[governance] What this debate is really about

[Lee McKnight]

Guru,

Not to get too pedantic (probably hard to do on this list) but poli sci
theory includes large literatures on 'voluntary associations' and
interest group politics, who do govern themselves, and in the case of eg
standards organizations, can make decisions that have wide effects on
industry, government and society. We could get into corporatist and
neocorporatist theory here too, but ok now I am getting too pedantic.

In sum, there may be global Internet governance institutions that are
closer, in both philosophy and objective, to civil society, and others
further removed. I for one would be delighted if ICANN, ISOC and IETF
etc were to wish to identify more closely with civil society, and see no
case in the literature for excluding them a priori. For example the
International Red Cross - performs (governs) critical emergency
functions, is organized as an international organization, is closer or
further removed from the government in specific nations - but we would
not exclude the Red Cross in spite of its 'voluntary tax' in times of
emergency powers - from civil society. Right?

Lee


Prof. Lee W. McKnight
School of Information Studies
Syracuse University
+1-315-443-6891office
+1-315-278-4392 mobile
>>> guru at itforchange.net 05/26/08 10:06 AM >>>

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