Just a few things that probably need more attention paid to them:
- The FCC is about to roll back net neutrality. These rules were put in place under Obama to ensure that broadband providers - good-hearted and benevolent companies like Verizon, Comcast and AT&T - aren't able to decide which services, sites, apps or customers get what speed of service. So let's say Verizon decides that Netflix, a direct competitor their FIOS service, should only be available to their customers at a slower speed than everything else. Hmm. That seems fair, you say, it is a free market, competition is good, blah, blah blah. One problem: there are a huge number of people if that don't have a choice is their broadband provider. So if that consumer wants Netflix - or anything else that Verizon decides they can charge more for, at either end, the consumer gets screwed. The alternative is that Netflix pay more so Verizon will put them in the "fast lane", but then they raise their fees and the consumer still gets screwed. So why should Verizon get to decide whether I want to watch "Stranger Things"? Part of the conservative deregulation movement - you know, the making more money is more important than anything movement - this hurts everybody except the giant telecoms. Oh, and Ajit Pai (FCC Chairman and rat-fucker driving this travesty) defends it by saying the providers will police themselves and do what's right for the consumer. Uh huh. This despite the three aforementioned companies already having been prosecuted for doing the exact opposite multiple times. I did a lousy job explaining this, so go here and read what the amazing and brilliant Cory Doctorow (a founder of Electronic Frontier Foundation, among many other things) has to say.
- The only gun control legislation to come out of congress in years is actually anti-gun-control legislation. The gist is that people with concealed carry permits issued by their state of residence can now carry the guns allowed by those permits across state lines and be legal. Now while this is insane just on first glance, it is even more so with further investigation. As of now, 42 states have some kind of law on the books regarding concealed carry (the other eight, which amazingly include Vermont and Maine, are just loony) but as you can imagine they vary wildly. There are "shall issue" states, "may issue" and "no discretion" just to name a few. So what you end up with is someone who lives in a state with highly liberal (in a wildly ironic use of the word) carry laws - Texas say - can now carry said deadly weapon into a state with highly restrictive laws - let's go with New York since I live there. Um. Considering how easy it is to get such a permit (this is illuminating) and even easier to get the gun itself I know if I go to Texas I know what to expect - see Hell or High Water for an instructive illustration, not that I plan to rob any banks. But if this legislation passes that person - the one with fantasies of being "the good guy with a gun" and packing heat - can come to New York with said heat and stroll Times Square with his Glock under his arm. What could go wrong? The NRA and company have introduced this type of legislation six times, it never getting out of committee, but this time has made it to the floor and passed. Not for nothing, if you find this troubling - or in my case, batshit crazy - you probably shouldn't give too much thought to the fact that 30 states allow OPEN carry without any permit or license. The mind reels.
- The position of Census Bureau director is currently vacant. Yawn. Wake up! The 2020 is probably more important than any election between now and then, because it is after the census that voting districts are redrawn and the data collected used to redraw them. You know gerrymandering, right? That's the thing that allows Republicans to win more seats despite receiving fewer votes. Here is a fabulous explanation of this horrific practice. Democrats do it, too, but Republicans are waaay better at it. With full warning of something truly scary go check out Project REDMAP. Shudder. So back to the census and the lack of director. When 45 came to nominate for this position he continued his amazing trend of going for the least qualified and most political appointment possible with Thomas Brunell, a man who has said "competitive elections are bad for America" and who was a moving force behind, you guessed it, REDMAP. But, oops, the director position requires senate confirmation and not even this pack would put this asshat in charge. Ah, but the assistant director has no such restriction and, lo and behold, acts as director in the absence of a confirmed appointee. Guess who?
Think there might be some motivation for the census to go south, or have crap data, or not happen, or whatever might best serve the gerrymandering plans of the GOP? Nah, that would be underhanded. At least an official nominee, maybe a hearing, would cast a little light in this direction. Sunshine anyone?
Maybe we should pay less attention to Lord Dampnut's idiot behavior and more to what is actually going on. Just a thought.
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