The U.N. Threat To Internet Freedom — Robert McDowell, Wall Street Journal

The rapid growth of the  internet — free from the dictates of the governing elite — demonstrates in our own time the power of spontaneous order and the development of the common law. By so doing, the internet stands as an affront to all who seek power over markets and the lives of others.   Not surprisingly, a cadre of dictators is now moving to gain control over the internet and to limit the freedom of those who use it.  For its part, the Obama Administration stands silent, unaware of the threat, or unwilling to act to defend freedom and prosperity that the internet has produced for millions of human beings all over the world.

Reports Robert McDowell:  ”On Feb. 27, a diplomatic process will begin in Geneva that could result in a new treaty giving the United Nations unprecedented powers over the Internet. Dozens of countries, including Russia and China, are pushing hard to reach this goal by year’s end. As Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said last June, his goal and that of his allies is to establish ‘international control over the Internet’ through the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a treaty-based organization under U.N. auspices.

“If successful, these new regulatory proposals would upend the Internet’s flourishing regime, which has been in place since 1988. That year, delegates from 114 countries gathered in Australia to agree to a treaty that set the stage for dramatic liberalization of international telecommunications. This insulated the Internet from economic and technical regulation and quickly became the greatest deregulatory success story of all time.”  Read more

Categories:     Tags: Internet, Power Motive, Robert McDowell, Spontaneous Order, U.N.