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Sep 30
2007

Tim O'Reilly

Tim O'Reilly

Penn and Teller on the FCC

Someone just put up on YouTube a great Penn and Teller riff about the FCC (looks like it might have actually been around for a while, given the reference to an FCC statement from 2004, but it's new to me), and why there's no need for them to regulate the internet, or even, any more, radio and television. The star of the piece, though, is the Thomas Jefferson quote graffitied in the background. I'm not a libertarian. I think that there is a role for government, but I also agree with Penn and Teller that we're way beyond that.

The piece is short and well worth watching. What do you think?

(Via Dave Farber's IP list)

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Comments: 11

  Thomas Lord [09.30.07 04:35 PM]

It doesn't speak to the public concern of the allocation of limited bandwidth (both over the air and wired). It oversimplifies.

-t

  Andrew Langmead [09.30.07 05:20 PM]

That clip was from their show Penn and Teller: Bullshit!. It was the final scene in their episode on Censorship Although it stands pretty well on its own, it should probably be viewed as a summary of the points they made during the episode, and its probably unfair to judge its contents on its own.

  Thomas Lord [09.30.07 05:56 PM]

Ah. Thanks, Andrew. I thought it was to be taken stand-alone.

-t

  Michael [09.30.07 07:32 PM]

If you want the government out of your liberty to choose the way you live your life then probably you are a bit libertarian. It's not the same as an Anarchist remember.

  Not Michael [09.30.07 08:22 PM]

I second Michael's comment. You can't say "I'm not a libertarian. I think there is a role for government..." Libertarians also believe that there is a role for government. That role is solely the protection of others from force and fraud. Of course, you can debate what qualifies as "force" and "fraud" for a while, but the point is that they are far from anarchists.

  Andrew Langmead [09.30.07 08:24 PM]

Thomas, If you ever see the whole episode, you may still think they oversimplify the issue. They seem to want to show the alternate point of view, but I wouldn't say the point is ever the most objective.

  Tim O'Reilly [09.30.07 10:23 PM]

Not Michael -- since I believe that the role for government is quite a bit larger than solely the protection of others from force or fraud, I think it's quite reasonable to say, "I am not a libertarian."

Just because I'd like to see a rollback from our bloated, far-overreaching government doesn't mean that I think its role is as limited as you define here.

  Bob Aman [10.01.07 05:33 PM]

Yeah, have to agree with Tim. I identify with many of the things Libertarians say, but I consider myself to be a moderate. The role of government should be smaller, but in addition to the roles that Libertarians traditionally advise, I think there are other realms the government needs to be involved in. Essentially anywhere there is a significant social need that the private sector (usually for reasons of profitability) can't or won't address. For example R&D. There are clearly areas of research that need to be done, but that will not ultimately lead to a marketable product, and which private companies have no motivation to pursue. Hence government research grants. I worry that Libertarians bang on the Free Market bible so often that they fail to see that the Free Market cannot solve all problems faced by humanity.

  Tarek [10.03.07 08:58 AM]

What types of "regulation" are Penn and Teller opposed to here? Is it regulating Carlin's 7 dirty words? Is it enforcing the long-dead equal-time standard for news broadcasts? What about the ability to implement meaningful net-neutrality standards?

I have to agree with the comments about oversimplification above. "Regulation" works great as a bogeyman until you realize that it's just a tool. The question is, in the absence of regulation, what are the alternatives? Leave everything to the private sector to work out? Well, I'm sure Clear Channel and the big telcos would be just fine with that.

  Ben [11.05.07 02:15 PM]

The only people I ever hear advocate the abolition of all the major monopolies in this country (the Federal Reserve system, The public School system, the FCC, etc.) are Libertarians.

  Anton [12.20.07 10:54 AM]

I don`t know why. but i cant watch it from your blog? only from YouTube

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