The Interstate Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution basically says that any commerce occurring between states falls under the umbrella of the federal government. This is an important point for a nation which takes states' rights so seriously. Keep in mind, too, the time period in which the Constitution was drafted and the level of interstate commerce at that point.
What can the feds do with the ICC?
Fast forward to the present day. The ICC is how the federal government can prohibit guns within so many feet of a school. Why? Because no gun is made entirely within one state and sold entirely within one state. Hence, the feds can control legislation relating to guns. The ICC is also how many cases are removed from state court to federal court when it is more favorable to the defendant who was sued in state court. What company uses paper made entirely in one state and sold entirely in the same state? Or software? Or office equipment? You get the picture.
The age of the Internet.
I'm a stay-at-home mom to 2 small kids. I can't afford to pay for daycare on top of tuition. So I can only pursue my techie dreams if I can take classes online. Wake Tech is ultra cheap, CodeAcademy introduced me to HTML/CSS/JS and MOOC gave me Python. The point is that we have access to more knowledge (and I don't mean the kind Perez Hilton brings us) than ever before. Access to knowledge = power. Constricting access = power for someone else.
Replace "We the People" with "Comcast/Time Warner Cable"...
...if these giant corporations can control internet speed based on who pays the ransom, then we are not a democracy. And I hope you don't think for one second their lobbyists aren't well paid to attempt to take control of Congress. So if the corporations tell us what we can read and what we can watch and what we can listen to because they have the money to bend Congress' ear...then "adijo" democracy.
It looks like we've won part of the battle, but they'll be back for more.
Keep the faith, Republic Wireless.
So when a company like RW starts to make a dent in a market and make technology affordable for everyone, it's a big deal. Everyone says the desktop is dying. (Personally, I need a bigger screen for regular reading.) If that's true, outrageous phone bills for smart phones means a lot of people are priced out of accessing information.
This is not a thorough legal analysis, but it is something I believe in strongly. I'm all for making a profit and people who work hard and do a good job should be aptly rewarded. But individuals should not be controlled by corporations. They don't own the internet. They don't own information.
How we practice democracy will change with technology. Companies like RW can push us in that direction while simultaneously pushing back against the corporate giants that want to diminish democracy.
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