The FCC makes a customary appearance at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and participates in a keynote session at what is widely considered to be the world's biggest technology conference of the year. In addition to giving companies an opportunity to show off new gadgets and services, the show packs its agenda with policy panels that frequently involve high-level lawmakers and regulators. This year Pai said sod that for a game of soldiers.

Officially, Pai cancelled his plans because of “security concerns.” The exact nature of the concerns was not immediately evident. Assassination is a possibility although the geek mad CES people are unlikely to be real life assassins (outside playing Assassins' Creed).

One report on Thursday suggested that Pai may have changed his plans because of death threats he had received that were “linked specifically to the Vegas itinerary”.

Our theory is he is frightened that an army of technically qualified people might call him names for breaking the internet, and point out that he does not understand how it works.

He also claims that his kids are being picked on by other kids because of their dad’s move to end net neutrality.

Pai told Fox News that opponents of the FCC had shown up at his Virginia home to harass his family.

Some signs, he said, were posted near his home. Apparently, this "crossed a line" because… well, signs are dangerous… lots of famous people are killed by democratic expressions of distaste.

“I understand that people are passionate about policy, but the one thing in America that should remain sacred is that families, wives [sic] and kids, should remain out of it. And stop harassing us at our homes.”

Ironic given that when a watchdog surrenders to the big corporate monopolies on a scale that Pai has done, lots of families, wives and kids suffer. We feel sorry for Pai in many respects; he must have expected that the moment he allowed the telcos to do what they liked with the internet he would be made for life, having made a few rich and powerful friends. However, if you butter up the one percent at the expense of 99 percent, the vast majority will want to lynch you.

Whinging that you and your family have been made into lepers by your antics is not the strong option.