Random Meet Ajit Pai, Man Who Pushed For Repeal Of Net Neutrality And Destroyed Internet (12 items)

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  (#1) He "Joked" That He Was Bought And Paid For By Verizon

  Around the time Pai killed net neutrality, the FCC Chairman made an ill-timed speech at a Federal Communications Bar Association event. As part of his speech, Pai performed in a skit, in which a faux Verizon pitchwoman says, "We want to brainwash and groom a Verizon puppet to install as FCC chairman. Think Manchurian Candidate." To which Pai replies, "That sounds awesome." Oh, the comedy.

  To make matters even less funny, Pai ended his speech with this:

  "In collusion - I mean, in conclusion, sorry, Freudian slip, my bad - many people are still shell-shocked that I'm up here tonight. They ask themselves, how on earth did this happen?"

  How, indeed.
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  (#2) His Anti-Net Neutrality Video Featured A Pizzagate Conspiracy Theorist

  To push his gutting of net neutrality, Pai made a woefully misguided video entitled 7 Things You Can Still Do on the Internet After Net Neutrality. This alone is bad enough; do we really need an FCC chairman dressed in a Santa Claus suit or dancing the Harlem Shake? But it gets worse. During that now-infamous Harlem Shake, one of his fellow "dancers" was revealed to be Martina Markota, famous mostly for being a Pizzagate conspiracy theorist. Pizzagate, for those who don't know, is a ridiculous conspiracy theory about a Washington, D.C., pizza parlor and its supposed ties to a child sex ring run by Hillary Clinton. Yeah, Ajit, these are people you want to associate yourself with.
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  (#3) Mark Hamill Called Him Out For Using Star Wars To Repeal Net Neutrality

  You know you're doing something wrong when you piss off Luke Skywalker. In his 7 Things You Can Still Do on the Internet After Net Neutrality, Pai put on a black hood and swung a lightsaber as part of his anti-net neutrality schtick. And Hamill was having none of it. He tweeted:

  "Cute video Ajit "Aren't I Precious?" Pai - but you are profoundly unworthy 2 wield a lightsaber - A Jedi acts selflessly for the common man - NOT lie 2 enrich giant corporations. Btw-did you pay John Williams his royalty? @AjitPaiFCCorpShill #AJediYouAreNOT"

  As if his decimation of net neutrality wasn't bad enough, Pai also used several copyrighted songs in his video, and, apparently, didn't get the necessary licenses or permission to do so.
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  (#4) His FCC Colleagues Don't Like Him, Either

  During his repeal of neutrality, two of Pai's colleagues spoke out in opposition to their boss's epically dumb decision. One of them, Mignon Clyburn, even drew up her own mocking alternative to the net neutrality issue. She took Pai's original repeal and performed a few edits. Actually, she changed the entire thing, starting with the title, switching "Restoring Internet Freedom" to "Retaining Internet Freedom." After Clyburn took her pen to Pai's proposal, only these words remained: "After further review of the record we affirm the 2015 Open Internet Order." Unfortunately, that's not how things worked out.
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  (#5) He Drinks Out Of A Stupid Reese's Mug

  Pai has a penchant for drinking coffee out of an oversized mug emblazoned with the Reese's candy logo. He sipped from it throughout the meetings to repeal net neutrality. Perhaps it was a diversion. Perhaps it was meant to be funny. Perhaps he just likes drinking his coffee from a large mug. But one thing is certain: Mr. Pai, your killing of net neutrality is made no less serious, no less offensive, and no less destructive because you drink from an oh-so-wacky coffee cup. Get over yourself.
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  (#6) He Thinks He's Funny

  Pai's net neutrality measures may not technically be criminal, but his sense of humor certainly is. Or, more appropriately, his attempts at a sense of humor. The oversized Reese's mug, the pop culture references, the jokes about being a corporate shill, the look-how-cool-and-relatable-I-am video, the Big Lebowski quotes on his Twitter feed... Pai tries way too hard to be about as funny as a glass of water. And if his killing of net neutrality wasn't so serious, none of us would care that he was a failed comedian. But he's trying to make us laugh (and failing mightily) while at the same time stabbing us in the back, and he of all people should understand that this is no laughing matter.
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  (#7) He Has Made The Bipartisan Issue Of Net Neutrality A Partisan One

  For all the right-wing whining about free speech and freedom of religion, you'd think net neutrality would be a no-brainer for them. It would be a way to ensure free speech, free action, and free religion without the interference of corporate interests. But ever since Pai took over the FCC - an institution he said he wanted to take a "weedwhacker" to - he's made it a priority to turn the right against net neutrality. And it's a worked. An issue that is clearly bipartisan has now become highly partisan, and this is due in large part to Pai's portrayal of a monetized internet as a "free internet."
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  (#8) He's Ignored All Comments Critical Of His Position

  One sign of a good leader is that they can hear - really hear - the opposing viewpoints of those who don't agree with them. It doesn't mean they will change course or make allowances; it simply means they have the skill and grace to hold opposing thoughts and maybe try to find common ground. Not surprisingly, this is not who Ajit Pai is. He has received tens of millions of complaints about his decision to repeal net neutrality, and he has yet to address a single one in any meaningful way. In fact, in the beginning, he wouldn't even publicly release the complaints the FCC had gotten over his net neutrality stance. Not only is he not listening to those who disagree with them, he's bulldozing right over us. For all we know, in Ajit Pai's mind, the opposition doesn't even exist.
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  (#9) He's From Kansas, That Hotbed Of Progress

  Pai was born in Buffalo, New York, but grew up in the small town of Parsons, Kansas. This may actually help to explain a lot about how Pai got to where he's at today. In recent years, Kansas has become sort of the unofficial epicenter of ultraconservative America. Many popular right-wing policy positions have been implemented, to some extent, in Kansas, and they have all failed miserably, most recently their Trump-like tax plan. It is from this environment that Ajit Pai emerged. A mediocre straight man convinced of his own political talent and power... neither of which really exist.
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  (#10) He Modified FCC Rules To Benefit A Pro-Trump Media Conglomerate

  The Sinclair Broadcast Group is a pro-Trump communications company that has quickly become a major force in American media. During the campaign, they were so passionately pro-Trump "that the election campaign of President Donald Trump struck a deal with Sinclair for favorable coverage." Once Pai took over as Chairman of the FCC, it appeared as if Sinclair was getting special treatment in exchange for all that pro-Trump coverage. One FCC employee said, "All of our media policy decisions seem to be custom-built for this one company." Pai has denied this.
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  (#11) He Lives In A Pretentious House

  Pai spent $1.4 million on his Arlington, Virginia, home. It has six bedrooms and six bathrooms. The property also features "a 40-foot lap pool, library, a whirlpool tub, and many walk-in closets." The man who killed net neutrality gets to lounge around in luxury while those who will be most impacted by his policies have to struggle to just keep a roof, any roof, over their heads. And Pai has been an FCC employee since 2012, so it should come as no shock who bought that $1.4 million house for him. We did.
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  (#12) He Didn't Really Slide Into A Model's DMs

  As deliciously scandalous as it would be, Pai actually did not try to hit on model/social media personality/former adult actress Mia Khalifa on Instagram. The story gained traction in the wake of Pai's decision to repeal net neutrality. A satirical website posted a fake screenshot of Khalifa's Instagram DMs, and one of them purported to be a clunky pickup line from Pai. But it was all a grand joke from a website that specializes in "fauxtire." So, sadly, there is no scandal here.

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