Depending on how geeky one wants to be about the history of technology, the Internet has been around for a LONG time, at least from a technology perspective. For the sake of discussion, let’s say the Internet, the World Wide Web or the Web, captured public awareness in 1994 when Netscape was founded. Given that, raise your hand if you’ve been perniciously, coercively and consistently blocked from getting to content on the web? How many of you are lacking in web content? How many of you are REALLY upset by the price you pay to send gigabytes of information around the world, across the sky, beneath the oceans and through outer space to colleagues and acquaintances in mere seconds? How many of you would complain to Marco Polo or Christopher Columbus when it comes to comparing the cost of getting a message back to headquarters?
Think about this…if an Internet Service Provider raises prices or blocks content, all that needs to happen is for a few % of subscribers to cancel service and tweet the crap out of the provider.
Consumers can go “in the trenches” and for a short while get access at work, their local Starbucks or via their iPhones. In many cases, some people can switch providers. No provider will attempt to fight consumers on this and kill their revenue and brand. It would be suicide, stupid and after being stupid it would be stupid.
The consumer is king when markets are free. As consumers, it’s far more difficult changing government regulations than it is to get corporations to respond. Try changing anything at the IRS. It takes over 60 million people to make that happen. It’s taken nearly 50 years for the emergence of guys like Elon Musk, who finally stopped relying on government to take us back to the Moon and beyond.
Corporations can behave badly, but most don’t. Anybody ever return a box of Corn Flakes? The fact remains, our great enterprises are much more accountable, controllable and responsive than government.
The great thing about this ruling is that its effects are easily measurable.
Let’s see what happens, and if something goes wrong, get in the trenches and fix it. Don’t go to Uncle Sam.
Michael Malgeri is the creator of the “Johnny Profit” series of children’s books, which teaches young people about Capitalism. He authored H.R.422, a Congressional Resolution that creates awareness of the superiority of Capitalism as an economic model. He’s also involved in projects that spread Capitalist ideas to the young people of Africa. Please visit his website at www.Kids4biz.com