Who is the biggest funder for the internet? Who put the internet in place? Who is supposed to control democratic governments?
Are you advocating another situation like the radio and TV in America controlled by one political group under the guise of economics? Is that the reason that we have an Australian cultural Media and Russian Art? That we are servants in the fields of another people's vineyards while we own the best bottomland and the best weather? Personally I wouldn't trust anyone in relation to the internet but I do know that I have a stake in the American people and their government. I have more of a chance of effecting that then of effecting GE or any of the other big companies whose only interest is themselves and money. That's my take on it Mike but I'm no romantic about the possibilities. That's why I call Congress regularly and lobby hard and I politik hard and never miss the vote as well as talking on lists like this one. REH -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Mike Spencer Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2011 12:18 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [Futurework] Re: "eG8 Forum": A Smokescreen For Governmental Control Of The Net Mike G wrote: La Quadrature du Net - For immediate release http://www.laquadrature.net/en/eg8-forum-a-smokescreen-for-governmental- control-of-the-net "eG8 Forum": A Smokescreen For Governmental Control Of The Net Lauren Weinstein (of Privacy Digest inter alia) seems to be on it: http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000856.html Why the Internet is the Most Important Thing in the World [snip] While it's easy to point fingers at various corporate Internet entities for lapses of one sort or another, I have come to believe that the ultimate enemy of freedom on the Internet is governments themselves -- often (but not always) well meaning, but always carrying the potential for enormous damage. For the Internet is now arguably the most important thing in the world. [snip] Government control and surveillance over Internet content -- especially government-mandated censorship, blocking, and eavesdropping regimes -- are in some ways more dangerous than nuclear weapons. They all have the ability to cause destruction on an enormous scale. One hopes that the utter decimation of life that can result from nuclear weapons will continue to further restrain their use. But few if any such restraints seem apparent on governments' desires to control and surveil the Internet, even though this could be as ultimately damaging to the human spirit, as fusion bombs are to human life. [snip] -- Michael Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada .~. /V\ [email protected] /( )\ http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/ ^^-^^ _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
