[governance] Four legs good, two legs bad

[Louis Pouzin]

Hi all,

Some of what Milton says applies as well to the phone system: basically "it's a service, not a physical commodity". However, unlike the internet, "its architecture, resource assignment and administration are" .. not unilateral.

"Changing this would require a huge shift in political, economic and technical arrangements". Ahem, wasn't this the P&T song in the 70's ?

"and it is not clear that this would make things any better and a number of reasons to think it would make things worse". For some, perhaps ? Established power structures always say that.

As long as the US gov will try to maintain its exclusive grip on the internet, there will be endless discussions and guerrillas on IG. Changes will occur anyhow, because digital communications systems (internet and phone) are highly flexible structures that may be redesigned without disrupting end user services. A most ironic thing today is that the internet establishment is playing the former P&T game of walling up its turf. Vested interests ??

"there is no single existing intergovernmental organization where these things can be handled". Maybe. Is there one for pollution ?

Best

- -
On Mon, 11 Dec 2006 09:31:22 -0500, Milton Mueller wrote:

>This is obvious. Three things. First, it's a service, not a physical commodity; second, and much more importantly, its architecture, resource assignment and administration are (by default) transnational. Changing this would require a huge shift in political, economic and technical arrangements and it is not clear that this would make things any better and a number of reasons to think it would make things worse. Third, there is no single existing intergovernmental organization where these things can be handled.
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     governance at lists.cpsr.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     governance-unsubscribe at lists.cpsr.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance