# Net "fairness doctrine" & Cass Sunstein



## SgtAndySipowicz (Mar 17, 2008)

U.S. regulatory czar nominee wants *Net 'Fairness Doctrine*'
*Cass Sunstein* sees Web as anti-democratic, proposed *24-hour delay on sending e-mail*
Posted: April 27, 2009
8:41 pm Eastern

© 2009 WorldNetDaily 








Cass Sunstein 
WASHINGTON - *Barack Obama's nominee for "regulatory czar" has advocated a "Fairness Doctrine" for the Internet that would require opposing opinions be linked and also has suggested angry e-mails should be prevented from being sent by technology that would require a 24-hour cooling off period. *
The revelations about *Cass Sunstein, Obama's friend from the University of Chicago Law School* and nominee to head the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, come in a new book by Brad O'Leary,  "Shut Up, America! The End of Free Speech." OIRA will oversee regulation throughout the U.S. government. 
Sunstein also has argued in his prolific literary works that the Internet is anti-democratic because of the way users can filter out information of their own choosing. 
*"A system of limitless individual choices, with respect to communications, is not necessarily in the interest of citizenship and self-government*," he wrote. "*Democratic efforts to reduce the resulting problems ought not be rejected in freedom's name*." 
http://shop.wnd.com/store/item.asp?DEPARTMENT_ID=6&SUBDEPARTMENT_ID=20&ITEM_ID=2750
Sunstein first proposed the notion of imposing *mandatory "electronic sidewalks*" for the Net. These "sidewalks" would display links to opposing viewpoints. Adam Thierer, senior fellow and director of the Center for Digital Media Freedom at the Progress and Freedom Center, has characterized the proposal as "*The Fairness Doctrine for the Internet.*" 
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"*Apparently in Sunstein's world, people have many rights, but one of them, it seems, is not the right to be left alone or seek out the opinions one desires*," Thierer wrote. 
Later, Sunstein rethought his proposal, explaining that it would be "too difficult to regulate [the Internet] in a way that would respond to those concerns." He also acknowledged that it was "almost certainly unconstitutional."

Perhaps Sunstein's most novel idea regarding the Internet was his proposal, in his book "Nudge," written with Richard Thaler, for a "Civility Check" for e-mails and other online communications. 
"The modern world suffers from insufficient civility," they wrote. "Every hour of every day, people send angry e-mails they soon regret, cursing people they barely know (or even worse, their friends and loved ones). A few of us have learned a simple rule: don't send an angry e-mail in the heat of the moment. File it, and wait a day before you send it. (In fact, the next day you may have calmed down so much that you forget even to look at it. So much the better.) But many people either haven't learned the rule or don't always follow it. Technology could easily help. In fact, we have no doubt that technologically savvy types could design a helpful program by next month." 
That's where the "Civility Check" comes in. 
"*We propose a Civility Check that can accurately tell whether the e-mail you're about to send is angry and caution you, 'warning: this appears to be an uncivil e-mail. do you really and truly want to send it?'*" they wrote. "(Software already exists to detect foul language. What we are proposing is more subtle, because it is easy to send a really awful e-mail message that does not contain any four-letter words.) A stronger version, which people could choose or which might be the default, would say, 'warning: this appears to be an uncivil e-mail. this will not be sent unless you ask to resend in 24 hours.' With the stronger version, you might be able to bypass the delay with some work (by inputting, say, your Social Security number and your grandfather's birth date, or maybe by solving some irritating math problem!)." 
Sunstein's nomination to the powerful new position will require Senate approval. He is almost certain to face other questions about his well-documented controversial views:


In a 2007 speech at Harvard *he called for banning hunting in the U.S*.
In his book "Radicals in Robes," *he wrote: "[A]lmost all gun control legislation is constitutionally fine. And if the Court is right, then fundamentalism does not justify the view that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to bear arms*."
In his 2004 book, "Animal Rights," he wrote: *"Animals should be permitted to bring suit, with human beings as their representatives* &#8230;"
In "Animal Rights: A Very Short Primer," *he wrote "[T]here should be extensive regulation of the use of animals in entertainment, in scientific experiments, and in agriculture."*
 "As one of America's leading constitutional scholars, Cass Sunstein has distinguished himself in a range of fields, including administrative law and policy, environmental law, and behavioral economics," said Obama at his nomination of his regulatory czar. "He is uniquely qualified to lead my administration's regulatory reform agenda at this crucial stage in our history. Cass is not only a valued adviser, he is a dear friend and I am proud to have him on my team." 
O'Leary disagrees. 
*"It's hard to imagine President Obama nominating a more dangerous candidate for regulatory czar than Cass Sunstein,"* he says. "Not only is Sunstein an animal-rights radical, but he also seems to have a serious problem with our First Amendment rights. Sunstein has advocated everything from regulating the content of personal e-mail communications, to forcing nonprofit groups to publish information on their websites that is counter to their beliefs and mission. Of course, none of this should be surprising from a man who has said that 'limitless individual choices, with respect to communications, is not necessarily in the interest of citizenship and self-government.' *If it were up to Obama and Sunstein, everything we read online - right down to our personal e-mail communications - would have to be inspected and approved by the federal government.*"

_Brad O'Leary WorldNetDaily
_


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## mikey742 (Mar 4, 2005)

Fuck him good thing i did not have to wait 24 hours before i sent that if had I think it may have been more colorful


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## HousingCop (May 14, 2004)

SgtAndySipowicz said:


> _http://www.worldnetdaily.com_


*Wow, this guy is an uber-moonbat in the extreme. *
*Pssst, Cass. Here's a hint, LOOSE THE COMB-OVER. Just go bald gracefully. No need to bring attention to yourself.*
*Move over people, the "Handbasket To Hell" express has plenty of seats for all of us anti-democratic MC posters. *


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## LongKnife56 (Sep 9, 2008)

I gotta go back and reread 1984 and Animal Farm


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## 8MORE (Nov 25, 2008)

This asshole is supposed to be a Constitutional scholar? Who's Constitution did he study? Castro's, Mao's, Hitler's perhaps? Another question, What is a Regulatory Czar? and what are the duties and responsibilities of that office?


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## Hawk19 (Jan 9, 2009)

8MORE said:


> This asshole is supposed to be a Constitutional scholar? Who's Constitution did he study? Castro's, Mao's, Hitler's perhaps? Another question, What is a Regulatory Czar? and what are the duties and responsibilities of that office?


At least Mao never tried to give animals legal counsel...


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## KozmoKramer (Apr 25, 2004)

Never let it be said that an uber-lib values fairness.
YOU VILL NOT DISSENT! YOU VILL COMPLY ONE VAY OR ANUZAH....


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## 8MORE (Nov 25, 2008)

Koz, I think you just hit the nail on the head with that thumbnail.


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## Guest (Apr 29, 2009)

8MORE said:


> What is a Regulatory Czar? and what are the duties and responsibilities of that office?


It is Obama's version of the Soviet military's political officer. He will make sure everyone follows the will of THE PARTY.


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## jettsixx (Dec 10, 2005)

Ok first of all I am sick of hearing the word czar. Now the dirtbags are trying to instute a waiting period on my keyboard? We need to save this country soon, there has got to be a way of getting these people out of here. I will admit that I didnt agree with everything the last administration did but at least W didnt try to destroy the very foundation of this country.


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## 21 Bravo (Feb 2, 2009)

One can not simply reulagte the interbutts in such a manner. Funny how major news outlets aren't picking up on this.


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## SgtAndySipowicz (Mar 17, 2008)

mtc said:


> I'd like to know who determined he is "one of America's leading constitutional scholars" ??
> 
> Who decides that?


Lord Obama, didn't you know? Ohhh, it might also be Sir (Deval) Patrick...... someone from Chicago I think.............


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## rg1283 (Sep 14, 2005)

Why do people forget what their grandparents or relatives may have gone through to make this country great! No wonder why Obama isn't friends with Israel.


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## Guest (Apr 29, 2009)

rg1283 said:


> Why do people forget what their grandparents or relatives may have gone through to make this country great! No wonder why Obama isn't friends with Israel.


It's the tap water. Don't drink it. It's clear kool-aid.


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