>>they maybe could see that having a system that transports all bits equally, without government or industry censorship, is the single most powerful force for democracy and open markets in history<<

Who says that the U.S. government *wants* to promote democracy and open markets? It's in the process of tossing the Bill of Rights out the window (see "USA Patriot Act" and its potential sequels). As for open markets... big business (progressively closer to a synonym for "U.S. government") wants these only as long as they offer an advantage for big business.