roundtable: Re: H.R. 1555 Telecom deregulation "set for vote"

roundtable: Re: H.R. 1555 Telecom deregulation "set for vote"

Re: H.R. 1555 Telecom deregulation "set for vote"

Vigdor Schreibman - FINS (fins@access.digex.net)
Fri, 26 May 1995 05:46:50 -0400 (EDT) 

Date: Fri, 26 May 1995 05:46:50 -0400 (EDT)
From: Vigdor Schreibman - FINS <fins@access.digex.net>
To: roundtable@cni.org
Subject: Re: H.R. 1555 Telecom deregulation "set for vote"
In-Reply-To: <9505251332.AA17482@a.cni.org>
Message-Id: <Pine.SUN.3.91.950526042313.10205A-100000@access4.digex.net>


On Thu, 25 May 1995, W. Curtiss Priest wrote:
> 
> ....
> It is our judgment that the political system is incapable of dealing
> with the public interest until the pain or vacuousness of the new
> commercially constructed cyberspace is felt.
> 
> But by then industry and consumers will have spent billions of dollars
> constructing the industry driven values world of cyberspace.  This
> cyberspace embodies only the visions of profits.  And too many
> aspects of communication and relationships do not.


  Curtiss is surely correct in suggesting that our political system is 
not functioning well in dealing with the public interest in cyberspace, 
but I think it remains unjustified to say that the system is "incapable 
of dealing with the public interest."  The real problem is that the 
public has simply not been a part of this fight.  Members of Congress 
are compelled under the circumstances of dealing with the moving forces 
of power at hand, which in the absence of any compelling exercise of 
the power of the people, leaves corporate power virtually unopposed. 

  The public is accessible in this age even without the cooperation of 
the mass media, through libraries and universities who have a big stake 
in these matters, through public broadcasting and PEG channels, as well 
as by many other forms of broadcast and wire transmission.  Nevertheless, 
there is no coherent message for them to hear, and largely no message 
at all being sent their way through those available channels of 
communications that are likely to engage their attention and involvement.  

  The public interest community of voluntary organizations has been busy
playing their game of "the art of the possible," which is Washington's
favorite game.  However, this is a grossly inaccurate description of what
is really going on.  If this community were playing the art of what is
really possible the whole global people would have been fully engaged in
this fight long ago and the people's representative on Capitol Hill would
be adequately informed to do their job well quite well.  If used car
salesmen, the boat dealers, and the gun salesmen can tell their miserable
story adequately, so can we who claim to have the most important message
of all.  So let's at least describe the situation accurately, and bring
this failing public interest strategy to an end. 

  We don't need to wait for the affects of the emerging calamity to act. 
What we need is basic: a fully responsive, creative. and coherent 
message, and open lines of communications to the people.  Are we capable 
of achieving the goal?  I think that it is obvious we are, but not 
without some significant changes in behavior. 

  Give me fifty good men and women representing the broad knowledge and
perspective of the public interest community, with a modest expression of
courage, commitment, and enlightened good will at this time, and we will
turn the entire debate around.   What's my plan?  Its called the 
"Cyberspace Society" and our charter is available for the asking.


  Vigdor Schreibman
  <fins@access.digex.net>

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