[WSIS CS-Plenary] Dim bulb denounces WGIG report

[Elizabeth Carll, PhD]

Perhaps this article is part of a much larger media campaign to accomplish
more than attempting to raise one Republican's standing in his party.
Experts in media and propaganda know that messages have to be repeated often
and in many forms to register with the public.  The end goal would be to
enhance considerably more than a few people's political standing.

Elizabeth

Dr. Elizabeth Carll
Tel: 631-754-2424
Fax: 631-754-5032
ecarll at optonline.net
  -----Original Message-----
  From: plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org [mailto:plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org]On
Behalf Of William Drake
  Sent: Tuesday, August 02, 2005 3:06 AM
  To: Plenary; Governance
  Subject: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Dim bulb denounces WGIG report


  Hi,

  This just in, from the Republican who previously called on Kofi Annan to
resign.  Good to know that his people are keeping busy trawling for more
opportunities to cheap shot the UN in order to raise his standing in the
party.   Probably some impressionable young staffer has been reading
articles by Declan McCullagh.    I guess it would have been too nuanced to
note the report simply lists options reflecting diverse views, one of which
is to make no changes to oversight.  Imagine he'll find some snappy title
for the threatened legislation, like The Defending America's Internet
Freedom Act of 2005.

  Best,

  Bill


  http://coleman.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressR
elease_id=707


        COLEMAN DENOUNCES REPORT CALLING FOR UN GLOBAL INTERNET CONTROL
        Coleman opposed to any proposal to hand control of Internet
governance over to the United Nations

        July 29th, 2005 - Washington, D.C. - Senator Norm Coleman today
submitted a statement into the Congressional Record denouncing a final
report issued by the United Nations’ Working Group on Internet Governance
(WGIG) suggesting that the U.N. assume global governance of the Internet.
Since its inception and creation in the United States, the U.S. has assumed
the historic role of overseeing the Internet’s growth and has overseen its
development. The U.N. taskforce report suggests that in addition to
terminating the U.S.’s leadership role, the authority and functions of the
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a non-profit
organization overseen by the U.S. Department of Commerce, should be
transferred as well. Senator Coleman strongly opposes these measures.

        “My probe of the U.N. as Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations revealed management that was at best, incompetent, and at
worst corrupt,” said Coleman. “The first priority for the United Nations
must be fundamental reform of its management and operations rather than any
expansion of its authority and responsibilities. The Internet has flourished
under U.S. supervision, oversight, and private sector involvement. This
growth did not happen because of increased government involvement, but
rather, from the opening on the Internet to commerce and private sector
innovation. Subjecting the Internet and its security to the politicized
control of the UN bureaucracy would be a giant and foolhardy step
 backwards.”

        “Recently, I introduced UN reform legislation with the Chairman of
the Senate Foreign Relations, Senator Dick Lugar (R-IN), known as the
Coleman-Lugar UN Reform Bill, to help put an end to a culture of corruption
that was exposed by the Oil for Food scandal, peacekeeping sexual abuse
scandals, and other instances of organizational failures at U.N.,” Coleman
said. “Putting the U.N. in charge of one of the world’s most important
technological wonders and economic engines is out of the question. This
proposal would leave the United States with no more say over the future of
the Internet than Cuba or China—countries that have little or no commitment
to the free flow of information.”

        The WGIG taskforce report will be discussed at the next World Summit
on the Information Society Tunisia in November.

        “In light of this report, I also plan to consult with experts and
stakeholders regarding Internet governance, and will assess whether
legislation is needed as a remedy,” Coleman continued. “The U.S. is willing
to work with other countries that have an interest in the management of
their own country code domains but UN control is out of the question. We
will continue a dialogue with the rest of the world on these issues as we go
forward.”


  *******************************************************
  William J. Drake  wdrake at ictsd.ch
  President, Computer Professionals for
     Social Responsibility www.cpsr.org
  Senior Associate, International Centre for Trade
     and Sustainable Development www.ictsd.org
     Geneva, Switzerland
  http://mitpress.mit.edu/IRGP-series
  http://www.cpsr.org/board/drake

  Morality is the best of all devices for leading

  mankind by the nose.---Nietzsche
  *******************************************************


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