I had really thought that the left was smarter than this. But apparently not.
We’re seeing a convergence of indicators that some sort of backdoor attack on political speech is in the works. Call it the ‘Fairness Doctrine’ if you like, but it’s apparently broader than just radio. Apparently it’s aimed at electron scribblers like me, too. That’s right, the Internet.
Let’s do a little astronomy and see how the stars are aligning.
First, we have David Axelrod on Fox News Sunday. Dr. Axelrod is, of course, Hope ‘n Change’s chief propagandist. Chris Wallace asked Dr. Axelrod whether there was a plan to re-institute the Fairness Doctrine. And Dr. Axelrod didn’t deny it. He just punted over to the FCC. And, as we shall see, the FCC is hard at work.
Michael Calderone of The Politico has been all over this - and Fox News. The rest of the prestige media? I hear the crickets chirping.
Next, there’s Drake Bennett’s rather direct piece about Internet censorship in the Sunday Boston Globe entitled ‘Time for a Muzzle’. And there’s no question mark in the title, by the way.
While the article presents differing points of view, the overall tone is approving of the notion that Internet speech should regulated. It would all be done under the rubric of ‘privacy’ or ‘anti-harassment’ or some such. Read it for yourself – and enjoy the graphic of the snarling Dobermans.
Finally, there’s House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Beverly Hills). This slug is reportedly collaborating with FCC staffers to backdoor and reimpose speech controls on radio and expand it to the Internet for good measure. From The Prowler column in the American Spectator:
Senior FCC staff working for acting Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps held meetings last week with policy and legislative advisers to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman to discuss ways the committee can create openings for the FCC to put in place a form of the “Fairness Doctrine” without actually calling it such.
Waxman is also interested, say sources, in looking at how the Internet is being used for content and free speech purposes. “It’s all about diversity in media,” says a House Energy staffer, familiar with the meetings. “Does one radio station or one station group control four of the five most powerful outlets in one community? Do four stations in one region carry Rush Limbaugh, and nothing else during the same time slot? Does one heavily trafficked Internet site present one side of an issue and not link to sites that present alternative views? These are some of the questions the chairman is thinking about right now, and we are going to have an FCC that will finally have the people in place to answer them.”
Copps will remain acting chairman of the FCC until President Obama’s nominee, Julius Genachowski, is confirmed, and Copps has been told by the White House not create “problems” for the incoming chairman by committing to issues or policy development before the Obama pick arrives.
And don’t think for a minute that Internet radio will be exempt. Fat chance.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee is also looking at how it can put in place policies that would allow it greater oversight of the Internet. “Internet radio is becoming a big deal, and we’re seeing that some web sites are able to control traffic and information, while other sites that may be of interest or use to citizens get limited traffic because of the way the people search and look for information,” says on committee staffer. “We’re at very early stages on this, but the chairman has made it clear that oversight of the Internet is one of his top priorities.”
“This isn’t just about Limbaugh or a local radio host most of us haven’t heard about,” says Democrat committee member. “The FCC and state and local governments also have oversight over the Internet lines and the cable and telecom companies that operate them. We want to get alternative views on radio and TV, but we also want to makes sure those alternative views are read, heard and seen online, which is becoming increasingly video and audio driven. Thanks to the stimulus package, we’ve established that broadband networks — the Internet — are critical, national infrastructure. We think that gives us an opening to look at what runs over that critical infrastructure.“
So, the stimulus package contained an imposition of regulatory authority over the Internet.
And here’s the buzzphrase to remember:
‘Critical national infrastructure.’
And that’s what the regulators will hang their hats on.
Related posts:
Twitter
Facebook
RSS
LinkedIn