Forced investment is a nonproductive use of wealth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOhb8-PEE9s

That's the point. The "necessary regulations" to establish/enforce actual ISP network practices for net neutrality would take up only a few pages. That's not the part people have a problem with.

What comes before Congress is one of those abominations that wipe out whole forests to print out. Then it gets metric crap-tons of amendments and riders added to it that make it even more of a stinker. One is lucky if the part about actual net neutrality can even be found without a syllabus or table of contents...that is if that part didn't get (oops) dropped altogether.

If you use "those against $LEGISLATION are just anti-government nuts" as an argument for passing something, you aren't making a real argument. The necessary regulations aren't the problem, it's all the other unnecessary crap that is included that is the problem.

Strat

An alternative explanation may be required because the Taliban is claiming they did not do it.

That I find interesting because it's not like the Taliban has a problem with taking credit for stuff like this. If they say they did not do it we might want to explore alternate explanations.

Personally, I don't believe it was mass hysteria either. More than likely somebody not affiliated with the Taliban, or acting without orders from higher ups. Religious extremism is rampant in that country and the Taliban probably organizes only a fraction of it.

Not in several centuries. The Inquisition, maybe? The Crusades?

Congratulations. That makes moder day Muslims on par with 12th century Christians.

Yeah, that works real well for a topic that is important but has no particular urgency with a colleague who is busy doing something that is both important and urgent. Of course the fact that whatever you discuss is subject to the interpretation and memory of the people involved in the conversations means that it is really useful as well.
Having said that, there are definitely many exchanges of information that take place by email that should take place in person. On the other hand there are many exchanges of information that take place in person that should take place in writing.

I would argue that the regular people against "net neutrality" in the US know exactly why they're against it. Because all the legislation proposed so far that has been billed as "net neutrality" with hopeful-sounding titles has had very little to do with *actual* net neutrality (throttling, etc), but have been principally about government gaining more control over the internet.

We're still waiting for a *real* net neutrality bill to be introduced in the US Congress that does not also hand the government far more control & regulatory power over the internet (or at least one that hasn't been instantly killed by one or both sides because of that lack).

Strat

Nobody expects the repetitive meme!