Excerpted from Greater Democracy:

Citizens are NOT consumers of Democracy. The FCC's last two chairmen
have referred to we the people as being mere one dimensional
consumers. For a recent example, see David Isenberg's comments on FCC
Chairman Martin's new The Four Internet Freedoms.

The essential and fundamental objection to the Martin's suggestion
that we are not citizens, but only mere consumers, is that it is
totally anti-democratic and contrary to the spirit of the America's
founding principles.

Democracy is a process of continuous creation by citizens practicing
self government. It is not a product from a 3rd party to be consumed.
Thus, to relegate citizens to the status of simple consumers, is to
attack the very foundation of our experiment in democracy. Democracy
can only be kept alive if we citizens are engaged daily in its
production.