If you look at foreign countries where dictatorships prevail, you find that the writers, the musicians, the artists are either under surveillance or under attack. The arts are always the first to be hit. The only difference is that now it's happening here. Now we can see the next battleground. The arts have the potential to benefit dramatically from the democracy promised by the internet.
Citizens have the potential to benefit dramatically from the access afforded to artists.
Artists face the difficulty of reaching audiences without corporate mass distribution. The internet promises true accessibility of ideas. Artists will be the ones to fully realize the potential of an open internet, which could be equivalent to the discovery of paint. We look for venues where we can be on the edge, performing our vital service to society. And now the internet is under attack.