NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] The more things change, the more they stay the same...
Lauren, Tonight, I just happened to start reading Robert Heinlein's "The man who sold the moon", 1953. If you are not familiar with it, the book is a collection of short stories, the first of which is called "Life-line". I came across this passage of a judge instructing the lawyer representing the life insurance industry in the dispute involving the ability to accurately predict a persons death versus the subsequent impending demise of said industry: "Before we leave this matter I wish to comment on the theory implied by you, My Weems, when you claimed damage to your client. There has grown up in the minds of certain groups in this country the notion that because a man or corporation has made a profit out of the public for a number of years, the government and the courts are charged with the duty of guaranteeing such profit in the future, even in the face of changing circumstances and contrary public interest. This strange doctrine is supported neither by statute nor common law. Neither individuals nor corporations have any right to come into court and ask that the clock of history be stopped, or turned back, for their private benefit. That is all." Interesting that Heinlein seems to be addressing certain expectations in 1953 that are still a problem to this day, no? Russell.