If we all voted, this wouldn't be happening.
I don't think that's true. b_b has the right of it - the FCC is run by appointees and they don't make law. The FCC decided under Obama that the Internet was a communications utility, and the FCC under Trump has decided it isn't. Clarity would be Congress legislating that the Internet is a communications utility. Personally, I think it's funny that they decided to piss on one of the few contingencies left - alt-right technolibertarians. It's like Ajit Pai runs a get out the vote campaign for the Democratic Party. Because yeah - now we're all going to vote. And we're going to vote for something that we didn't think we had to vote for. And then special interests won't be able to change things by fiat ever again.
If we all voted, congress would better reflect the popular vote, instead of the gerrymandered GOP-friendly map. The FCC would be beholden to a congress that wouldn't support this. I don't expect we'll all start voting. I know too many people that want a representative government but don't want to vote because they don't like their choices despite the fact that abstaining makes the quality of choices worse. I do hope we get better districting processes before we lose representation altogether.
I've begun to come around to the conviction that people don't vote because we make it way too hard. Here in liberal-as-fuck Washington something like 80% of voting is done by mail. You can totally do it in California but the number of people I've talked to that are not just unaware but blown away? It's dispiriting. Either way, I think the FCC was, is and shall be an enforcement body, not a legislative body. I can see the argument that it isn't the FCC's place to decide what is and is not a vital utility but that once that's been decided, it's their place to make sure it's dealt with fairly under law. I think we benefited when the FCC ruled it a utility and I think we all lose when they decide it isn't but I also think it was a solution of expediency, not one of durability.
I think you're referring to the midterm elections, but how does that impact the FCC permanently? I'm missing some stepping stones here.And we're going to vote for something that we didn't think we had to vote for. And then special interests won't be able to change things by fiat ever again.
The FCC is beholden to Congress. When they said "we think the Internet is a Utility" and then said "we think the Internet isn't a utility" that's because Congress has not specifically said "the internet is a utility." Congress could declare Domino's Pizza a vital service necessary for communication and the FCC would be forced to regulate Domino's. However, if the FCC declared Domino's Pizza a vital service necessary for communication, Congress could say "lay off the crack pipe". They are not on equal footing. One is subservient to the other.