Socialism is taking over rural America and it's completely illegal

[Hayabusa Rider]

So the government is evil if they use our tax money prudently?

If I am sending money to the govt, and they act to benefit the community so be it.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: DanceMan
Okay, who would object to this?

The Utah plan calls for UTOPIA to serve nearly 250,000 households and 34,500 businesses with access speeds of 100 megabits per second, at a monthly cost of $28 per subscriber.

I'm kinda torn about this myself. On the one hand, I work for one of those 'incumbent' telcos, and don't like the idea of my tax dollars going to subsidize a competitor to my employer.

But, *damn*, 100 megabits for $28? Who wouldn't want that?

The government helped build the interstate highway system, which revolutionized travel and commerce. I'm wondering if this is any different? I hear day in and day out that we are falling behind such countries as South Korea in terms of Broadband infrastructure. Maybe the government getting into the business is a case where public benefit trumps public policy.

Very good analogy sir.

The Phone Co's have held us hostage to a 2 lane dirt road at Interstate prices. That is why the U.S. has dropped to number 11 in High Speed deployment in the world and falling faster everyday. It's all good though, the AT experts are proud of that.

 

[kylebisme]

Originally posted by: Chadder007
Exactly....what if the government wanted to step in to take over say Car Sales somewhere. To protect its citizens from being "ripped off" from the salesmen and also on financing. ???? It would be all to protect the consumers right??
Totally Socialistic.

not socialistic at all, it would be Socialistic if they took over the industry entirely. as long as the private sector is still competing, all the government is doing in such a situation is enforcing the virtues of capitalism in an attempt to avoid fascism.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: WinstonSmith
So the government is evil if they use our tax money prudently?

If I am sending money to the govt, and they act to benefit the community so be it.

Throwing money at problems does not help when they are fundamentally flawed to begin with. Bring on privatization and competition

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: WinstonSmith
So the government is evil if they use our tax money prudently?

If I am sending money to the govt, and they act to benefit the community so be it.

Throwing money at problems does not help when they are fundamentally flawed to begin with. Bring on privatization and competition

Bring on poorer service and higher prices?

No thanks. I am talking about this specific case, show me what private corporation is offering these rates.

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: WinstonSmith

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: WinstonSmith
So the government is evil if they use our tax money prudently?

If I am sending money to the govt, and they act to benefit the community so be it.

Throwing money at problems does not help when they are fundamentally flawed to begin with. Bring on privatization and competition

Bring on poorer service and higher prices?

No thanks. I am talking about this specific case, show me what private corporation is offering these rates.

Since when did privitization bring about poorer services and higher prices? Are you nuts?

Let's not forget that the people of Russia first celebrated when the Boshleviks took over.

 

[zephyrprime]

Since when did privitization bring about poorer services and higher prices?

California power crisis?

If you want competition, ask the government to de-regulate this sector of the communications industry.

Wasn't telecom derulated back in 1996? And read your own article, the telecos in it are lobbying government regulatory bodies to regulate away their new competitors!

many have been lobbying state governments and local regulatory bodies to limit the scope of the networks.

 

[Drphibes]

Energy is great at this let the power infastructure decay to an abysmal state, because they say that the gas company that they own is charging to much for fule to power the generation units. Then say that they cant make a profit so they need to raise the price of service so they can cook the books for next quarter. Anyone wonderd why the power goes out when you get a wind gust higher than 30 miles an hour. They havent cleared the power line right aways for 10 years and most of the power polls look like there about to fall over. Walk into the generation units heat exchanger and the thing is held together by shoestrings and corrosion.

 

[naddicott]

The interstate system was a socialistic exercise competing unfairly with the owners and operators of toll roads. My heart goes out to the toll road owners and their families. Now I can't be offered free-market roads over most of the United States. Oh the outrage.

America would be in much better shape if so many of us didn't still think of socialism as an inherently bad thing in any circumstance. For basic infrastructure and shared community needs, the socialistic approach works just fine. The merits of modern socialism (or lack of merits) is a topic that has been beaten to death in here a few times already, as are most of the other debating points in P&N these days.

Thanks for the interesting read in the OP - as for the AT slant (with forum personalities on both sides of the spectrum repeating the same arguments over and over), it has become too predictable to bother reading.

As for me, if something like this really turns out to be the downfall of capitalism, I'll be happy to dance on its grave. Somehow I doubt the prognosis for capitalism in Amercia is that grim.

 

[Cerb]

If they profit by it off the excess bandwidth, then I'm with the Bell, and it should be private, or at least quasi-private like many utilities. BTW, I do consider the Post Office and many police departments quasi-private.
Otherwise...you should have haggled more, Bellsouth.