It is believed that Edmund Burke coined the phrase “Those who do not know history are destined to repeat it.” As he was a very conservative Irishman and is often invoked by the contemporary conservative movement, it amazes me how little they abide by his insight.
Recently we saw the Federal Communications Commission finally take a position on net neutrality that should have been a foregone conclusion long ago. The Internet is certainly delivered by means of a common carrier, and it is quite evident that where one provider has strung cable or fiber, no others will attempt to duplicate because of the overwhelming initial cost.
This was played out in President Theodore Roosevelt’s time with the railroads and again with the advent of electric power and the telephone. This failure of the conservatives to remember this must have Mr. Burke rolling.
I actually believe that there is more to this than a lack of memory. Could it be they just want to keep their little cash cow, dare I say it, unregulated?
When we see that the United States is now 27th in Internet capabilities, we can conclude the industry is not too busy upgrading its systems. But our bills always seem to be rising to the point where we pay more for our Internet than the rest of the world.
When has regulation come to be a bad thing? Our country’s Constitution is a list of regulations, as are all the amendments and laws that have followed. If one is to believe these are all bad, does the conservative party wish chaos instead of what the late Gov. Mario Cuomo called community?
ROBERT JENNER
Scott
First Published: March 9, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
