Time Warner/Comcast Merger,Every Senator reviewing it received a Comcast PAC donation

[Grizzly Willy]

I wonder how long until Gatorade runs America.

Hopefully soon. Getting tired of drinking water, like out of the toilet.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Hopefully soon. Getting tired of drinking water, like out of the toilet.

I laughed at this. Not sure if I'm supposed to though.

[Theodon]

This is a surprise? Hasn't this been going on for years? You just change the names and the 'donation' amount around and you've got a part of what makes US politics work. The money is exchanged in a way that skirts around the laws that are close to looking upon it as bribery, and that money often directly benefits politicians outside of running their campaign.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I have Comcast and it's great. Few CS issues now and then but it's better then AT&Shitty.


Felt the need to clarify on what *service* I have.

[Felya]

What are you going on about? Comcast doesn't just do TV. They're the ONLY ISP in a non-trivial portion of the country. And one half of a duopoly in another non-trivial portion.

I completely agree with you. The thing is, the merger doesn't change that. I don't think there were any areas that had Time Warner over lap with Comcast. Merger or not, the paradigm you describe does not change. Comcast has already been selling it's X1 platform to other providers, in effect giving it the regulatory control it would gain in the merger. Even without the merger, if Time warner purchases the X1 platform, you will have the same issue as with the merger. Where Comcast would have the power to downgrade speeds to netflix, while bumping it for StreamPix.

The reason for all of these limitations and squeezing every dime from internet consumers, is because Cable TV infrastructure is and until abandoned, will continue to be a crutch on the consumer. While building new infrastructure is a way to combat this that has worked recently. AOL/Time warner already had this ISP market share and failed, largely due to 56k becoming like laser disks. The heart of the mater is streaming, cutting into Cable TV because of the expense invested in it's infrastructure and internet competition not having the ability to built their own to compete.

- - - Updated - - -

Pretty much this.

Stop talking about TV, and start talking about the Internet. TV, as we know it, will be dead soon, replaced with content we get online.

In San Diego, Time Warner is my only real choice. I get 50m down, 5m up. The next best is DSL which I believe is 10m from AT&T.

The problem is, existing Cable TV infrastructure competition with streaming, is the heart of the mater. As a result of this, games or random sites being effected isn't likely, simply because of the amount of data transferred. The heart of the mater is Cable TV profits dwindling and internet service paying the price. They see streaming as the largest hit to their revenue...

[IIamaKing]

It'll be a couple centuries, and it won't be Gatorade. It'll be Brawndo and Carl's, Jr.

It has electrolites.

[Foosha]

I wonder how long until Gatorade runs America.

You mean Brawndo and Ow My Balls!

[Anon56]

This is about corruption and conflicts of interests, plain and simple.

This is not corruption, this is how your rigged country has worked for decades now.

[Gheld]

What you guys need to do as a country is show up for the next senate election, and vote for "Anybody but those guys" regardless of whether they are flying the 'correct' party banner for you.

[Invictus9001]

This isn't about Democrat or Republican, I see them as two sides of the same coin, different factions of the same party.
This is about corruption and conflicts of interests, plain and simple.

Welcome to Ameri... I mean planet Earth. #MoneyTalksBSwalks

[Gheld]

Welcome to Ameri... I mean planet Earth. #MoneyTalksBSwalks

In Canada we usually crucify politicians involved in conflicts of interest of this nature.

See: Brian Mulroney.

[Invictus9001]

In Canada we usually crucify politicians involved in conflicts of interest of this nature.

See: Brian Mulroney.

Until such actions become the rule, rather than the exception.. I stay my original statement.

[Niroshi]

It's pretty telling that absolutely none of us are surprised by this.

[Faroth]

I wonder how long until Gatorade runs America.

It's got electrolytes!