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Re:Congress' push to regulate Big Tech is fizzling out by hash872 on Thursday July 21, 2022 @09:04AM (#32178823)
In the interests of trying to add something new to the conversation- I just finished a poly sci book called The Economic Effects of Constitutions, which argues that presidential systems in general are less regulated, have lower taxes, and have a smaller welfare state than parliamentary systems. As it relates to regulating Big Tech, we can compare the US and Europe here. The book says that the multiple centers of power in presidential systems, especially bicameral ones, means that there are many separate powerful groups that must be appeased to pass even popular legislation with a consensus behind it. Here, a separately elected President has to grapple with a separately elected House, plus a Senate where two-thirds of the members were elected at a completely different time. Plus, party discipline is weaker in presidential systems, so he can't just whip his party to fall in line (most famously with Sinemanchin recently). 3rd party lobbying is then more powerful with weaker parties and separately elected reps who must cater to the marginal voter or power group in their district. Powerful interest groups are more powerful in a presidency!

Seeing as there's a broad but not ultra-strong consensus in both parties to Do Something with Big Tech, in a coalition parliamentary system a bill would've likely already passed. Whether you think that's good or bad is an exercise left up the reader, just wanted to introduce a new perspective :)

Re:Congress' push to regulate Big Tech is fizzling out by pythonaut_16 on Thursday July 21, 2022 @12:36PM (#32181456)
There's a strong argument to be made that in the American system this is a feature and not a bug.

The whole thing is designed to make it difficult to make big changes, especially unilaterally.

Whether the system is serving us well or needs adjustments is a different matter.

Re:Congress' push to regulate Big Tech is fizzling out by pfhayes on Thursday July 21, 2022 @04:18PM (#32184452)
But this isn't a big change? This is a bill with bipartisan support in congress, and it's my understanding that it has majority (but not 60%) support.

If this is difficult, then everything is difficult. How can a governing body being impeded on its most fundamental duties be considered a feature?

Re:Congress' push to regulate Big Tech is fizzling out by dane-pgp on Thursday July 21, 2022 @05:12PM (#32185139)
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - John F. Kennedy, 1962

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/89101-those-who-make-peacef...

Re:Congress' push to regulate Big Tech is fizzling out by cato_the_elder on Thursday July 21, 2022 @05:21PM (#32185250)
One interpretation of Kennedy's quote is that it's essentially a threat to violence by those who want some kind of radical change.

When made by the US president (to Latin America [1]), that probably needs to be taken seriously.

[1]: https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-the-first-...

Re:Congress' push to regulate Big Tech is fizzling out by gunapologist99 on Thursday July 21, 2022 @02:28PM (#32182961)
Even though I might be in favor of some variant of this bill, I'm really glad that it can't just be railroaded through without adequate debate. The "tyranny of the majority" can be a very real thing, and we need to be mindful that the tension between powers (separation of powers) was put there explicitly for this purpose -- to prevent a single powerful group from seizing control.
Re:Congress' push to regulate Big Tech is fizzling out by notacoward on Thursday July 21, 2022 @07:43PM (#32186674)
There's an argument, but not a strong one. What can be passed quickly can be amended or even repealed quickly. Many countries have done OK with that. Stasis is a bad strategy in such a quickly changing world, and the empirical results seem to support the theory. Built-in gridlock is dumb.