AT&T, Verizon and pals eat own head in effort to kill off net neutrality Lobbying group USTelecom – AT&T, Verizon etc – has filed a petition against itself in an effort to prevent new net neutrality rules from taking effect. Demonstrating that when it comes to net neutrality, the telco industry loves nothing more than some self-serving hypocrisy, the group wrote in its petition [PDF]: "Unlike all …
What is going on here??
In order to get the gubmint to do what I want, I ask them to do the exact opposite.
Those fuckers must have recently read some George Orwell.
IIRC - "double plus ungood???" (Shit it was so LONG ago I forgot the exact quote!)
@Fatman
Well, it's not really that tortured because what "[they] want" is to halt the introduction of these laws - at least pending resolution of legal challenges. And, as their pockets are so very, very deep, those challenges could go on for quite some time.
So, even though this argument is nearly the polar opposite of their last one, that is (seemingly) irrelevant as the only purpose behind making it is to get these laws held up by any means possible.
So, even though this argument is nearly the polar opposite of their last one, that is (seemingly) irrelevant as the only purpose behind making it is to get these laws held up by any means possible.
Yes. In fact, it's a perfectly reasonable (if amusing) legal and rhetorical gambit. In one petition (and suit), they argue the rules go too far; in another, they argue they don't go far enough. Either could be grounds for a stay, so might as well advance both arguments and see if either carries the day.
Probably neither will, but if you're part of the USTelecom legal team, you need to be doing something billable while the Federal wheels grind...
And of the legal and political systems are worth anything somewhere a judge should we heating up a vat of cat vomit to drown AT&T's entire board and C level staff in.
Citizens United did not validate their position, it highlighted exactly how wrong it is. You cannot bribe your way to being able to bribe and expect it to be viewed as right. You may have temporarily purchased the right not to be prosecuted for it, but it is still wrong. All this lobbying crap and trying to make the situation worse so you can claim it should never have been happened is utter, contemptible shyte. Any sane judge would at best ensure their more stringent rules would apply and apply only to them. Then throw them in jail for wasting the courts time. Companies should have the opportunity to put forward their concerns, but this should be in public, without financial finagling and campaign contributions and without the use of third parties.
Just because they don't like it does not mean they should be able to buy their way out of it. There are many laws and government programs I don't like but I accept as part of living in a vaguely democratic society. AT&T and friends need to accept that they have to bend to the will of the electorate, assuming it doesn't contravene a higher law. They should also consider the idea that perhaps if they had behaved less like absolute Berkshire hunts in the past they would not have attracted such attention.
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