Zaku

...seriously? Hell, I went to public elementary and middle schools (in ever-so-liberal New Jersey no less), and I don't remember anything that absurd.

The main reason, as far as I can tell, that people see the internet as a public service is because ISPs are completely monopolized by the local government, which seems to treat them like they are public servants. Generally speaking - well, at least in the Northeast - one company has total control over cable connections in the area, and the local phone company that maintains all the phone lines provides DSL. The only choice you have is between various dial-up providers, who give substandard service anyway. Once there's more choice between ISPs that provide similar services I doubt we'll hear much complaining from net neutrality supporters since they can just get access from companies that practice it (...until they go out of business because of net neutrality's inherent unprofitably).

Bumping an old topic, etc, etc. Ron Paul is the epitome of dumb, colloquial libertarianism. His philosophy is not based on the importance and esteem of the individual, as Objectivism does, but rather a simple desire for the government to leave people alone despite whatever they're doing that instead has its roots in naivety. His lack of understanding Islamic extremism underscores why he's too damn simple-minded to be President. Western intervention in the Middle East plays a role in spreading support for radical Islam, but it would not exist if there wasn't an irrational religious cult justifying it. No rational society would be able to justify their actions, which are only permissible to people who think God is on their side.

So, tl;dr I'm some nerdy kid from Jersey with too much time on his hands with an utter contempt for Collectivism. Aside from politics, I'm really into aviation. Most of my free time is spent playing various flight simulators, running this fansite and one of the clans on it, or developing Flight Simulator 2004/X addons with ukmil - none of which, ironically, are at all related to the British military (I've been making nothing but F-15C/D/Js and F/A-18E/Fs lately), but they keep me around anyway. I'm also a licensed pilot, but won't be able to get my IFR rating until next summer because I'll be going off to college to study aerospace engineering.