JinjoUnchained
Member
I'm sure that people expressed the exact same sentiment when electricity became a public utility back in the 1930s.
Also, cars are a luxury.
They probably did, but it's not like there aren't valid critiques to make about utilities in general. With modern technology, it's easier for people to generate their own power now, but the utilities have been known to stifle that in order to protect their monopoly. Utilities have had their own issues with public access, much like internet service providers.
I'm not necessarily objecting to the premise of a utility: that certain goods are fundamental to basic human operation, but require a natural monopoly to supply, thus necessitating extra oversight. But I don't think that high speed internet access falls in that category, it's not exactly a luxury, but by necessity it's closer to having a personal car then having heat in the winter. Again, my opinion, feel free to disagree.
Millions, if not billions, of people today manage to get by without electricity in remote corners of the world. If you ask them they won't agree that electricity is a basic necessity required for living.
You're applying two standards at the same time. If you want to argue that the internet is technically a luxury because it's not absolutely required for staying alive, you can certainly make the same statement about electricity.
You're absolutely right; of the major utilities, electricity is the least necessary to basic individual function. It's also the one that people can most easily supply themselves if they have a generator. I really didn't want to get in the weeds on electricity here, that discussion could easily sidetrack this thread; so I'll say it's much closer to being a utility in America then high speed internet.