Like I said at the very beginning of this fiasco, any attempt to repeal net
neutrality, what the vast majority of people want, will be met with huge
opposition. These threats are the extreme manifestation of very widespread
public furor - and frustration too.
And still, our stubborn FCC Chairman insists on demonstrating, to the entire
world, how the stereotypical banana republic corrupted government official
behaves. He truly has no shame. Not only dismissing what some 98.5% if THE
PEOPLE want, which is simply not to be tolerated, but also ignoring what his
own staff is telling him. Astonishing. His predecessor, Tom Wheeler, showed us
all how this job is supposed to be run. You don't dig in, stubborn/stupid, with
policies that your bosses detest. You listen, and you take the objections into
account. Protests against Tom Wheeler didn't even approach this level of anger
and frustration.
This is not a dictatorship. No one here feels obliged to revere public
officials, especially those who appear to be on the take. Instead of learning
that lesson, he has to confine himself to the lunatic fringe extremist press,
to air his views. As in that disjointed article a couple of days ago, which had
no clue which end was up. Attempting to compensate, for profound ignorance,
with an overabundance of pointless prose.
The only good news is that publishing the misguided order was the next step
necessary, before the courts can effectively censure this corrupted government
agency.
And then there's this ironic sentence:
"For both Pai and the whole of the FCC, the uptick in security concerns also
presents a serious challenge to their ability to discuss critical tech policy
issues in public view - without jeopardizing their safety or the wellbeing of
others in attendance."
"Discuss"? What "discuss"? This Chairman "proclaims," he doesn't discuss.
Everyone has figured that out, by now. I think it's fair to say, he has lost
the public's trust. He needs to step down.
Bert
------------------------------------------------
https://www.recode.net/2018/1/4/16850956/fcc-chairman-ajit-pai-ces-death-threats
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai canceled his appearance at CES because of death threats
The threats have intensified following an FCC vote to repeal net neutrality
rules.
By Tony Romm@TonyRomm Jan 4, 2018, 4:27pm EST
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai canceled his scheduled
appearance at a major upcoming tech industry trade show after receiving death
threats, two agency sources told Recode on Thursday.
It's the second known incident in which Pai's safety may have been at risk,
after a bomb threat abruptly forced the chairman to halt his controversial vote
to scrap the U.S. government's net neutrality rules in December 2017.
For both Pai and the whole of the FCC, the uptick in security concerns also
presents a serious challenge to their ability to discuss critical tech policy
issues in public view - without jeopardizing their safety or the wellbeing of
others in attendance.
In this case, the exact nature of the threat, made in advance of Pai's fireside
chat at the 2018 International CES, isn't clear. A spokesman for Pai at the FCC
only said Thursday: "We do not comment on security measures or concerns."
But sources at the agency said that federal law enforcement had intervened in
the matter, and other FCC offices are expected to be briefed on the matter. The
FBI did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
A spokeswoman for the Consumer Technology Association, which puts on the annual
Las Vegas-based trade show, also declined to comment. Earlier, though, CTA's
leader, Gary Shapiro, told the publication Digital Trends that he did not know
why Pai had canceled - but raised the fact that he had recently been "subject
to vicious and direct attacks and threats."
For months, Pai has been hounded by his critics, who view his vote to repeal
net neutrality rules as tantamount to destroying the internet. The FCC chairman
has lamented that he and his family have been mocked, attacked and threatened,
in public as well as on Twitter, where Pai himself is active.
Meanwhile, Pai has largely confined his interactions with media to conservative
outlets, including The Daily Caller. He drew immense backlash, however, because
the video that he filmed with the site included a woman who previously had
promoted the "pizzagate" conspiracy theory.
Nevertheless, the chairmanship of the FCC is an especially public role, and
threats to its leaders and commissioners aren't exactly new. In 2014, for
example, protesters descended on the home of then-Chairman Tom Wheeler, a
Democrat, and prevented him from leaving his driveway. Then, too, net
neutrality had been the issue at hand.
In the most recent debate, though, tensions have been especially high, driven
in no small part by broader frustrations among the public with the Trump
administration writ large. If the death threats continue, it is unclear how Pai
and his fellow commissioners will proceed.
For now, Democratic Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and Republican Commissioners
Michael O'Rielly and Brendan Carr each plan to attend CES. So will Maureen
Ohlhausen, the acting leader of their sister agency, the Federal Trade
Commission. Ohlhausen had been slated to appear alongside Pai at the annual
Vegas event.
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