Cheap High Speed Internet Is A Human Right

This story was too good to let pass for two reasons. The first is that my techno-geek oldest brother Jim brought it to my attention. Jim's a true renaissance man, and his passions range widely.

Second, the member of Congress involved, Eric Massa, is a friend of mine. We served in the Navy together and I had a nice talk with him at a breakfast on the Hill just a few months ago.

A couple of things to note. My friendship with him notwithstanding, Massa is just plain wrong here. This is populist grandstanding and it represents a ridiculous intrusion in free markets.

Here's how brother Jim put it in an email:

"Boo friggin hoo! I’d like to see the NY Yankees play baseball and sit behind the Yankees dugout. But the tickets are minimum $285 (and much more against say the Red Sox). Can Rep. Eric Massa sponsor a bill to get me cheap tickets in this section? Yea, I know I can pay $34 for bleacher tickets, but it is my God-given right to pay $34 for a behind the dugout ticket isn’t it?

I know the French High Court – the Constitutional Council – has ruled internet access is a fundamental human right. I guess we’re going down the same path?

ISPs will eat their young. There will always be an ISP in any given market who will swoop in to fill a void, a need when the big boys consume their young and price themselves out the picture. We need competition and let the market decide.

My $.02.