U.N. Plan for Internet Control Tiptoes Forward

[Guest guest]

U.N. Plan for Internet Control Tiptoes Forward

by Cheryl K. Chumley (April 9, 2004)

http://www.capmag.com/articlePrint.asp?ID=3600

Article website address: http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=3600

 

Summary: The difference between these contrasting regulatory proposals being

discussed at the U.S. federal level versus global echelon, of course, is

congressional representatives are accountable to their constituents. The

members of the United Nations, primarily anti-American in ideology and deed,

are not.

 

[CAPMAG.COM]

The phantom of government-controlled Internet has raised its menacing head

again, this time on the global level.

 

" Even the definition of what we mean by Internet governance is a subject of

debate. But the world has a common interest in ensuring the security and

dependability of this new medium, " said Secretary-General Kofi Annan, at the

opening of a March 25-26 United Nations Global Forum on Internet Governance.

" The medium must be made accessible and responsive to the needs of all the

world’s people. "

 

In UN-speak, that means America better ready itself, once again, to

relinquish a bit more of its Founding Father free-market freedoms and

accompanying hard-earned dollars to support the policies and expenses of a

socialist system that demands equality for all at whatever cost.

 

The idea of government control of the Internet is not new, not even in this

country where pending congressional bills reflect very different opinions on

if and how this technology should be regulated. Rep. Christopher Cox

(R-Calif.), for instance, wants a permanent moratorium on Internet taxation

via H.R. 49 while Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) proposes to tax email and

Internet access in S. 2084. The difference between these contrasting

regulatory proposals being discussed at the U.S. federal level versus global

echelon, of course, is congressional representatives are accountable to

their constituents.

 

The members of the United Nations, primarily anti-American in ideology and

deed, are not.

 

So when United Nations leader Kofi Annan announces publicly a " common

interest " in providing Internet access to " all the world’s people, "

suspicion should be the prevailing emotion among all those who claim

reverence for the right of the individual and for free market. This is not

an idle pronouncement, an off-the-cuff expression of a personal dream or

childlike desire for all in the world to have equal rights and access to

this technology. Rather, Annan’s formal statements come on the tail end of a

U.N. meeting on " telecommunications " regulation that was planned in December

2003, the same month the global body solidified its Declaration of

Principles and its Plan of Action for actually achieving government control

of the Internet.

 

In other words, this U.N. push for control is not going to die. Already

scheduled is a follow-up meeting in Tunis Nov. 16-18, 2005 to give updates

on how successfully these principles and action plans have been implemented

in the various member states, to include America. In terms of what the U.N.

wants to accomplish, here’s the gist of what we face.

 

" The Internet has evolved into a global facility available to the public and

its governance should constitute a core issue of the Information Society

agenda, " the Declaration of Principles states. " The international management

of the Internet should be multilateral, transparent and democratic … It

should ensure an equitable distribution of resources. "

 

So what does this mean to you, an American citizen with constitutionally

guaranteed individual rights, freedoms, privacies and free-market abilities?

Well, there’s that niggling " equality for all " philosophy again, the

socialist’s dream of achieving absolute uniformity among those of dissimilar

abilities and resources that runs completely contrary to our constitutional

system of capitalism. This is how the plot for global control will unfold.

 

In its Plan of Action, the United Nations lists 10 goals, most aimed at

linking various Internet users and records to one, single, master global

system. Planned connections include " villages, universities, colleges,

secondary schools and primary schools, scientific and research centers,

public libraries, cultural centers, museums, post offices and archives,

health centers and hospitals (and) all local and central government

departments. "

 

Also planned is adapting " all primary and secondary school curricula to meet

the challenges of the Information Society, " ensuring world-wide access to

television and radio and encouraging " conditions in order to facilitate the

presence and use of all world languages on the Internet. "

 

This is U.N. language; in simpler terms, the principles and actions outline

the goals and means for taking charge of the Internet at the international

level. By their own statements, U.N. members want access to medical records.

They want to know what’s being taught in the schools, from elementary grades

through college. They want to keep abreast of all scientific advancements.

They want to know what’s being mailed, what’s being exhibited in museums and

what’s being discussed in town hall meetings.

 

They plan to achieve these objectives by 2015.

 

Once realized, our free-market system will surely crumble. Not only does the

United Nations call for sharing technology with disadvantaged -- and

possibly even hostile -- states, but this body will also be in position to

impose whatever access and usage fees deemed necessary for the good of all,

regulate business, and oversee all content placed on the Internet for public

access.

 

Care to comment? My reserved U.N. email address should be functional within

the next few months. Just drop me a line at cchumley.globalcitizen.

 

 

 

 

About the Author: Cheryl K. Chumley is the Associate Editor of the American

Policy Center’s News Wire.The Center is a grassroots, activist think tank

headquartered in Warrenton, VA. It maintains an Internet site at

www.americanpolicy.org.