roundtable: Re: Congress Brokers Censorship Deal

roundtable: Re: Congress Brokers Censorship Deal

Re: Congress Brokers Censorship Deal

Jeff Michka (wcis@eskimo.com)
Mon, 4 Dec 1995 20:03:06 -0800 (PST) 

Date: Mon, 4 Dec 1995 20:03:06 -0800 (PST)
From: Jeff Michka <wcis@eskimo.com>
To: Vadim Antonov <avg@sprint.net>
Subject: Re: Congress Brokers Censorship Deal
In-Reply-To: <199512042252.RAA10737@titan.sprintlink.net>
Message-Id: <Pine.SUN.3.91.951204194654.5305G-100000@eskimo.com>


On Mon, 4 Dec 1995, Vadim Antonov wrote:
> 
> On Sat, 2 Dec 1995, Karl Denninger, MCSNet wrote:
> 
> > If the ISPs out there had taken steps to remove (1) the bestiality and 
> > (2) the child pornography that is in the erotic pictures groups *every 
> > day* these folks wouldn't have had enough ammunition to pass legislation 
> > dealing with the rest.
[...]
> Let me tell you what -- the most censure in Soviet Union was done by
> writers and journalists themselves.  When everybody's afraid everything
> they publish avoids offending the holders of power -- just in case.
> BTW, accusing a person in the pornography (and "amoral behaviour" in
> general) was the best way to silence dissidents while keeping the pretense
> of being "democratic".  For you it may be wild tales, for me it is the
> personal experience.
> 
> The Net is ultimately dangerous to the political establishment as you can't
> buy its attention no matter how much bribe (er, political contribution)
> money you spend on it.  It does not put up with bullshit, and it represents
> the most politically active (and wealthy) part of population.  No wonder
> the knee-jerk reaction of the "servants of the people" is to get rid of the
> dangerous competition by the usual tactics -- smear it with dirt, create
> atmosphere of fear and uncertanity and finally make it into the insturument
> of perpetuating their power, the same way they did with TV and newsprint.

Thank you for a well-schooled (and hard-won) analysis of the general idea
behind these censorship laws appearing in tandem with so-called
telecommunication reform. 

With top level mergers of distributors and content providers, dressed
quite nicely in an "infosuperhighway" package, we can be just like the old
Soviet Union in one other way. 

The SU had hundreds of journals, magazines and newspapers and quite a few
radio and tv stations...one owner/publisher.  We will, of course, be
better:  A handful of newspapers, journals and magazines; hundreds of tv
and cable channels; lots of safe, clean Internet access and three or four
owner/publishers... 

Progress.  

- Jeff Michka
<wcis@eskimo.com>
[Standard disclaimer. IMO, etc.]

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