Thursday, April 3, 2014

BloggeRhythms

Yesterday, Drudge included an article by Brendan Sasso of the National Journal titled: “Republicans Fear Obama Will Let Russia Seize Internet Power”

The subject covered last month’s Commerce Department announcement that “it will give the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), an international nonprofit group, control over a set of technical procedures that allows computers around the world to connect to Web addresses.”

In response, dozens of Republicans wish to block the transfer of authority until the Government Accountability Office can study the issue in detail because “An Obama administration plan to give up oversight of certain technical Internet functions could open the door to a takeover by authoritarian regimes, Republican lawmakers claimed Wednesday.”

On the other hand, “Democrats at Wednesday's hearing insisted that if Republicans were serious about Internet freedom, they would support the U.S. proposal. Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Larry Strickling, said the U.S. will make sure that no foreign government will be able to seize new powers over the Internet."

Strickling went on, “No one has yet to explain to me the mechanism by which any of these individual governments could somehow seize control of the Internet as a whole.”

Rep. Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, shot back: "Do you really think that Vladimir Putin... isn't going to figure out some way to get control? China and Russia can be very resourceful."

The Republicans warned, "If Russia or China gain new influence over the management of the Internet, they could begin censoring content or blocking websites."

"Make no mistake: Threats to the openness and freedom of the Internet are real," said Republican Rep. Greg Walden, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee, which held a hearing on the issue Wednesday. "Leaders such as Vladimir Putin have explicitly announced their desire to gain control of the Internet."

I mention this because, first and foremost, the internet’s an American invention, although the government never really “controlled” it. Secondly, other than wishing to appear gracious, open and giving, there’s no logical reason to make any changes in the control of any aspect of the system that presently exists. Which leads to the question that with so many unknowns as to what the ceding of control could lead to, why would any rational person willingly take the risk?

But then, at the end of the article, a light went on as to the Dem’s rationale of giving other nation’s access. Because in the next to the very last paragraph it says, “A range of companies and civil liberties groups have endorsed the administration's plan. Most recently, the Internet Association, a lobbying group that includes Google, Facebook, and Yahoo, sent a letter to House lawmakers supporting the proposal.”

So, there we have it, as consistent as sunrise every morning. If you want to know why Dem’s do anything, follow the money. And in this case, with huge new markets the high-tech supporters of the idea will likely reap billions in profits leaving plenty for paybacks to friends. Therefore, for them, who cares what happens to national security? Money will always override all else, regardless of the risks to the nation incurred by the sellouts for cash.

That's it for today folks.

Adios 

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