Live data from Hacker News

America’s New Corporate Tyranny

tabletmag.com

11–20 of 21 posts

Re: America’s New Corporate Tyranny

#11

> Traditionally two kinds of private industries have been deemed to be “clothed in the public interest.” One consists of “common carriers,” the other “public accommodations.” A common carrier like a railroad cannot refuse service to passengers or cargo, with narrow exceptions. And a public accommodation like a hotel or a restaurant or a grocery store cannot reject paying customers, with narrow exceptions. Written in…

These are neither of these things, if anything they're publishers - like booksellers or newspapers; on the web anyone can be a publisher in minutes at almost zero cost. common carriers and public accommodations have to do with limited access in the physical world - none of those constrains apply to the digital one.

> on the web anyone can be a publisher in minutes at almost zero cost.

But in case of common carriers, everyone can also carry their stuff from one location to another.

Re: America’s New Corporate Tyranny

#12
"In the case of Munn v. Illinois in 1876, the Supreme Court upheld the right of government to regulate industries that affect the common good or public interest (in this case, private grain storage facilities that all local farmers depended upon). Drawing on centuries of British common law precedents that justified regulations of privately owned ferries, wharves, and the like, the majority of the court declared that "when private property is devoted to a public use, it is subject to public regulation.""

Is the "private property devoted to public use" a million-page website comprised of 100% UGC.

Is it the telco infrastructure that provides the backbone of the internet.

Do we the public really need the help of middlemen or do we only need the backbone infrastructure.

Although 100% UGC, some consider the million-page websites "private".

Well, now we have politicians and other characters, who are using these million-page private website middlemen as agents in their efforts to persuade voters to vote them in, re-elect them, raid a capitol, and so on.

The middlemen are now caught in the middle of a political dogfight. Perhaps that is the price of being a middleman.

Re: America’s New Corporate Tyranny

#13
Sounds like real honest to goodness capitalism to me. If there is demand for such services, surely there is a market to be made. Regulating the social media industry will warp the market with perverse incentives. If anything the government needs to meddle less.

Re: America’s New Corporate Tyranny

#14

Sounds like real honest to goodness capitalism to me. If there is demand for such services, surely there is a market to be made. Regulating the social media industry will warp the market with perverse incentives. If anything the government needs to meddle less.

What if there's no demand for such services, but their introduction would make the world a better place?

Re: America’s New Corporate Tyranny

#15
post #6

IMO tech overplayed their hand. If there's one thing lawmakers don't like, it is being shown their power is limited. This time it was the right, but the left knows it can happen to them next. I feel congress has realized tech has too much power now. The ball has started rolling. Expect heavy anti-trust enforcement, regulations and forced interoperability to erode their power.

I am 100% certain that we would have had another rebellion, with guns this time, if a certain megaphone was not removed and certain networks not disrupted. (yeah, they can reorg but it takes time)

I am not happy with this but what's the alternative? A personal censor?

OK: "Dear supporters of mine. We love you! On January xxth something horrible will be done to our country, our country is being taken away from us. Let's show them that USA still has patriots ready to defend it. Let's march! Please do not brings your guns with, no violence but let's gather in Was DC on to show them the real America. Once again, no guns, bulletproof vests or extra rounds of ammo. We are not violent. Protesting is our legal right, use it. March! See you on January xxth, Washington DC!"

what would you do with message in today's climate?

Re: America’s New Corporate Tyranny

#16

With Facebook and Twitter USA could have ruled the world. But the magic power was spent on internal showdowns. Good. Very good. Well done, folks.

Of course they couldn't have "ruled the world" with those two, just take a look at China, Russia, Iran and Pakistan for some examples of countries which do not allow these two to "rule them".

Re: America’s New Corporate Tyranny

#17
post #6

IMO tech overplayed their hand. If there's one thing lawmakers don't like, it is being shown their power is limited. This time it was the right, but the left knows it can happen to them next. I feel congress has realized tech has too much power now. The ball has started rolling. Expect heavy anti-trust enforcement, regulations and forced interoperability to erode their power.

I am 100% certain that we would have had another rebellion, with guns this time, if a certain megaphone was not removed and certain networks not disrupted. (yeah, they can reorg but it takes time) I am not happy with this but what's the alternative? A personal censor? OK: "Dear supporters of mine. We love you! On January xxth something horrible will be done to our country, our country is being taken away from us. Let…

You may (or may not, I've no interest in expressing an opinion on it) be right in that things could have been worse if the megaphone were not removed. However from the original article's viewpoint, if Section 230 weren't there then the situation may not have arisen in the first place as the months/years of build-up commentary, articles, posts, etc would have been regulated as they were published.

In other words (to apply the article's logic) if the 'censorship' is applied beforehand by standard journalistic practices (lawyers, editors, etc) then the need for 'censorship' (and deplatforming) afterwards is notably diminished.

Re: America’s New Corporate Tyranny

#18

In india, its well known the reliance and adani group pretty much run the country as its own. Everyone knows this but cant do anything because the "selected" leaders do everything in their power to keep their overlords' control. Like literally the entire India is in a recession, every Indian has lost savings and investments are down and employment is shot to shit but these two people have earned billions.

How was Jio service in J and K before 5 August?

oh. it was fine actually. both airtel and jio had 4G in the valley since 2016-17 https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/airtel-lau...

i would say a lot of penetration owing to cheap mobiles and almost free 4G/

Re: America’s New Corporate Tyranny

#19

In india, its well known the reliance and adani group pretty much run the country as its own. Everyone knows this but cant do anything because the "selected" leaders do everything in their power to keep their overlords' control. Like literally the entire India is in a recession, every Indian has lost savings and investments are down and employment is shot to shit but these two people have earned billions.

> investments are down

Where have you been investing? India's stock market is at all time highs and up almost 80% since the Covid-fueled crash in March. Gold - India's favourite investment vehicle - was also at all time high levels a few months back before going down a few notches.

Re: America’s New Corporate Tyranny

#20
post #19

In india, its well known the reliance and adani group pretty much run the country as its own. Everyone knows this but cant do anything because the "selected" leaders do everything in their power to keep their overlords' control. Like literally the entire India is in a recession, every Indian has lost savings and investments are down and employment is shot to shit but these two people have earned billions.

> investments are down Where have you been investing? India's stock market is at all time highs and up almost 80% since the Covid-fueled crash in March. Gold - India's favourite investment vehicle - was also at all time high levels a few months back before going down a few notches.

oh. not that kind. gold and real estate is what people keep their money in. but its not like you can can sell off a 1 cr property to pay off bills. stocks, eh not so much. financial illiteracy coupled with bad history of brokers chasing commissions leading to bad outcomes have systematically made people wary. its not like people altogether dont invest. they do but they rather buy a house than shares
Post reply on HN