Rural Internet Access in America: A quagmire of private sector indifference, anti-government Republicans, milquetoast liberalism, history amnesia, and self-immolating votes

Above: The description for this photograph reads: "Rural electrification in the U.S. This modern American building houses the offices of the Middle Tennessee Electric Corporation in the Eastern U.S. This is a farmers' cooperative group which organized to bring electricity to farms and homes in the country on an economic non-profit basis. They secured a loan from the U.S. Rural Electrification Administration to build their distribution lines and other facilities. This cooperative group distributes power from a government-owned power plant to more than 6,000 members. Headquarters like this often become the social centers of their communities. In addition to offices and storage for maintenance trucks and supplies, such buildings may include an auditorium for membership meetings and other functions, an electrified demonstration kitchen, and conference rooms." Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

There is an interesting and in-depth article on ThinkProgress today about the lack of good Internet access (or any access at all) in rural Kentucky, and how it's hindering economic development and job opportunities. And, of course, the problem is not limited to Kentucky. Many rural areas in America struggle with substandard Internet access.

Considering history, this article, as well as other articles from the past many years, it seems to me that there are five main roadblocks that are keeping this problem from being solved:

1. Private Sector Indifference:

Because rural areas are sparsely populated, private industry is often hesitant to invest. The profit just isn't there, at least not in the short-term - and short-term profit is what wealthy executives & investors are primarily aroused by.

2. Anti-Government Republicans:

Republicans are in charge of most of the U.S. government - the Congress, the White House, the Supreme Court, and most state governments too, including Kentucky's. And Republicans are vehemently opposed to domestic spending. They throw money at the Pentagon like a drunken sailor, hand out tax breaks to the rich like candy, and then constantly try to cut domestic investment. In Kentucky, there is an Internet initiative called "KentuckyWired." It's made some progress, but anemic federal support (as well as private sector obstructionism) has caused problems. 

3. Milquetoast Liberalism:

The modern Democratic Party, a party vehemently opposed to its New Deal roots, often pooh poohs big ideas and grand plans. They tell us that change takes decades and decades, and so we shouldn't set our hopes too high. This was seen during the 2016 Democratic Primaries, where Bernie Sanders was raked across the coals by the Democratic Establishment for his lofty goals, such as massive infrastructure spending (which we've done before) and free public college (which we've done before). During the primaries, journalist Kevin Drum scolded Sanders, but admitted: "I'll grant that my pitch--and Hillary's and Barack Obama's--isn't very inspiring. Work your fingers to the bone for 30 years and you might get one or two significant pieces of legislation passed."

Not inspiring indeed. Imagine if New Deal policymakers had had such a timid, defeatist approach. There would be no Social Security, no SEC, no FDIC, young children would still be working in the mines, we would only have half the infrastructure that we do today, and many rural areas would still have no electricity.

4. History Amnesia:

We've seen rural investment problems before. Decades ago, for example, private industry did not want to bring electricity to rural America because they didn't see the profit in it. But, with the advent of the New Deal, things changed. The will of the people won out and New Deal policymakers created the federal Rural Electrification Administration (REA), as well as other large programs--like the federal Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the federal Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)--to bring electricity to neglected areas. And it worked. Today, tens of millions still get their power from the investments of the federal REA, TVA, and BPA. 

Unfortunately, when an electorate has history amnesia--and Americans are infamous for not knowing their history--lessons like the REA are lost, and people become gullible to rhetoric like "private sector innovation!" and "government is the problem not the solution!" And this gullibility forces them to deal with pathetic infrastructure, like poor Internet access, for years on end, as their political "representatives" tell them to hold on, just a little longer, for tax breaks for the rich, plus "private sector innovation!", to improve their quality of life. It's a farce - a farce made possible by history amnesia. The fact is, with each successive round of tax cuts for the rich (JFK, Reagan, Bush Jr., and now Trump), and with each embrace of "private sector innovation!", our quality of life diminishes more and more - stagnant wages, fewer benefits, more debt, more precarious retirements, deteriorating infrastructure. History amnesia ensures that we don't understand the roots of our problems.

5. Self-Immolating Votes:

Tied into all of the above, is the habit of many Americans to vote (or not vote) against their own self-interest. Kentucky, for example, is a deeply red state. They have put into office (again, by either voting or not voting) anti-government Republicans. Their congressional "representatives" are Republican, their state legislature is Republican, their governor is Republican, and they overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump. So, on the one hand, they need better infrastructure, but, on the other hand, they consistently vote for anti-government, anti-infrastructure Republicans. This is self-immolation. Of course, the Democratic Establishment isn't helping matters much with their uninspired, milquetoast, scaredy-cat approach to politics and governing.

But to illustrate just how insane it is for Kentuckians to support Republicans--by voting or not voting--consider that (a) the Republican Party is largely supported by the Koch brothers, and (b) a Koch-funded group has opposed KentuckyWired by saying: "We don't consider a core government function to be providing broadband."

Above: A poster promoting the benefits of the Rural Electrification Administration, for example, light. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Summary of the Absurd

So, let's sum this up: (1) Kentuckians need better infrastructure, like Internet access; (2) the private sector is not overly interested in providing Kentuckians with good Internet access (or other infrastructure); (3) Republicans are generally opposed to government spending on domestic needs, like infrastructure; (4) an influential conservative group, funded by the notorious Republican Party megadonors, is opposed to government intervention on the Internet issue (which puts Kentuckians in a trap of both private sector and governmental indifference); but (5) Kentuckians are perpetually voting for Republicans anyway (or abstaining from voting, thereby capitulating to Republicans just the same). 

Read that again... very slowly, very carefully. Let the absurdity of the situation fully sink in.

If you want to know why we have so many problems in this country--problems that go on for decades and decades--look to the Internet debacle (and attendant issues) in Kentucky. It's a fantastic case study, showing how citizens can be tricked into sacrificing their own quality of life... to millionaires & billionaires who have prioritized vanity & decadence over the common good.

***Also see my blog post, "Victims of plutocracy: As the super-wealthy drool over their newest round of tax cuts, Kentuckians struggle to get clean, reliable, and affordable drinking water"***

"Deteriorating infrastructure impedes Kentucky’s ability to compete in an increasingly global marketplace."

--American Society of Civil Engineers, 2017, "Infrastructure in Kentucky"