEVER be influence peddling by any politician. I'm not going to defend any of it. But how does it compare to this?....

 

Secure Arkansas digs into nursing homes' and Eddie Joe Williams' influence peddling | Arkansas Blog | Arkansas news, politics, opinion, restaurants, music, movies and art

 

And while Harry Reed supports the repeal of this BLATANT LIE republicans LOVE it.  

 

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission : SCOTUSblog

 

Citizens United | OpenSecrets

 

Koch Brothers’ Budget of $889 Million for 2016 Is on Par With Both Parties’ Spending - NYTimes.com

 

Republicans have voted for their belief that money equals speech. Meaning the rich have more influence than mere peasants. 

 

Mitt Romney says ‘corporations are people’ - The Washington Post

 

Got anything on that level?

 

How about this: Keystone vote vs money donated by oil and gas. Klick the link for image - too big to post.

 

http://www.michaelsartphoto.com/img/s12/v170/p667091207.jpg

 

Research by the center for responsive politics. Color coded visualization by me.  Anyone see a pattern here?

I agree with you wholeheartedly.

 

Corruption is at the heart of our entire govt system and celebrated and enjoyed by members of both parties with few exceptions.

 

That's a far cry though from what this thread began with, which was an attack on the GOP and people that vote for them for doing what EVERYONE is doing.

Well, see, to me net neutrality is the story.. Mike's opinion is Mike's opinion.

and as noted, it's usually going one way, and he advertises he's going to be mad right from the get go. So if it's expected, I don't see how it pulls from what is the issue even if i always disagreed with Mike.

 

~Bang

I honestly don't understand enough of the issue to be either mad or giggling.

[Mad Mike]

Let me say this up front.... **** every single democrat who voted not to reverse this abomination. 

 

Senate Democrats plan vote to reverse Citizens United decision | TheHill

 

Senate GOP blocks constitutional amendment on campaign spending | TheHill

 

Senate moves forward with amendment to the Constitution on elections | TheHill

 

 

 

“You’re either for campaign spending reform or not,” Reid said ahead of the vote. “This constitutional amendment is what we need to bring sanity back to elections and restore Americans’ confidence in our democracy.”

 

 

Back on topic...

Haven't click a link but why would any of the companies not fight this ? Maybe I am missing something ?

 

 

 

100+ tech companies send letter to FCC, say innovation demands net neutrality - CBS News

 

 

Wheeler's proposed Internet rules could allow broadband companies to charge content providers for access to the fastest lanes of the Internet -- undermining the concept of net neutrality. However, when he spoke to an audience at the National Cable and Telecommunications Association's Cable Show last month, he assured them there would would be no Internet "fast lane."

Still, major companies including as Google, Amazon, eBay and Facebook, as well as two FCC commissioners, are not convinced, reports the Wall Street Journal. Citing reasons of innovation, the letter stated that if reports of the so-called "fast lanes" turn out to be true, it could represent a "grave threat to the Internet."

"The innovation we have seen to date happened in a world without discrimination," the letter, from leading technology, e-commerce and software companies, read. "An open Internet has also been a platform for free speech and opportunity for billions of users."

[Kilmer17]

You know which politicians are opposed to the Citizens United ruling?  All of those who raised less than his/her opponent and lost.

 

As pointed out above, Harry Reid has 5 sons who are lobbyists.  His words are empty.

[Mad Mike]

 

Corruption is at the heart of our entire govt system and celebrated and enjoyed by members of both parties with few exceptions.

 

That's a far cry though from what this thread began with, which was an attack on the GOP and people that vote for them for doing what EVERYONE is doing.

 

The thread began with investigative reporting on a specific bill proposed by a republican.

 

 

 

The Internet Freedom Act, an ironically-named bill currently making its way through the House, aims to "prohibit" the regulations adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) late last month.The bill was introduced by Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who has taken a total of six-figures from telecom companies in the past year alone, according to records ending in early February 2015.

 

The fact that she is republican is besides the point. If a Dem had done the same thing I would have raised just as much hell.

[Kilmer17]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/foreign-governments-gave-millions-to-foundation-while-clinton-was-at-state-dept/2015/02/25/31937c1e-bc3f-11e4-8668-4e7ba8439ca6_story.html

 

Foreign governments gave millions to foundation while Clinton was at State Dept.

 

 

I'm curious why there is so much silence on this issue?

[Mad Mike]

You know which politicians are opposed to the Citizens United ruling?  All of those who raised less than his/her opponent and lost.

 

As pointed out above, Harry Reid has 5 sons who are lobbyists.  His words are empty.

 

His vote is not empty.  And citizens united isn't about lobbyists. Straw man much?

[Kilmer17]

His vote is not empty.  And citizens united isn't about lobbyists. Straw man much?

Seems to be the play of the day, month, forever actually, here on the tailgate......

[Mad Mike]

Seems to be the play of the day, month, forever actually, here on the tailgate......

 

Then address the issue posed in the thread. Tell me why Marsha Blackburn should not be taken to task for introducing a bill that harms americans for a six figure political contribution.

[Kilmer17]

Then address the issue posed in the thread. Tell me why Marsha Blackburn should not be taken to task for introducing a bill that harms americans for a six figure political contribution.

She should be.

 

SHE should be.  NOT the entire GOP, not THESE PEOPLE, not the "R base".

 

SHE should be.

[Popeman38]

How does that detract from the point, though?

 

~Bang

Point out who lines the Dems pockets. It doesn't work just one way...

[Destino]

That ONLY GOP politicians take money from Special Interests and then introduce legislation supporting them?

I agree with Kilmer here. Arguing that one party is beholden to money is ridiculous. The entire political system revolves around fund raising.

[Mad Mike]

She should be.

 

SHE should be.  NOT the entire GOP, not THESE PEOPLE, not the "R base".

 

SHE should be.

 

How about the people who voted for her? Or the fact that they entire GOP base voted against net neutrality? How about the fact that Ben Carson is actually being considered as presidential material? Or the absolute fact that actual tea party republicans... people I meet Have tried to tell me that Obama is a communist AND a muslim. How about the thundreds of times I have talked to people online about the ACA who called me a libtard, a taker, and a thief? How about people like this who have a willing audience?.....

 

Kris Kobach: 'Not A Huge Jump' To Think Obama Could Ban Criminal Prosecution Of Black People | Right Wing Watch

 

Literally every day brings a new level of stupid and hate from the right wing. When that stops I will stop.

[The 12th Commandment]

True that the entire system is based on money but one faction (that includes some Rs) has tried to introduce legislation to deal with that.  The guys that are backing the telcos here are not in that faction and have actively set out to have money more involved, not less.  I can't help but think they're going to get more of that money.

[Kilmer17]

How about the people who voted for her? Or the fact that they entire GOP base voted against net neutrality? How about the fact that Ben Carson is actually being considered as presidential material? Or the absolute fact that actual tea party republicans... people I meet Have tried to tell me that Obama is a communist AND a muslim. How about the thundreds of times I have talked to people online about the ACA who called me a libtard, a taker, and a thief? How about people like this who have a willing audience?.....

Kris Kobach: 'Not A Huge Jump' To Think Obama Could Ban Criminal Prosecution Of Black People | Right Wing Watch

Literally every day brings a new level of stupid and hate from the right wing. When that stops I will stop.

Then you fall right back into your comfort zone. Everything wrong is because of the GOP and anyone who supports them.

How about the people who voted for her? Or the fact that they entire GOP base voted against net neutrality? How about the fact that Ben Carson is actually being considered as presidential material? Or the absolute fact that actual tea party republicans... people I meet Have tried to tell me that Obama is a communist AND a muslim. How about the thundreds of times I have talked to people online about the ACA who called me a libtard, a taker, and a thief? How about people like this who have a willing audience?.....

Kris Kobach: 'Not A Huge Jump' To Think Obama Could Ban Criminal Prosecution Of Black People | Right Wing Watch

Literally every day brings a new level of stupid and hate from the right wing. When that stops I will stop.

Then you fall right back into your comfort zone. Everything wrong is because of the GOP and anyone who supports them.

[Mad Mike]

Again, when the GOP and it's tea party base stop acting like evil morons, I will stop hammering them. Until such time, when I provide specific examples,  I suggest you prove to me that the specific examples I provide are not evil morons. Otherwise.... strawman.

[Kilmer17]

Again, when the GOP and it's tea party base stop acting like evil morons, I will stop hammering them. Until such time, when I provide specific examples, I suggest you prove to me that the specific examples I provide are not evil morons. Otherwise.... strawman.

And if you ever apply your outrage evenly to both sides, you won't come across as a hyper partisan.

There are plenty of reasons to hate specific people and groups within the GOP. But by ignoring that the same exists in the Dems is disingenuous

[Mad Mike]

And if you ever apply your outrage evenly to both sides, you won't come across as a hyper partisan.

 

I have a LONG record here of supporting Bush and people accused me of right wing bias then. You should know that. 

 

Applying outrage evenly as a principle is stupid. I apply outrage where it is deserved. If one side earns more outrage than the other, that's on them.  

[Kilmer17]

I have a LONG record here of supporting Bush and people accused me of right wing bias then. You should know that.

Applying outrage evenly as a principle is stupid. I apply outrage where it is deserved. If one side earns more outrage than the other, that's on them.

Bull****. For a decade now you've done nothing but bash the GOP and applying that outrage across the board to anyone you think is a GOPer. You NEVER apply that standard to dem lunacy

[Mad Mike]

Pretty sure I've posted this before but THIS is my political position....

 

 

The Tao of good government

In 1967 a young Chinese immigrant revolutionized the world of martial arts and changed the world when he determined that the formal style of Gung Fu he had learned and taught was too rigid to adapt to the fluid dynamics of real world fighting.  The man’s name was  Bruce Lee, and he named the style he created “Jeet Kun Do” or “the way of the intercepting fist”.  It was a name he later came to regret because it implied a specific method to what he conceived as a “style of no style”.

 

Lee had correctly concluded that the fixed responses of traditional martial arts could not foresee all possible threats and could be easily countered once you knew how your opponent would react to any given situation. He concluded that the fluid and unpredictable nature of combat required and equally fluid  approach to fighting. Lee famously said: “All fixed set patterns are incapable of adaptability or pliability. The truth is outside of all fixed patterns.”

 

 

As applied to martial arts, fixed patterns can be seen as the use of a specific stance, block, punch or kick in response to a given action by an opponent. It’s important to understand that  the specific technique of existing martial arts were not “wrong”. They often worked quite well when used in response to known or expected techniques by an opponent. They were simply limited.  Lee’s solution was to adapt any technique from any style to his own. His only requirement was that the technique work. From boxing to Taekwondo. From Gung Fu to wrestling. Lee saw that each had it’s place in the real world chaos of combat. This may seem like common sense today, but at the time it was considered blasphemy by many practitioners of traditional martial arts.

 

So what does all of this have to do with good government? I’m sure many of you intuitively know. But for those who’s political leanings border on religious fever for their chosen political party, let me explain.

 

There is no more direct test of one’s own knowledge and ability than to face a skilled opponent in one on one combat.  If you have a weakness or flaw, your opponent *will* find it and use it against you. Often with painful results. Through combat, Lee proved that the open mind, willing to adapt to any method regardless of source will almost always win vs an inflexible system.

 

The point being that the art of governing a large, complex, modern society is far more complex than the direct nature of hand to hand combat. And if fixed responses to the challenge of relatively simple combat have been proven inferior to the fluid nature of a “style of no style”, what chance does any single rigid ideology have of meeting the myriad of challenges that a society faces?

 

Virtually all ideologies contain some useful knowledge which can and should be used to address societies problems when and where appropriate. With this understanding, strict adherence to any one ideology is in effect willful ignorance that encourages conflict over cooperation. Taking a lesson from Bruce Lee, what is needed is an ideology of no ideology.

 

It is long past time that we start treating politics as a science rather than a religion. We must adapt to each new challenge that society faces by matching the dynamic nature of each challenge with a dynamic and flexible approach to finding solutions. Or as Bruce Lee said:

 

“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless – like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”

Or as Adam Smith said....

 

“In a nation distracted by faction, there are, no doubt, always a few, though commonly but a very few, who preserve their judgment untainted by the general contagion. They seldom amount to more than, here and there, a solitary individual, without any influence, excluded, by his own candour, from the confidence of either party, and who, though he may be one of the wisest, is necessarily, upon that very account, one of the most insignificant men in the society.” 
― Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments