[governance] rights based approach to the Internet

[Michael Gurstein]

The problem Milton (and McTim) is that I don't think anyone believes in that
kind of incantatory market fundamentalism anymore (after Enron, the subprime
meltdown, the US at #17 in the BB tables and falling...

So the question becomes on what basis do we respond to what seems to be the
general realization that access/use of the Internet is (or at least is
becoming) fundamental to being an active and effective participant in modern
life.  

It could be left to policy but unfortunately policy is subject to the
vagaries of politics.  And thus enforcement of the making available of these
opportunities is left to the happenstance of the political process which as
we can see in certain jurisdictions currently might be a very risky strategy
indeed... 

"Rights" of course have stronger mechanisms for enforcement behind them.
Whether having access to the Internet is of sufficient (and fundemental)
significance to warrant being a "right" is something to discuss... 

But suggesting leaving the whole matter to whatever shows up after the
market has done its "magic" is to belie any knowledge of history, any
experience of the real economic and social world and dare I say, even common
sense.

MG
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michael Gurstein [mailto:gurstein at gmail.com]
> 
> To give a flavour of a debate yet to come...

Tastes bad. See below

> BUT AS YOU KNOW STATES HAVE MULTIPLE WAYS OF ENSURING THAT THINGS GET
DONE
> OF WHICH DIRECT EXPENDITURE OF MONEY FROM THE TREASURY IS ONLY 
> ONE--REGULATION, TAX ABATEMENTS, DIRECTED CONTRACTS, AND SO ON AND SO 
> ON...I KNOW THAT THESE OFFEND THE NEO-LIB SENSIBILITIES BUT WHAT THE 
> HECK...

Whether you spend money directly from the Treasury or impose costly
obligations on businesses and people, you are still spending money,
reallocating resources. Failure to understand this is quite dangerous to a
society's health. And we always find out, eventually...the hard way. 

[some ranting and rhetorical b.s. cut]

> THE INTERNET SINCE IT IS SO ATTRACTIVE FROM A
> MARKET PERSPECTIVE WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY CONTINUE TO GROW... AND THERE
IS
> NO NEED FOR "RIGHTS" TO SUPPORT THOSE WHO FOR EXAMPLE ARE ABLE TO PAY
> OR ARE IN LOCATIONS WHERE, BECAUSE OF POPULATION DENSITY OR VALUE OF
THE 
> CUSTOMER BASE WILL HAVE READY AND LOW COST ACCESS. HOWEVER, AT THE
MARGINS > I.E. THOSE WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY OR WHERE THE MARKET DOESN'T SEE
MUCH 
> VALUE IN PROVIDING A SUPPLY AT A REASONABLE COST IS WHERE "RIGHTS"
> BECOME EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND WHERE THE INTERNET CAN AND SHOULD BE
"MADE"
> TO GROW.

Ok, so pay careful attention to where we are. The market, you have conceded,
will continue to drive growth for the vast majority of people and we are
only talking about "the margins." (And keep in mind that technological
change and the competitive market can shrink the marginal areas
considerably, so that what was in 1993 unaffordable even for me, an
Assistant Professor in the USA -- mobile phone service -- is now affordable
for everyone in my family, virtually all college students and a sizable
segment of the Chinese and Indian populations. So what are we arguing about?


Simply this: I prefer to call the decision to redistribute a reasonable
amount of wealth to people on the margins of the infrastructure to achieve
meaningful expansions of access a "policy". You prefer to call it a "Right."


The problem with your approach is that the billions of people who can afford
to pay for access and who are not on the margins might ask why they need to
pay for a "right" that others don't have to pay for. Maybe the subsidy
expands where there is no need for it. That in turn can undermine the more
efficient expansion of access that would take place naturally. 

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