[ArsTechnica] Glenn Beck's war on the FCC

[durvasa]

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/n...m_campaign=rss

Glenn Beck is apparently arguing that Obama wants to use net neutrality to shut him down.

quote:

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Right-wing talker Glenn Beck took to his Fox News TV program last Monday night to deliver a rant about how President Obama has compiled something "almost like an enemy's list" and how Obama is into "silencing opponents." The president's tool of choice for this censorship? Network neutrality—the principle that ISPs cannot interfere with content.

"We are dealing with people who think they should rebel until they get their little kingdom like Satan did," said Beck. "You know what? Thanks, Mr. President, but I think we're going to keep the Internet the way it is right now. You know—or at least until people who are worshipping Satan, you know, aren't in office."

The mechanism by which net neutrality will silence Beck and those like him remains murky, but the matter is clearly of great concern.

"The FCC also says they are marching forward, marching with a boot on your throat to— announcing plans to make Internet companies a public utility," he said. "Net neutrality—the court shot that one down, but they are going to make it a public utility now."

Or again: "So now, the president wants to regulate the Internet, to help control all the misinformation out there. He is going to do it with net neutrality. Well, the court said no... So, now what they're doing is the FCC is just going to—they're going to make it a public utility. The Internet. Where are you, America, without the Internet?"

The entire segment was driven by a recent Obama speech to graduates in which the president described the challenges of "coming of age in a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kind of content and exposes us to all kind of arguments, some of which don't always rank that high on the truth meter."

(Beck interjected, "Oh no, let's ban that!" when replaying the clip.)

"With iPods and iPads and Xboxes and Playstations—none of which I know how to work—information becomes a distraction, a diversion," continued Obama.

Obama's particular remark here might sound noncontroversial, but Beck has always claimed to see the secret truth lying beneath the banal words—in this case, that Obama will use the FCC to shut him down.

It's not often that you hear about the inner workings of the FCC on cable news, especially coming from one of TV's most popular talkers. But Beck has mounted a one-man war on the FCC for the last 18 months, and he is determined to keep the "Marxists" from silencing him.

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[Bandwagoner]

These freaks (Hannity/Beck) seem very scared of the FCC for some reason.

[rimrocker]

Originally Posted by CaseyH These freaks (Hannity/Beck) seem very scared of the FCC for some reason.

The Paranoid Right is now just The Right. It's amazing to me how stuff Eisenhower thought nutty has wormed its way into the modern Republican world view. It's crazy.

[DonkeyMagic]

Originally Posted by CaseyH These freaks (Hannity/Beck) seem very scared of the FCC for some reason.

[Carl Herrera]

Originally Posted by CaseyH These freaks (Hannity/Beck) seem very scared of the FCC for some reason.

I guess the FCC is the Black Helicoptors of the 2010s.

[B-Bob]

Maybe Twisted Sister could become Glenn's house band.

[thadeus]

Uh ... net neutrality is a government plot to silence Glenn Beck?

Does anyone under 50 actually listen to this guy?

[da_juice]

Originally Posted by thadeus Uh ... net neutrality is a government plot to silence Glenn Beck? Does anyone under 50 actually listen to this guy?

One of my homies does. IIt's really annoying when he brings him up

[LScolaDominates]

Originally Posted by CaseyH These freaks (Hannity/Beck) seem very scared of the FCC for some reason.

Could it be that they work for a giant media conglomerate that has a massive interest in controlling internet content for profit?

[Bandwagoner]

Originally Posted by LScolaDominates Could it be that they work for a giant media conglomerate that has a massive interest in controlling internet content for profit?

No I think they are scared their small little world might crass and they will lose their income stream.

[LScolaDominates]

Originally Posted by CaseyH No I think they are scared their small little world might crass and they will lose their income stream.

Isn't that basically what I said? If media corp.'s can't control internet content, they will become increasingly irrelevant.

[peleincubus]

i dont understand what are these companies trying to control. are they taking websites off the internet, blocking sites, etc.????

[pippendagimp]

he's probably scurred now after talkin too much about the federal reserve

[Sooner423]

Originally Posted by peleincubus i dont understand what are these companies trying to control. are they taking websites off the internet, blocking sites, etc.????

From what I understand, they're taking away the ability to filter the internet from internet service providers.

[peleincubus]

Originally Posted by Sooner423 From what I understand, they're taking away the ability to filter the internet from internet service providers.

isnt that what a conservative is someone that wants less government control?

[MoonDogg]

[Cannonball]

Originally Posted by peleincubus isnt that what a conservative is someone that wants less government control?

The government preventing ISP's from filtering content is government taking more control. That's how conservatives see it.

[roslolian]

Originally Posted by Cannonball The government preventing ISP's from filtering content is government taking more control. That's how conservatives see it.

IMHO the glenn beck and ilk's issue is more with Obama than his policies. It seems to me they just can't stand seeing a black guy in office. I mean what could be more ridiculous than accusing liberals and democrats of being marxist and commies? That like the opposite ends of the ideological spectrum, and the only reason the teabaggers are eating it up is because they are willing to go for any excuse to protest against Obama.

Of course IMO Obama should get a lot of the blame as well. Considering how many seats they have in the senate and the ridiculous claims Republicans make day by day I think any self-respecting politician should have had them tapping out by now. Instead he keeps on conceding and conceding to everything and the Republicans play him like a fool, putting crazy **** on the bills then making him take the fall for it.

[Billy Bob]

Originally Posted by roslolian IMHO the glenn beck and ilk's issue is more with Obama than his policies. It seems to me they just can't stand seeing a black guy in office. I mean what could be more ridiculous than accusing liberals and democrats of being marxist and commies? That like the opposite ends of the ideological spectrum, and the only reason the teabaggers are eating it up is because they are willing to go for any excuse to protest against Obama.

IMHO, I don't think Glenn Beck gives a crap about politics. IMHO, he's more concerned about the 30 million dollars he gets every year by playing with other people's racial insecurities. He's already said he's just entertainment. I doubt he really believes half the things he says, which is fine, I'm not judging.

[Nolen]

The irony.

Net neutrality is exactly what would allow Beck and others not to be shut down- because it prevents shaping and blocking of traffic.