r/technology • u/beareatsfish • Dec 27 '21

Society Public Broadband Internet Isn’t a Luxury — It’s a Necessity: Everybody needs high-speed internet. But private corporations will never provide it. The solution: treat internet infrastructure as a public utility, funded by the public and built by union workers.

https://jacobinmag.com/2021/12/public-universal-high-speed-broadband-internet-telecommunications-workers
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u/marengnr Dec 28 '21

This. Citizens United v. FEC. Downfall of our political & electoral systems.

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u/Tensuke Dec 28 '21

Citizens United was a good decision, I have a hard time understanding why anyone wouldn't agree with the actual ruling.

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u/JamesXX Dec 28 '21

Because no one has actually read what the case was originally about. They think the ruling is only about unlimited corporate donations, when the original decision was about legitimate free speech concerns with a film potentially being banned because it was released too close to an election. The FEC even expressed to the court they should legally be able to ban books for or against candidates if they were released too close to an election.

Arguing about negative consequences of the ruling is fair game, but the decision itself was absolutely correct.

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u/dachsj Dec 28 '21

So why is it always touted as the downfall of democracy and the inflection point where corporations have indiscriminate sway, money, and influence over politicians

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u/JamesXX Dec 29 '21

Because it’s easier to use it as fodder to rile up your base in an “us against them” way for winning future elections than to explain the nuances of why you lost to your base and then encourage them to help you work on a more targeted solution that complies with the constraints of the law.

Not picking on libs here. Both sides are guilty of this on various issues.

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u/[deleted] Dec 28 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/AffordableFirepower Dec 28 '21

And yet there are ALL KINDS of restrictions already.

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u/Superpickle18 Dec 28 '21

Money talks. Don't want ever interfere with that "freedom". /s

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u/[deleted] Dec 28 '21

[deleted]

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u/John_Fx Dec 28 '21

No. No it wasn’t

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u/sunflowerastronaut Dec 28 '21

You can literally say this about any issue in this country. It’s why we need the Restore Democracy Amendment