Arts + Labs advisor Andrew Keen talks about the ludicrous comparisons between the fight for Internet freedom and living under actual oppression, such as in China:
Free Press used -- or should I say, abused -- the speech to launch a ridiculous attack on American companies. Explicitly comparing American phone and cable corporations with repressive overseas regimes in Iran and China, Free Press Executive Director Josh Silver conflated the network neutrality debate in the U.S. to the struggle for human rights in the rest of the world.Read the complete article at The Hill
"Our moral authority as a world leader stems from our vibrant democracy, which is predicated on the openness of civic communication. Network Neutrality means no corporate censorship and no government censorship," Silver said yesterday, echoing the neo-Marxist critique of mainstream media by Free Press co-founder Robert McChesney. "How can we encourage freedom abroad when it has not been defended in our own communications infrastructure? Without badly needed U.S. government action to maintain freedom on the Internet, our great democracy is at risk."
No, this isn't an early April Fool's joke. Silver really did argue that "our great democracy" is at risk because some American cable and telecom companies -- as well as many writers, filmmakers, musicians and other creative artists -- want the option of additional services. Yes, Silver really did conflate the bloody repression of anti-government individuals in Iran and China with the possibility that American access providers could give consumers more choices."
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