Would you accept increased taxes to give broadband to every citizen?
Summary: Should governments mandate access to broadband? Should every citizen, as an inalienable right, have access to Hulu, Skype, and an unlimited supply of YouTube?
Just how important is broadband to society? How valuable is to to the running of modern civilization that every citizen have the chance to watch Jizz in My Pants (85.5 million views) at least once?
Will the world be a better place if every citizen could watch little Charlie bite little Harry's finger (205.8 million views) at least one more time? Will we get world piece if every person could just watch the horrid Shakira Parody (33 million views) in the privacy of their own home?
Should governments mandate access to broadband? Should every citizen, as an inalienable right, have access to Hulu, Skype, and an unlimited supply of Jizz in Their Pants?
This is not a question the United States is yet willing to answer.
To one country, though, broadband is that important. To Finland, broadband is as important to civilization as the right to vote.
According to the BBC, as of July 1, every Finnish citizen will have a "legal right" to a 1Mbps broadband feed -- whether they can afford it or not. If a Fin can't afford to pay for the broadband, the government will apparently provide it for free.
This opens up a lot more questions: does every Finnish citizen get a free computer? Or a free iPad? Or some other device for accessing the Internet?
What happens if Finnish citizens go beyond the relative safety of YouTube and watch videos that might cause, you know, messy pants -- and even more messy computers? Is the Finnish government guaranteeing a geek to fix every computer?
Will there soon be mandatory geek service in Finland like there's mandatory military service in Israel?
What about file-sharing pirates? If you download too much music or yet another copy of Avatar (how could you possibly want to see that bore-fest again?), will Finland cut you off?
No, as it turns out. If you pirate music or movies, according to Finland's communication minister Suvi Linden. "We will have a policy where operators will send letters to illegal file-sharers but we are not planning on cutting off access," she said.
For pirates, that's bound to lead to (so sorry!) Jizz in Their Pants.
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Talkback
Taxes
Repeal the tax load
[i]I already pay enough taxes for someone else's benifit. [/i]
All that need be said in a single sentence.
RE: Would you accept increased taxes to give broadband to every citizen?
I have to add that we do not want or need the government messing up the internet (forget "someone elses benefit," they can only screw it up for all of us). Seriously.
RE: Would you accept increased taxes to give broadband to every citizen?
Did anyone read the BBC article?
They have to provide the line. Nowhere in the article does it say it is free to use, it is like the water line. If you want water you pay to have it, but they have to put it there in case you want to hook up.
RE: Would you accept increased taxes to give broadband to every citizen?
enough said. no knew taxes for freeloaders benefits. if they want it let them earn it.
RE: Would you accept increased taxes to give broadband to every citizen?
Open Broadband saves tax.
With the connection free it would save the public millions. Public school students would not need published text saving millions. Access to community discussion, government information, Library?s etc. would all save tax money. Some features and programs such as movies and recreational programs could still be on a fee basis however they would be assessable to all, increasing their use
RE: Would you accept increased taxes to give broadband to every citizen?
Open Broadband saves tax.
With the connection free it would save the public millions. Public school students would not need published text saving millions. Access to community discussion, government information, Library?s etc. would all save tax money. Some features and programs such as movies and recreational programs could still be on a fee basis however they would be assessable to all, increasing their use
You are all talking about free internet and the artical is about....
Enough with the taxes already!
However, it is our duty as citizens to hold them to account. And if they won't listen to us during the year, then we have to "speak" to them again at the polls.
RE: Would you accept increased taxes to give broadband to every citizen?
The problem with trying to "speak" to them at the poles is that there are too many other people who go for this kind of crap. There is no real way to make a stand now and be heard by saying "no."
It goes to what Johnny Vegas said, and we would be imprisoned or fined up the wazoo for not paying our dumb taxes we have right now anyway.
It's just cryin shame to what we have come to now.
RE: Would you accept increased taxes to give broadband to every citizen?
Welcome to the material world everybody.
RE: Would you accept increased taxes to give broadband to every citizen?
You're living in an angry little fantasy world where white people are on the verge of distinction.
Chill out and stop fearing the future.
Do something for somebody other than yourself.
You'll see how good you'll feel.
RE: Would you accept increased taxes to give broadband to every citizen?
This little argument is the basis of progressive taxation...which in effect redistributes wealth... It is the basis of our economic policies here in the US that made us the richest country in the world following WW2. It creates a large middle class and promotes stability.
In 1980, we shifted our focus away from this... Reagan intervened and created a new cycle of short term bubbles which maximized the rich at the expense of the middle class.... it was reversed marginally in the middle 90s...and then dragged in an even more dramatic way by GW Bush's complete disregard for the long term economic impact giving the wealthy a huge tax gift... the raise in spending at the same time put a larger tax burden on us as a percentage...making us even less wealthy... Thus redistributing the wealth in the favor of the wealthy...creating a regressive redistribution of wealth. Or as I like to call it... being shafted.
RE: Would you accept increased taxes to give broadband to every citizen?
Progressives = fiscal terrorists
RE: Would you accept increased taxes to give broadband to every citizen?
RE: Would you accept increased taxes to give broadband to every citizen?
I didn't know G W Bush was a progressive. Had a budget surplus until he took office and he pissed it away.
@Au1: You don't understand
Government spending is only bad when Democrats do it. That's when it becomes "stealing" and a "threat to the nation."
Rick
RE: Would you accept increased taxes to give broadband to every citizen?