Staff Reports
The Warped World of Fairness and Neutrality: The Biden FCC Strikes Again!
If the Devil can quote Scripture, the word “fairness” can be used as a trick to cloak unfairness. By the same token, the word “neutrality” can be used as a cover for bias and discrimination. It’s all about words and power, and by golly, the U.S. government is mighty good at manipulating both.
Pinkerton: If You Liked the Fairness Doctrine, You’ll Love Net Neutrality https://t.co/2I6gkuyTuG via @JamesPPinkerton
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) April 8, 2024
Let’s talk about the so-called “Fairness Doctrine.” Back in 1949, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rolled out this seemingly sweet-sounding rule. But surprise, surprise—it was actually pretty unfair. In practice, it cramped the style of conservative pundits, while letting liberal talk flow free. Yup, under this rule, a conservative editorial was a no-go, but liberal biased news? A-OK!
And there was a crafty scheme behind it all. Bill Ruder, a Commerce Department bigwig in JFK’s times, spilled the beans: “Our massive strategy was to use the Fairness Doctrine to challenge and harass right-wing broadcasters…” In other words, a sneaky ploy to quiet the conservatives. Sneaky, sneaky!
It’s no shocker that the right side of the political stage wasn’t too keen on the Fairness Doctrine. It took until 1987, under President Reagan’s watch, for it to finally get the boot.
And guess what happened when that ol’ rule got the boot? A conservative explosion hit the airwaves! The king of ‘em all? The one and only Rush Limbaugh. Yep, he ruled the airwaves all the way up until he left us in 2021.
But, oh boy, the lefties just couldn’t stand all the conservative chatter. They tried to drag back the Fairness Doctrine to silence folks like Limbaugh. If they had their way, his three hours of daily talk would’ve been matched with three hours of liberal blabber. And, worst of all, the FCC might’ve even meddled with his job. Can you imagine?
When the Obama gang pushed to bring back this Fairness Doctrine, Limbaugh, Hannity, and Gingrich all raised a ruckus! They saw right through that ploy, calling it an attack on the First Amendment and affirmative action for liberals. Can’t pull a fast one on these guys!
Now, fast forward to today. The lefties have been scheming up a whole new plan, cooked up specially for the digital age—the Net Neutrality. Officially, Net Neutrality is about how much the big shots can charge for internet traffic. But you can bet your bottom dollar, it’s a whole lot more than just that.
The Big Tech honchos want the FCC to get in on the action and enforce Net Neutrality. And what’s hidden in that sneaky deal? Yep, you guessed it—the old tools of the Fairness Doctrine, all set to take another whack at those pesky conservatives.
Former President Donald Trump was quick to call out the game. He saw right through it, branding it as another top-down power grab and likening it to the Fairness Doctrine. So, when he had the chance in 2017, he shredded Net Neutrality.
But just when you thought it was over, the Biden bunch has come to power and, you guessed it, they’re reviving Net Neutrality. Brendan Carr’s waving the red flag, warning us all about the government’s tightening grip on the internet.
Now, Rosenworcel, the head honcho at the FCC, is spinning a smooth talk about “fairness” and “national security.” If there’s one thing to learn, it’s that when they start yammering about “fairness,” it’s usually a one-sided deal.
And don’t even get started on the pandemic. Rosenworcel’s got this wild idea that the internet is essential for everyone’s success. But in reality, it seems more like a convenient way for them to clamp down on what they don’t like and push their own agenda.
This Net Neutrality plan is just another big move by the government, a sneaky way to grab more power and silence those pesky voices they don’t like. So, buckle up, ’cause the fight for free speech is far from over!
