On Thu, 19 Aug 2010, J.A. Simmons V wrote: > When you sign a contract with your ISP, what do you expect in return? I > expect a "tube" to the internet. I do not want a content provider like > cable TV. I want a connection to what ever destination I want, like a > freeway. Some people would rather have a content provider, and that is > fine. Without regulations, both business models can exist through the > free market. Not necessarily. With a free market, you get what you get. There are no guarantees. For example, people used to say that a free market would solve the problem of racism because companies that refused to hire people just because they were black would not compete as effectively as companies that based hiring decisions on ability alone. It did not work that way. Companies avoided hiring high-ability black workers for a number of reasons (e.g., most of our customers are probably racists who won't want to work with a black sales rep). It was necessary for the government to force companies to eliminate racial bias in hiring. Government regulation was able to fix what a free market could not fix. Yes, the regulation was a restriction on freedom -- the freedom of companies to hire an all-white work force, or the freedom of white workers not to associate with black people -- but the same regulation enhanced the freedom and opportunity of the black workers. Mike