IP: re:: The rule of the mob

[Dave Farber <farber@cis.upenn.edu>]

>
>Date: Tue, 4 May 1999 14:39:45 -0400
>To: farber@cis.upenn.edu
>From: "Richard J. Solomon" <rsolomon@dsl.cis.upenn.edu>
>
>
>Perhaps our IP readers should reflect on what grounds U.S. governments have
>rights to regulate anything. The Internet is not like radio and television
>broadcasting which use scarce electromagnetic spectrum, nor does it use
>public rights of way directly. As content, it is very difficult to justify
>Net regulations under "public convenience and necessity" right-of-way
>precepts; & the First Amendment lays down some fundamental principles which
>the Courts take very seriously about government interference in
>communications per se -- currently being further defined via the CDA
>litigation. So, no matter what the polls say today, any regulation of
>content on the Net will move very slowly if at all. That's why we have a
>constitution in the first place. \
>
>Richard
>
>
>At 4:43 AM -0400 5/4/99, Dave Farber wrote:
> >>Date: Mon, 03 May 1999 23:20:32 -0400
> >>From: David Rosensweig <dlrosens@sas.upenn.edu>
> >>Organization: University of Pennsylvania
> >>X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.5 [en] (WinNT; U)
> >>X-Accept-Language: en
> >>To: farber@cis.upenn.edu
> >>Subject: regulating internet content
> >>
> >>here are some discouraging numbers:
> >>
> >>According to the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, 65  percent say the
> >>federal government should do more to regulate violence on the Internet;
> >>12 percent say the government should do less to regulate violence on the
> >>Internet and 17 percent say that the government is doing the right
> >>amount to regulate violence on the Internet.
> >>
> >>http://cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/05/03/media.poll/
> >>
> >>unfortunately, not enough people realize the following, from a recent IP
> >>email:
> >>
> >> >The point to remember is that basic constitutional principles do not
> >> >    arise and disappear as each new technology comes on the scene. We
> >> > have  come to this conclusion rather slowly.
> >>
> >>the following is quote is from a friend:
> >>
> >>" Otherwise, Government becomes based on the whims of the majority, the
> >>same
> >>way that the tv entertainment industry relies upon ratings to determine
> >>the
> >>course of the tv show.  Would you want a government based on ratings?"
> >>
> >>and lastly, an NPR story on a student being expelled from school for
> >>expressing his displeasure with people who've beat him up.  what kid
> >>wouldn't be displeased?
> >>  http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/atc/19990503.atc.04.ram
> >>
> >>david