Thoughts about Internet Freedom

[Alex Gakuru]

"The more things change, the more they remain the same.” - Alphonse Karr.

There is no doubt that the Internet is so far the single greatest
invention by man. But we  realize, as historically with all other
great resources, that self-serving 'money, power and control'
influences have creep onto it. We are living at that moment in history
where later generations will learn the process how (or if?) the open
Internet was finally grabbed for a thereafter restoration of
'traditional' exploitations.

Will the Internet, in the end, serve as a powerful tool of
re-occupation, weaker societies' intellectual assets theft and
perpetuation of widespread human rights abuses? Considering that
private entities are the implementers of this new order as the opposed
to hitherto gun trotting powerful foreign governments, does this
arrangement of norms ensure that they get away with *anything* since
are excused as private corporations?

What has not changed is the fact that those with tons of money and
power progressively either buying or bulldozing their way into
controlling the Internet and the rest of society, regardless of their
nation states.

One sees on the Internet many bent on furthering an Africa serving the
rest world as a source of raw materials - from slavery (raw material
labour beings), industrial inputs, agricultural inputs etc. to now
"raw material knowledge"? A great many still do not believe or accept
that Africa has own refined knowledge and all round innovation, also
threatened.

Innovation re-colonization may already be taking place faster than we
imagined. Like the old "discoverers" technology scouts are out around
the world collecting nuggets of local technologies and rushing them
through IP registrations back at their homes jurisdictions.

Regardless of if we expect an even greater technology to be invented
in future or not, one suspects that our distant folk, all waiting to
be born, will undergo the same old "money, power and control"
motions:-)

regards,

Alex

On Sun, Mar 6, 2011 at 9:17 AM, Marc Perkel <marc at churchofreality.org> wrote:
> I think all of us are on the same page when it comes to freedom on the
> Internet. But there are other constituencies that see things differently.
> The difference in viewpoint is about values.
>
> Here's the way I see it. The universe has been evolving for the last 13.7
> billion years. Life on this planet has evolved into here we are today. But
> who are we - where are we going - and what does this have to do with the
> Internet?
>
> What makes us different than the other critters inhabiting this planet is
> that we have evolved the ability to communicate. Humanity has formed a
> mental network involving billions of minds working together. First we
> started with language. Then we developed written language allowing
> information to be passed between people who are not in the same location or
> time. Then the printing press was a giant leap forward. Then there was radio
> - television - computers - all expanding the human communication network.
> And now we have the Internet - which is a network taking us to places we can
> hardly imagine. The Internet is part of human evolution. It's the most
> significant step that any species have ever developed.
>
> Humanity is at an inflection point where we are transitioning from and
> evolved species to where we can and will take control over what we will
> evolve into. Unfortunately our technology is leading our understanding of
> who we are and what role we will have in the universe and we continue to
> progress.
>
> It is imperative to all of humanity that Internet freedom must prevail in
> order for us as a species to be as good as we can be. Internet freedom is as
> basic as talking - as writing - as thinking - as breathing. It is an
> extension of our collective minds.
>
> There are those who have other priorities. Governments want to keep control
> of their little kingdoms. But these nation states are just all so temporary.
> And then there's the money interests. Who is going to make a buck off of the
> web and how do we protect intellectual property from piracy. Yes there will
> be crime on the Internet.
>
> But what is it that's really important here? is it important for governments
> to keep secrets from the people by shutting down Wikileaks? Or is it more
> important for people to learn the truth about what governments are up to?
> Wikileaks has been accused of a lot of things but they haven't been accused
> of publishing information that isn't true. Do we want to live in a world
> where the truth is illegal and lying is required? That's not the future that
> I envision.
>
> When a dictator wants to hold onto power in the decade what do they do? The
> shut down the Internet. That's because the Internet is the way we hold
> governments accountable. Governments exist to serve the people - not the
> other way around.
>
> We live in an age where corporate interests are expanding all over the
> planet and they have a lot of money to influence governments. Here in the
> United States our Supreme Court declared corporation to be people. But
> corporation aren't people. All the decision showed is who their corporate
> masters are.
>
> The Internet can be a tool of ultimate freedom or ultimate repression. Can
> you imagine what it would have been like in World War II if today's
> technology were in the hands of the Nazis? But even though they were
> defeated there's nothing that prevents something like that from happening
> again, except the will of the people to make sure that no government gets
> that kind of power.
>
> This is what I see as the stakes in the balance of power between freedom and
> oppression and freedom must win. The way I see it governments shouldn't even
> be at the table let alone in control.
>
> The bottom line for me is this. The freedom of humanity and the future of
> humanity is more important than government. law, corporations, intellectual
> property, law enforcement, religion, or money. So it's up to us to draw the
> line and not let the debate move from values that are more important to
> values that are less important. We have to make the case that humanity owns
> the Internet and we're not going to let governments and corporation take it
> away from us.
>
> Marc Perkel
> First One
> Church of Reality
> Keeping it Real
>