The public airwaves (think about this!)

[An Intellectual]

The airwaves are public because the corporations which use them didn't create them; no one (including them) has more of a right to use the airwaves than anyone else.

Every reasonable person agrees that our airwaves are public; because of this, we can all agree that the government has the right to regulate and ban hate when it comes to the public airwaves (with instruments like the Fairness Doctrine).

Now, what about land? Did corporations create land? Of course not! Why are so many of you afraid to apply the same logic to land? Why isn't land public? Why doesn't the government have the right to regulate whether or not theaters should be allowed to display racist/homophobic/neo-Nazi films?

[An Intellectual]

1. I wish someone would respond; I was accused of being a McCain supported for saying this in...

...another thread.

[Davis_X_Machina]

2. You have read a Constitution, right?

Why isn't land public?

Amendment 5: No person shall be...deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Arguments can be made against a private right to individual property in the ownership of land, but its ownership in common is a position that's never been given much credence in this country, however popular it may have been in Russia under the Tsars, or that monarch's successor regime.

[An Intellectual]

4. It could be argued that no land is private property.

Therefore, that amendment doesn't apply to anything. :)

[Forkboy]

3. .....

:popcorn:

[Jamastiene]

5. Well, it sure regulates the hell out of where and when

porn can be displayed. It doesn't allow the George Carlin words on television either. It already does filter what we see when it damn well pleases.

Is our right wing government, (and let's face it, both major parties are to the right, in truth), ever going to stop a racist/homophobic/neo-Nazi film from airing anywhere? No. They'll stop porn, cuss words, simple nudity, and anything else that they deem "indecent" instead. They'll never ban the display of racist/homophobic/neo-Nazi films though.

Let's face the facts here. Our government agrees with that shit. They refuse to even call domestic terrorists from that political ideology, "terrorists." We have a massive war on "terrorism" going on and they simply don't care about the homegrown variety. That speaks volumes.

You might as well be arguing with a brick wall as to go up against the FCC, because they are the all powerful controllers of what can and cannot be said. If what you say is something they do not want to hear, they'll either fine you an exorbitant amount for it or shut you up by shutting you out. Case closed...for now. Who knows who Obama will put in charge of the FCC? Best bet: wait and see, THEN say something if it even looks possible at that point. Right now, you might as well walk up to a cop and tell him to go ahead and taser you and spare your energy, if you are going to try to use a public/private land angle to negotiate with them. They'll call you a socialist and lock you in a padded room. That's just the reality of the world in which we currently live.

[An Intellectual]

6. I agree with pretty much everything you've just said.

Do you generally have to keep those views to yourself around here?

It seems whenever I make a progressive/leftist comment, the centrists come slithering out of nowhere to call me a "troll"; it would be comical if I didn't think they meant it.

Your point about our political parties is spot-on! The sad state of American politics has room for only two parties: the center-right Democrats and the far-right Republicans. I can't imagine it ever changing, either; the Democratic leadership knows they can take progressives for granted by being a few small steps to the left of the Republicans.