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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=877421410-17012012>Daniel,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=877421410-17012012></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=877421410-17012012>"Our
money" is no more "ours" than "our language" somehow "belongs" to us as
property... </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=877421410-17012012></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=877421410-17012012>Money
is a social convention, backed up by a huge range of social values, norms,
practices, rules etc.etc. Without all of those conventions money is
meaningless or at least is no more of value than the leaves on the trees that it
at times resembles.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=877421410-17012012></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=877421410-17012012>Mike</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma><FONT size=2><SPAN class=877421410-17012012><FONT
color=#0000ff face=Arial> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=877421410-17012012> </SPAN>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
governance@lists.cpsr.org [mailto:governance@lists.cpsr.org] <B>On Behalf Of
</B>Daniel Kalchev<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, January 17, 2012 1:43
AM<BR><B>To:</B> Paul Lehto<BR><B>Cc:</B>
governance@lists.cpsr.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [governance] Access to the
Internet and Human Rights<BR><BR></DIV></FONT></FONT>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><BR>
<DIV>
<DIV>On Jan 16, 2012, at 10:33 PM, Paul Lehto wrote:</DIV><BR
class=Apple-interchange-newline>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><BR><BR>
<DIV class=gmail_quote>On Mon, Jan 16, 2012 at 3:11 PM, Daniel Kalchev <SPAN
dir=ltr><<A
href="mailto:daniel@digsys.bg">daniel@digsys.bg</A>></SPAN> wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; PADDING-LEFT: 1ex"
class=gmail_quote>
<DIV>
<DIV>Who is the "government" in your scenario, and "whose" money does it
spend?</DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><SPAN class=HOEnZb><FONT color=#888888>
<DIV><BR></DIV>If it is legitimate government, then it is "our" government,
spending "our" money. ("Our" is the grammatically parallel term for
"We" as in "We the People") <BR></FONT></SPAN></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>If it is "our" money, then "we" get to say how those money are
spent.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>It is quite obvious, that although "Internet access" is sort of universal
service and that it is quite popular, it is far from everyone, who wants to
have Internet access. Internet access has already became huge industry and
"nationalizing" it is at least not practical -- however many Governments dream
of.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Your explanations strike an similarity between right to "internet access"
and "right to food". Now imagine, that we talk about food. Food, has always
been precious resource for humanity. Whoever has access to more food is
richer, can afford more etc. This is so, because everyone needs to feed and do
it regularly. </DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Few thoughts about "food":</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>- fact is, every Government claims to provide "free food" for those in
need.</DIV>
<DIV>- fact is, in every country, there are people starving. In few countries
those people are less, but they do exist.</DIV>
<DIV>- in all cases where there is "free food" provided it is of relatively
limited nature. If you are producer of food, you will not agree "government
money" (that is, your money) to be spent driving you out of business.</DIV>
<DIV>- whatever a Government provides, it has extremely high bureaucracy costs
associated.</DIV>
<DIV>- in most cases, it is not the government that provides free food, but
various groups of people (often called charitable societies). Those groups buy
or produce food with their own efforts, eventually convincing others to
donate.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Therefore, "free, Government provided access to <whatever>" is a
myth.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>There is of course, a "right" of everyone to access Internet and all the
good (and bad) things it can bring to their lives. This is the sole reason we
do build the Internet -- so that everyone can use it.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>But I fail to see how Governments can help. For the known Internet
history, they have been more on the disruptive side of the equation.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Internet, by it's nature is not a monopoly. If your ISP does not like
you, it is your choice to select someone else. There is great competition to
provide Internet services and this is good for both you and for the ISP.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>It is ironic, that you say "legitimate Government" is ok. It
turns out, that about the only parties identified so far to consider
restrictions of Internet access are Governments. All of them. For the sole
purpose to "defend" themselves from this phenomena they don't quite understand
- the Internet.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Is the US Government legitimate? Then why does it want SOPA?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Daniel</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>PS: Internet's "virality" has it's roots in the humans and the specific
property of Internet that allows everyone to participate. Governments got the
"participate" part and tried to restrict who builds Internet by introducing
all sorts of licensing schemes. Some declared victory at the time, but now
realize that this thing is not possible to control -- humans will willingly
participate in "illegal" (that is, not accepting to be restricted by
Government imposed licenses) activities -- for they want access to Internet.
If this is human rights, how come Governments do everything possible to deny
it?</DIV>!DSPAM:2676,4f1542d0223771260046400! </BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>