George Gilder: Net Neutrality Is a 'Ludicrous' Idea That Will Shrink the Economy

The legendary tech writer on net neutrality, the FCC, and why Bitcoin is the missing eighth layer of the Internet.

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George Gilder: Net Neutrality Is a 'Ludicrous' Idea That Will Shrink the Economy

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"Everything on [the Internet] is changing minute by minute," says George Gilder, "and the idea of establishing a level playing field, as if all bandwidth is homogeneous, is just ludicrous."

Gilder, a visionary writer on technology, argues that net neutrality will make the Internet "more litigious" and "perilous" for free enterprise, with the sole purpose of giving the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) an opportunity to expand its reach.

Gilder sat down with Reason TV's Nick Gillespie at FreedomFest 2015 to talk about net neutrality and his new book, The 21st Century Case for Gold: A New Information Theory of Money, which argues that Bitcoin is the missing eighth layer of the Internet.

Download a free copy of the book.

Thirteen minutes and 22 seconds.

Camera by Zach Weissmueller and Paul Detrick. Edited by Jim Epstein

Scroll down for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason TV's YouTube Channel to get automatic updates when new videos go live.

Comments

[Monty Crisco]

Why is it that I think Tony and Buttplug are BOTH in the tank for "net neutrality". Wonder why that is...

[Marty Comanche]

Because it just feels right. With Net Neutrality, everyone shares. Everyone sharing is fair, in the childish sense that everyone following the arbitrary rules of a game is fair. Fairness is nice. Justice is mean. Hooray for fairness.

[Free Society]

For one thing, they love it when government seizes and/or takes control of other people's property. For another thing, net neutrality is basically internet communism, with all the half baked ideas of egalitarian supremacy that comes with it.

[John Galt]

Because they're both ignorant prog-fascists?

[billie30]

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[Alan Vanneman]

"a visionary writer on technology"? Don't you mean "formerly famous gaping asshole"?*

*Yes, that is unkind, but I have a reputation to maintain.

[Monty Crisco]

You're in the tank for NN, too, huh? You're in great company...

[Bob K]

I am at least in so far as, Comcast and the other hardline carriers for years have been getting the benefit of socialist policies. I couldn't refuse them or negotiate a rate for running lines on my private property to say my neighbors house so why should they have the right to negotiate a rate with content providers? So if they don't want government regulations don't take their benefits either.

[OneWingedShark]

The cure for "socialist policies" is not more socialism, communism, and such... it is, instead, justice. Nothing in "Net Neutrality" is just.

[Set Us Up The Chipper]

Alan is the poop/saliva mixed spittle on a rough and ready gaping asshole.

[John Galt]

I knew companies such as Google were totally on board with the totalitarian statists and therefore completely against the common citizen. It did surprise me a little Mozilla was also complicit. Of course, I'm not giving Mozilla any credit. Rather I'm knocking myself for not knowing better by this point in time.

[Sanjuro Tsubaki]

I certainly agree that net neutrality is nothing more than an FCC power grab. But George Gilder is no visionary. He's a crank at worst. A stuffed shirt at best.

[Remnant Psyche]

He's right. The internet only works because of peering agreements, which are inherently unequal. With a majority of internet traffic being streaming video like Netflix (okay, it's almost all Netflix data), which the internet was not designed to handle, peering agreements are more important than ever. (This will not become less of a problem with 4K content.) Especially since most of the idiots cheering on "net neutrality" only care because they don't want Orange is the New Black to buffer on them.

[josh]

i admit to not understanding the "net neutrality" issue as well as some. i understand technology enough to use it, and i'm basically fine with that. however, you don't really even need to know that much to know that it's a mistake. even if you think the government doesn't screw up everything -and i know as a non-libertarian i'm in the minority here by thinking they don't- they never do a good job when it comes to being innovative and allowing things to run efficiently. the internet needs those two things like a human needs air, otherwise, the internet of today, when the government gets done regulating it, etc., we'll wonder what happened to the internet we used to love and ask why the government ever felt the need to regulate it in the first place.

[Migrant Log Chipper]

I commend you. You seem to be a young person with some common sense. As you get wiser and older you will find out that government fucks up everything it touches, with very few exceptions.

I ask a lot of young people if they would rather have that 13% of their and employers money that goes to social security go to a Ponzi scheme or an account with their name on it. I never thought about much when I was 25, but this system is stealing your money to fund my upcoming retirement (I'll be 60 this fall).

Keep it up, people your age can find the hacks that are threatening your future (that includes hacks on both teams) and maybe make some hay. Since the political establishment is not really concerned with your future you have a right to be pissed, I hope you can get your peers on board. You have a right to be pissed off. Good luck.

[lisa567]

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[macsnafu]

George Gilder seems like an interesting person with an interesting perspective on things. Nick, I know you want to guide an interview in certain directions, and make sure that sufficient background is available for viewers, but sometimes it's better to just be quiet and let the guy talk.