Three Things: Not-So-Neutral, Day 2 and Reading
This house was occupied by outside forces this long holiday weekend, obstructing output. Hope your weekend was similarly occupied by loved ones. Here’s three things for today.
It’s Day 2, Donald
At least 150 Tax March rallies across the country on Saturday reflected the public’s opinion about Trump’s tax returns — he must disclose them. Predictable locations participated, like New York City, but when red state cities and towns like Florida’s West Palm Beach have marches it’s an indicator.
Where are your tax returns, Trump? And don’t give us the “under audit” excuse yet again like you did through Spicer this afternoon. All previous presidents have been automatically audited while in office and still disclosed their returns. Nor are we going to buy your administration’s trash talk about the Tax Marches; we know what’s up with organized white supremacist provokatsiya.
Net-not-so-Neutral
The big guys in technology — Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, Twitter, more — are slowly stirring from their post-inauguration torpor on net neutrality and the threat to their businesses non-neutrality poses. Their industry group, the Internet Association, expressed their concerns last week to the Federal Communications Commission about the FCC Chair Ajit Pai’s intent to kill net neutrality regulations established under the Obama administration.
Kind of slow on the uptake, dudes. Could have seen this coming based on Pai’s anti-neutrality stance when he served as an FCC commissioner. Also could have easily predicted Pai’s position based on the current administration’s drive against regulations.
And Pai’s move to reduce FCC oversight of the internet by shifting it to the Federal Trade Commission is a blowjob gift for the telcos — in spite of the fact more communications travel over the internet, a move to the FTC reduces exposure of communications to existing communications regulations. This does not serve the public’s interest.
There’s an alternate tack members of the Internet Association could take, if a little pricey and radical: they could simply buy the telcos. Google could acquire AT&T which has been a major PITA obstructing competition from Google Fiber. Apple could just buy Verizon for iPhone service and Facebook could snap up CenturyLink. The Internet Association could take on a role as mediator addressing traffic issues between them.
And then let’s see what happens to reducing regulation and net neutrality. Of course this creates an entirely new set of challenges with regard to privacy, but I’d rather move toward regulations to address them under FCC. (And I’d really rather digital morons like Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) had nothing to do with the intersection of privacy and technology when he clearly doesn’t grasp the internet is telecommunications deserving the same privacy as landlines.)
Speaking of acquisitions, there’s speculation Apple could buy Disney which includes ABC and other content subsidiaries like ESPN. Looks like wishful thinking right now on part of analysts, but if FCC’s Pai continues shredding net neutrality, it makes more sense for Apple (and other internet companies) to snap up companies which make content, cutting out carriers or forcing them to pay for Apple’s content.
Longreads
Here’s a few things worth your time during a commute or lunch hour this week:
A look at the end of Gaullism as France approaches its election.
Essay: Friendship as a Civic Democratic Practice — that’s little d democratic here; Ivy Schweitzer asks if we can’t look to our friendships to fix our national political schism. (Me? On a limited basis; I can’t be friends with Nazis.)
Marc Ambinder on U.S. government continuity — worth a read, but I’ve long had a nasty feeling continuity plans were changed because of 9/11 and they’re in a classified executive order if I’m right.
Interesting look at impact of open-source citizen investigations on Russian disinformation — focal point of this analysis is the doomed 2014 Malaysian Air flight MH17.
Those should keep you busy. Day 1 ahead — last day to file income taxes without penalty or file for an extension. Time, tide, and taxes wait for no man, Trump.
“(Me? On a limited basis; I can’t be friends with Nazis.)” I can’t either. We agree on some things. OTOH I can’t be friends with corrupt, neolib, elite, neocon, warmongers.
Funny how many of the hysterical Dems shut up about TRUMPRUSSIA when he started bombing people. Seems they liked liked it when he adopted Hillary’s ways. “We came, we saw, they died – cackle”
lefty665, you have said you would skip my posts and not comment in my posts’ threads. If you leave another comment in this thread it will be removed.
Comment text removed. (NB: I wasn’t kidding, lefty665. You are persona non grata in my threads. This site has been very lenient but its contributors don’t have to put up with ad hominem attacks and other forms of harassment. / Rayne)
lefty665,
I only recall one Rayne thread you’ve avoided. Please link to all the others.
In terms of getting into “the spirit of Emptywheel” how much did you donate in 2016?
“Are you really such a chicken shit?”
Haven’t seen you around here much lately.
Any chance that interval coincided with Steve Bannon’s decline in influence? Has Breitbart needed your help elsewhere?
Please ignore him, John.
How are you, by the way? :-)
Doing well, thanks for asking. Hope it’s the same with you.
Not bad here, just busy with project work this past month. Just when I get done with a project, another pops up — and invariably, something nags at me at the same time to write here. Like this next week is the anniversary of cut-over to Flint River water — I should write about that, huh?