Posted on 01/03/2015 6:38:50 PM PST by PROCON
It's time to mobilize Congress against Obama’s plan to relinquish our authority over the Internet.
When the new Congress shows up on Tuesday, it’s going to have lots to worry about, but there’s one serious problem at risk of being overlooked. And that really can’t be allowed to happen; it’s much too important:
In 2015, the Obama administration plans to hand over control of ICANN — the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers — to international governance. ICANN oversees the superstructure of the Internet, and the American Department of Commerce oversees ICANN. The plan for handing our authority to the global community would mean oversight by censors and despots in China, Russia, and Iran.
American governance of the Internet has been incredibly benevolent and altogether hands-off. Which other countries would you trust not to interfere with the free exchange of ideas? Dictatorships in the Far East? Dictatorships in the Middle East? Banana republics? Eastern Europe’s oligarchies?
What about Western Europe’s democracies? Every country in Europe, aside from Belarus, is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights, which states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression.” But, it adds, this right “carries with it duties and responsibilities,” which make it subject, therefore, to “such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society.” And, of course, that freedom of expression can be curtailed, as necessary, in “the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary.”
So, Europe has its own take on the timeworn cliché “Freedom isn’t free.” Which is why anti-sharia Dutch politico Geert Wilders — who’s under constant, credible threat of murder for his opposition to sharia — is constantly on trial for insulting sharia.
Even the U.K., once a bulwark against Europe’s dictatorial inclinations, has banned “insulting words or behavior.” In consequence, an Oxford undergrad was arrested for telling a policeman his horse was “gay,” and a teenager was locked up for carrying a sign that read “Scientology is a dangerous cult.” (Which it is.) In fact, under Britain’s Public Order Act of 1986, it’s illegal to say something “with intent to cause a person . . . distress.” And under the English–Welsh Malicious Communications Act of 1988, it’s illegal to transmit “communications” for the “purpose of causing distress or anxiety.”
It is a depressing but undeniable fact: Our Bill of Rights is unique; God bless America.
When the idea of an ICANN surrender was first floated by the Obama administration, it was instantly unpopular. This administration has a habit of presenting unpopular ideas as faits accomplis — Cuba, Bergdahl, the China climate deal (such as it was), any number of EPA regulations, executive amnesty, health-care rule changes, and so on. Congress has to start protecting America’s stake in ICANN right now, or it may not get the chance.
The Obama administration has been accused of consolidating government power in the federal government, and federal power in the executive branch. In fact, the administration is happy to relinquish power, so long as it isn’t relinquished to the American people. It wants to regulate the Internet like a utility — to ensure fairness — but it’s happy to let Putin and Beijing have a say in what organizations can function with “.com” addresses. That is ludicrous.
Mr. Obama’s foreign policy is steeped in naïveté. He’s done irreparable damage in Cuba, where the Castros were on their last legs. He’s done irreparable damage in the Middle East, where defeat was snatched from the jaws of Iraqi victory, and where lifting sanctions saved Iran’s foundering economy. He’s done irreparable damage in East Asia by genuflecting to Beijing’s dictators. He’s done irreparable damage in Europe by scrapping the Czech–Polish missile-defense system and gift-wrapping the Crimea. This fait-accompli phone-and-pen nonsense is incredibly serious.
But this time, Congress has advance warning. And it knows what’s at stake. If it does nothing, it will have done irreparable damage to the freedom of everyone who uses or is affected by the Internet. Which is to say, everyone. It will be Congress’s fault.
So write your congressman. Or better yet, go to his office and bang on the door till he answers.
.... These are all things we all have to look forward to here in America .... The difference being ... in America ..... we will see little or nothing in return for our added socialist expense!
.... Yup .... We're really going to enjoy all of the "Free" healthcare and exciting new degenerated society ... aren't we folks?!?!!
Thanks for the explanation.
The Internet is just that...inter connected computers. Like the telephone. No one owns the the entire global phone system. Different companies from different countries all connect together. They just charge you differently for the same services. Internet ISP’s would love to charge you extra for looking at different websites or playing games. Used to be data was free...now your limited....and now you pay extra for that “freedom”. If Comcast doesn’t like a certain set of websites (Conservative) they may charge you extra(slam) your bill for going there under the excuse that it caused too much “congestion.
You betcha. And it isn’t naïve on Zero’s part, because he is not who he claims to be, and he is promoting a lot of things intentionally to our destruction. Naïve, no.
” If Comcast doesn’t like a certain set of websites (Conservative) they may charge you extra(slam) your bill for going there under the excuse that it caused too much “congestion.”
This, of course, is nonsense. Pigs “may” fly, but will they?
gubmint out of the internet!
Dear XFINITY Internet Customer:
At Comcast, we recognize that our customers use the Internet for different reasons and have unique data needs. Starting September 1, 2013, Comcast will trial a new monthly data plan in this area, which will increase the amount of data included in your XFINITY Internet Service to 300 GB and provide more choice and flexibility.
What this means for You
The vast majority of XFINITY customers use far less than 300 GB of data in a month. Based upon your recent usage history, it appears this new data plan will have no impact upon you, and you won’t need to do anything, or change your Internet usage. If you are not sure about your monthly data usage, please refer to the Track and Manage Your Usage section below.
We want our customers to use the Internet for everything they want and your service will not be limited to 300 GB . While we believe that 300 GB is more than enough to meet the Internet usage needs of most customers, Comcast will automatically add blocks of 50 GB to your account for an additional $10, should you exceed the 300 GB included in your plan in a month.
In order for our customers to get accustomed to this new data plan, we are implementing a three-month courtesy program. That means you will not be billed for the first three times you exceed 300 GB included in the data plan during a 12 month period. Should your usage exceed 300 GB a fourth time during any 12-month period, an additional 50 GB will automatically be allocated to your account and you will be billed $10 for that data and each additional 50 GB of data in excess of 300 GB during that month and any subsequent months your usage exceeds 300 GB.
Please note that this is a consumer trial. Comcast may modify or discontinue this trial at any time. However, we will notify you in advance of any such change.
Look at your phone bill and see all the taxes, surcharges and government fees that are applied. If the FCC were to regulate the Internet like telephone service don’t think for a minute that those same taxes, fees and surcharges wouldn’t be tacked on your bill.
We knew that there was a “Reichstag Fire” in the future. This may be it. Just a word to the wise.. Anytime they [Governments] stop ones ability to communicate, said Governments are about to do something bad to their, it used to be Citizens but now they consider us civilians. Prudent people will know what do when this occurs.
I’d find it just as outrageous if the US gubmint decides, or nearly so, which you know is also on their wishlist.
So what if they do?
As was already pointed out, that is garbage. But here is why. For access to be restricted that access would actually have to cause "too much congestion", not just as an excuse but in reality. The reason is that any service or access can be accessed by embedding it in any other service undetectably (by Comcast or anyone else). There is an exception of course, and that is streaming video. It is impossible to stream video undetectably except in even higher bandwidth streaming video.
Comcast has every right to throttle streaming video, both from a business standpoint and from a moral standpoint. That's because streaming video is entertainment or just drivel. As one example, CNN s is streaming video, and it is of course garbage. If you however want to disseminate or view a video for 1st amendment reasons and Comcast wanted to censor it, then that video could be transmitted more slowly in embedded in any other content or service. It would undetectable and unstoppable by Comcast or anyone else short of completely disconnecting your internet service. It would not be streaming live but that is of little value particularly when considering 1st amendment purposes (dissemination)
“But this time, Congress has warning...”
It has had warning nearly EVERY SINGLE TIME - and fat lot of good that has done us.
Also posted tonight:
Muslims get their knickers in a twist over Facebook and Twitter
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/internet/index
As well as http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3243293/posts
Worse than so-called net neutrality.
“Used to be data was free”
TANSTAAFL.
Many here don’t seem to realize the danger of this. The U.N. has been pressuring us for years to do this, George Bush told them to take a flying leap because he knew how this could hurt America’s national security. Of course, Obama is eager to weaken this country and is happy to turn ICANN over to the international community.
The problem is that ICANN is like the old telephone communication switchboard. Nobody “owns” the internet, true. But you can have servers, and networks and internet providers galore.... if the ICANN directory or “switchboard” that connects everybody to everything is run by a non-friendly entity, you are dead in the water if they abuse that authority.
He who controls ICANN controls modern global communications. The U.S. invented the Internet and developed ICANN so has kept it under the authority of the U.S. which has run it in a neutral capacity. The U.N. doesn’t like that U.S. having that power so wants us to give it up to the control of an international board.... the same type of anti-American lunatics that put Iran on the U.N. Human Rights Council.
I see more taxes on the horizon, aimed directly at internet users. Bend over folks, here it comes again.
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