[msfd]

It's alway sad when there is "libertarians" wanting to preserve nothing more than corporate rights over people's rights using skewed interpretation of the (US) constitution.

And yes, I'm using libertarians with quote because a real libertarian would have thought a bit more than just "The constitution is the supreme rule!!!" and more about every right involved and how to maximize everyone liberty.

[sp332]

It's obviously not right for the government to mandate that certain corporations must deliver certain messages. The only justification for this is that telecommunications companies are heavily regulated and are granted franchises which are effectively monopolies. So the libertarians should solve the monopoly problem, then the free speech problem. Fixing them in the wrong order is worse.

[beernutz]

I think the message is not that they have to deliver "certain" messages, just that they are not allowed to discriminate in the messages they deliver. Like the phone company is not allowed to listen to calls and decide to terminate a call if people are talking dirty to each other.

It is -and should be- an all or nothing kind of proposition I think.

[tptacek]

This comment suggests that you haven't looked too deeply into how a "real libertarian" reasons through problems like Internet regulation, since "maximization of everyone's liberty" is a utilitarian goal, not a libertarian goal.

[ericras]

"Maximizing everyone's liberty" is code for taking from some and giving to others to to achieve a "just" result. That's not how libertarians think, that's how modern progressives think. So you think a "real libertarian" should be in lock step with liberal progressives.

I don't want to protect corporate rights over peoples' rights. I want all rights protected in accordance with the non-aggression principle. I don't want you using the power of government to beat down your enemies.

[tptacek]

Hey! Don't impute pure utilitarianism to all liberal progressives! I just want good public schools and guaranteed issue health insurance. I don't need to see everyone's economic outcomes equalized!