America Must Never Cede Control Of The Internet To The United Nations
Robert Paul Reyes
November 03, 2005
Contrary to popular belief the Internet was not invented by Al Gore in the 1990's, it was devised by American military researchers in the 1960's, and under the auspices of our democracy it has thrived beyond anyone's wildest dreams.
When I first got online in 1995, less than 15% of Americans surfed the Net, now an individual who doesn't have an Internet connection is a hopeless Luddite.
The Internet has been the greatest success story of our generation, but other countries fancy that it needs international supervision through the United Nations. This misguided effort at imposing international dominion over the Internet is being led by a few rouge states, including China, Iran and Cuba.
According to Wikipedia, the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China has passed an Internet censorship law in mainland China. Internet censorship laws in this totalitarian state block news from many foreign sources.
It's not surprising that totalitarian dictatorships are at the forefront of the battle to regulate the Internet, because the Information Highway has been the greatest tool for democracy that the world has ever seen.
The Net has been a godsend for citizen expression. It has given a voice to the voiceless and it has made the powerful listen to the weak.
"We the bloggers" have held the mainstream media in the United States accountable to a higher standard. We forced the mass media to cover the disappearance of Latoyia Figueroa; we brought Rathergate to the surface, and for better or worse, we also played a part in Harriet Miers withdrawing her nomination.
Thanks to Web sites like "American Chronicle" (AC) that give everyday citizens a platform to express their views, and thanks to Google News syndicating AC articles -- common citizens are able to influence mainstream culture.
The European Union has dropped its objection to handing the Internet over to international regulation. That's not surprising, European countries, usually march in lockstep with the dictatorships and Third World states that control the United Nations.
But America, the greatest democracy the world has ever known, must never allow the Internet to be regulated, controlled or censored by the United Nations or any other world body.
If the UN had control of the Internet, this essay would most likely be censored because it "offends the sensibilities of Third World countries".
When I first got online in 1995, less than 15% of Americans surfed the Net, now an individual who doesn't have an Internet connection is a hopeless Luddite.
The Internet has been the greatest success story of our generation, but other countries fancy that it needs international supervision through the United Nations. This misguided effort at imposing international dominion over the Internet is being led by a few rouge states, including China, Iran and Cuba.
According to Wikipedia, the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China has passed an Internet censorship law in mainland China. Internet censorship laws in this totalitarian state block news from many foreign sources.
It's not surprising that totalitarian dictatorships are at the forefront of the battle to regulate the Internet, because the Information Highway has been the greatest tool for democracy that the world has ever seen.
The Net has been a godsend for citizen expression. It has given a voice to the voiceless and it has made the powerful listen to the weak.
"We the bloggers" have held the mainstream media in the United States accountable to a higher standard. We forced the mass media to cover the disappearance of Latoyia Figueroa; we brought Rathergate to the surface, and for better or worse, we also played a part in Harriet Miers withdrawing her nomination.
Thanks to Web sites like "American Chronicle" (AC) that give everyday citizens a platform to express their views, and thanks to Google News syndicating AC articles -- common citizens are able to influence mainstream culture.
The European Union has dropped its objection to handing the Internet over to international regulation. That's not surprising, European countries, usually march in lockstep with the dictatorships and Third World states that control the United Nations.
But America, the greatest democracy the world has ever known, must never allow the Internet to be regulated, controlled or censored by the United Nations or any other world body.
If the UN had control of the Internet, this essay would most likely be censored because it "offends the sensibilities of Third World countries".
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