Now why does this matter? It matters because "decency" in broadcast media is a political issue and allowing government-mandated control of ideas, even ideas you disagree with, should be abhorrent to every American who understands the Constitution.

And even more political pressure is being thrown at the indecency issue. Clear Channel , the dominant force in broadcast radio, is asking the FCC to force the merged Sirius/XM satellite radio service to obey the same rules as broadcast media, despite the glaringly obvious fact that satellite radio is not really broadcast media in the same sense as TV and terrestrial radio.

What is most troubling about Clear Channel's petition is that it is shamelessly based on a competitive argument -- that by Sirius/XM not having to obey the same constraints it can transmit more "edgy" content and Clear Channel will lose advertising revenue.

Mark my words, should the FCC prevail there will be lots of political pressure for satellite radio to be regulated and next will come satellite TV, cable TV, and right around the corner are the ISPs and your Internet connection. The Fox case is potentially the thin edge of a massive legal wedge that is all about censorship.

Now do you see why politics and technology are inseparable?