Here's one more paragraph from that same article:

"If we permit the Internet to become a medium designed primarily to serve the interests of marketing and personal consumption, rather than global civic-related communications, we will face the political consequences for decades to come. Unless we push back, the "brandwashing" of America will permeate not only our information infrastructure but global society and culture as well".

-snip-

BTW, that article-"The End of the Internet?" -was written by Jeff Chester and was posted February 1, 2006 on the Nation's website.