Comments on: Baird on immunity for telecoms http://www.democracyforvancouver.org/2007/10/19/baird-on-immunity-for-telecoms/ Federal, Washington State and Clark County Politics Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:17:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Rich http://www.democracyforvancouver.org/2007/10/19/baird-on-immunity-for-telecoms/#comment-41858 Rich Sat, 20 Oct 2007 23:05:17 +0000 http://www.democracyforvancouver.org/2007/10/19/baird-on-amnesty-for-telecoms/#comment-41858 My big reason against telecom immunity, and why progressives ought to fight against it, is if corporations were liable for what they do in this, they would resist these unwarranted erosions of our constitution. If they win their bid for immunity, they can simply cop to Baird's faulty argument that - to paraphrase him - <i>"We were just following orders from the big, bad government".</i> Corporations have the power, sadly enough, to write their own ticket and define the rules. There are providers that are saying no, and are probably under fire. Giant companies like AT & T could say no - and that would be the end of the argument - but instead bend over for Bushco. In some ways this reminds me of the pharmaceutical companies that managed to ram forward waiving liability with regard to immunization drugs in the Patriot Act. My big reason against telecom immunity, and why progressives ought to fight against it, is if corporations were liable for what they do in this, they would resist these unwarranted erosions of our constitution. If they win their bid for immunity, they can simply cop to Baird’s faulty argument that - to paraphrase him - “We were just following orders from the big, bad government”. Corporations have the power, sadly enough, to write their own ticket and define the rules. There are providers that are saying no, and are probably under fire. Giant companies like AT & T could say no - and that would be the end of the argument - but instead bend over for Bushco.
In some ways this reminds me of the pharmaceutical companies that managed to ram forward waiving liability with regard to immunization drugs in the Patriot Act.

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