The Lead of Congress

Just Following the Lead of Congress

By Roy D. Follendore III

March 15, 2002

Every once in a while, I will see a quote in the news that is worth reporting. In this case CBSNews.com is reporting on the Cable Broadband laws being managed by the Federal Communication Commission.

"We cannot be driven to pick the definition we prefer based on what you think the consequences are going to be," FCC Chairman Michael Powell said.

I was just about floored when read it.

When you think about this statement, you can see just how profound it is. Powell is commenting on the fact that our language is not intentionally designed. In other words, it does not matter what we say now because the consequences are tomorrow. That means that the language of the law does not take into consideration the future of citizens.

I don't know about anyone else but I think that Mr. Powell has made a statement for which he should be congratulated. As the Chairman of the FCC, he is apparently clearly stating the Bush administrations internal policies about the governing of technology and the Federal infrastructure. That means I suppose that the INS was also not driven to pick their definition of words in statutes when they recently authorized pilot training for two of the dead 711 terrorists.

The fact is that the Chairman of the FCC is a strange person if he actually believes the statement that he made. Where has he been the last twenty years? Does Mike just not understand the implications of Future Shock?

Of course we must pick our definitions of technology based on what we think the consequences are going to be. This is exactly the kind of thing that eventually causes huge technological blunders. Why should you call some technology an Internet backbone if it is not expected to be a backbone, unless you have no backbone? Why continue to call a cable system an information service, when it is becoming more of a high speed telecommunications service that includes information services? (Look at the bandwidth.)

The most truthful answer is probably just this simple. M O N E Y T A L K S and it is the only definition that counts. Now I really don't know which is the better way for the FCC to manage cable, as a telecommunication industry or as an information industry. But one thing is for certain, and that is that theleader of the FCC must be a pretty strange bird to have said such a thing the way that he said it. It almost makes one believe in the aliens on Third Rock.

Most people don't really care that much about definitions except in practice, and then they care. But who cares about the value of the technology to the citizen? Apparently not the FCC. These guys are too busy ignoring the consequences of the words they are using.

Powell also said his commission is "just following the lead of Congress." Michael Powell is also apparently an honest man in some respects. I am not sure if he will be able to stay in his current position with his combination of integrity and honesty. From his words he is just another buck passing bureaucrat because he certainly is not a decision maker interested in the future of the FCC. You can bet your bits that there are Congressmen and Congresswomen that do not appreciate his candor.

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