[governance] ICANN/USG Affirmation of Commitments

[David Allen]

> What the Internet has enabled is to add a layer which can combine  
> representative with participatory democracy.

I believe there is very little evidence to this effect.

The Internet, like other electronic media, _can_ speed up the feedback  
loops, from governed to those governing, and in the reverse  
direction.  Whether that occurs and has effect on those governing  
turns, as usual, on the humans in the loops.  Are they engaged?  do  
they care?  do they respond? etc, etc.

There are plenty of modern day cases, such as the miraculous turn  
around in US administrations where all the old verities still, so  
sadly, apply - polarized hard right versus hard left, etc.

And the 'representatives' still make the decisions.  Just as one for  
instance, financial interests in the US still call those shots,  
through the elected 'representatives,' never mind a near-death  
experience aka almost-a-Depression.

> The principle of multistakeholderism is the very concrete outcome of  
> this development.

Again, I believe an accurate analysis sees the emergence of other than  
state actors onto the governance stage as part of a complicated  
evolution over quite some time.  Certainly, technologies play some  
part.  But numerous factors play a part, certainly, in cases, with  
much more impact than comms tech.

Blithe propositions, elevating our favorite stuff, are tempting.  But  
somewhat more grounded analysis may well serve us more accurately.

David
____________________________________________________________
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