Monday, November 21, 2005
U.N. Control Over the Internet? Bad Idea!
This comes courtesy of Bill Bracken.
U.N. Wants Control of Internet
http://www.gopusa.com/theloft/?p=135
Posted by Bobby Eberle
November 16, 2005 at 7:02 am
As someone who has worked on the Internet since the very first web browsers starting appearing from a research group at the University of Illinois and who has built a web-based political enterprise, I am keenly aware of the power, speed, and freedom of the medium. The Internet has truly transformed the way news is disseminated, broken through the left-leaning mainstream media, and allowed ordinary citizens across the world to have a voice. Now the United Nations, the group that has put Syria on its human rights commission, wants to control it.
Currently, the Internet is under the supervision of a non-profit organization formed by the U.S. Department of Commerce. However, there is a push by nations such as China, Cuba, and Iran for the U.S. to turn control of the Internet over to the U.N. In this digital age, if the U.N. were to gain control of the Internet, it would truly be one of the biggest and most dangerous blunders of all time.
First, there is the issue of freedom. The Internet represents the ability for any individual to speak out about topics or news important to him or her. The Internet also provides a wealth of news and information from countless sources, allowing people the power to make informed decisions to a degree unmatched in the world's history. Nations such as China, Cuba, and Iran are notorious for stifling human rights and personal freedoms. Do we really want the Internet controlled by the U.N. who kowtows to nations such as those nations who would likely arrest (or worse) a person for speaking ill of the government? We cannot afford to put nations who have no concept of free speech in charge of the ultimate free speech medium.
Second, there is the issue of competency. As long as there is a buzz for U.N. control over the Internet, I should only have to utter three words to make my point: Oil For Food. In what is truly a scandal of epic proportions, one that shows not only incompetence but also mass corruption, the U.N. proves once again that it is not up to the task. Now, they want the Internet? I'd laugh if it weren't so scary.
As Nat Moffat points out in his commentary on Human Events, one of the motivations for U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in the U.N. gaining control over the Internet would be the windfall gained in revenue from Internet taxation. Through taxing the Internet, the U.N. could "free itself from relying on member states for dues, thereby becoming even less accountable." A less accountable U.N.? As Brian Carney points out in the Wall Street Journal, "One of the goals of the summit is to advance the 'internationalization' of what is known as 'Internet governance.'"
So, despite what Kofi Annan might say, the issue is about control. The fact of the matter is that the U.S. only "controls" a small portion of the Internet anyway, particularly in the area of the domain name system or DNS. Most control is under the Internet Corp. for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). This company, run out of California, has a board of directors comprised of many international members.
The Internet is a strange medium. Al Gore invented it, and now the U.N. wants to control it. This could mean we'd be putting the Internet into a 'lock box' with Iran, Syria, and China holding the keys? That premise is simply unacceptable, and the best option is to keep the Internet free, under the watchful eye of America.
A Christian Patriot
Hosea 4:6
U.N. Wants Control of Internet
http://www.gopusa.com/theloft/?p=135
Posted by Bobby Eberle
November 16, 2005 at 7:02 am
As someone who has worked on the Internet since the very first web browsers starting appearing from a research group at the University of Illinois and who has built a web-based political enterprise, I am keenly aware of the power, speed, and freedom of the medium. The Internet has truly transformed the way news is disseminated, broken through the left-leaning mainstream media, and allowed ordinary citizens across the world to have a voice. Now the United Nations, the group that has put Syria on its human rights commission, wants to control it.
Currently, the Internet is under the supervision of a non-profit organization formed by the U.S. Department of Commerce. However, there is a push by nations such as China, Cuba, and Iran for the U.S. to turn control of the Internet over to the U.N. In this digital age, if the U.N. were to gain control of the Internet, it would truly be one of the biggest and most dangerous blunders of all time.
First, there is the issue of freedom. The Internet represents the ability for any individual to speak out about topics or news important to him or her. The Internet also provides a wealth of news and information from countless sources, allowing people the power to make informed decisions to a degree unmatched in the world's history. Nations such as China, Cuba, and Iran are notorious for stifling human rights and personal freedoms. Do we really want the Internet controlled by the U.N. who kowtows to nations such as those nations who would likely arrest (or worse) a person for speaking ill of the government? We cannot afford to put nations who have no concept of free speech in charge of the ultimate free speech medium.
Second, there is the issue of competency. As long as there is a buzz for U.N. control over the Internet, I should only have to utter three words to make my point: Oil For Food. In what is truly a scandal of epic proportions, one that shows not only incompetence but also mass corruption, the U.N. proves once again that it is not up to the task. Now, they want the Internet? I'd laugh if it weren't so scary.
As Nat Moffat points out in his commentary on Human Events, one of the motivations for U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in the U.N. gaining control over the Internet would be the windfall gained in revenue from Internet taxation. Through taxing the Internet, the U.N. could "free itself from relying on member states for dues, thereby becoming even less accountable." A less accountable U.N.? As Brian Carney points out in the Wall Street Journal, "One of the goals of the summit is to advance the 'internationalization' of what is known as 'Internet governance.'"
So, despite what Kofi Annan might say, the issue is about control. The fact of the matter is that the U.S. only "controls" a small portion of the Internet anyway, particularly in the area of the domain name system or DNS. Most control is under the Internet Corp. for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). This company, run out of California, has a board of directors comprised of many international members.
The Internet is a strange medium. Al Gore invented it, and now the U.N. wants to control it. This could mean we'd be putting the Internet into a 'lock box' with Iran, Syria, and China holding the keys? That premise is simply unacceptable, and the best option is to keep the Internet free, under the watchful eye of America.
A Christian Patriot
Hosea 4:6
