[governance] Re: The Internet (as we know it) can never be "private"

[Daniel Kalchev]

On 18.07.11 18:24, Paul Lehto wrote:
>
> The main difference is that
> Constitutions protect us against governmental action of this kind by
> giving us a cause of action for interfering with free speech, but with
> corporate action against free speech we do not have a cause of action
> under the Constitution because they are "private" parties.

Different countries have different constitutions. Internet is global and 
is the same for everyone.

Which constitution should everyone on Earth adopt?

>
> Most countries, including the USA, have set up postal services for
> centuries, and by policy in the USA, a stamp to deliver a letter next
> door presently costs 44 cents, and a stamp to deliver a letter
> thousands of miles away to Alaska for example is also the same 44
> cents.  Service to very rural areas by the post office causes losses.
> BUT PUBLIC POLICY at the governmental level has resoundingly, and for
> over a century now, affirmed that the interest of tying the country
> together in communications exceeds the consideration of financial
> losses in serving rural areas that are high cost.

Setting up prices is considered regulation in many countries.

44 cents may be reasonable price in he US, but it may be too high in 
Kenya, or may be too small in say Norway.
Because of this, long ago postal companies have agreed on international 
'mail coupons' that have different "price" in different countries, but 
the same "value": this coupon guarantees the delivery of one air mail 
letter.

> By the same taken, a reasonable global governance system for the
> internet could easily provide, if it elected to, that the interest in
> connecting the globe as a whole was of sufficient weight that
> "postage" costs for email on the internet should be the same no matter
> whether the email is domestic or going to Kenya.

You suggest global regulation of Internet access costs across Earth? 
With all countries agreeing on the one true price?

> Competition
> may lower prices (eventually) but competition will never create a
> e-postal service that serves everyone equally.

It has. It's called the Internet. Used by billions of people worldwide 
for decades.

> That requires government.

Which one?

>    (Or, an extremely rare philanthropic visionary running a
> monopolistic corporation world-wide, which is unlikely to say the
> least, and subject to change upon that death of that visionary)
>
Or a few million individuals, and growing, as it happened to be with the 
today's Internet. Many have already passed away, new were born for the 
lifespan of the Internet and more are on the way.

Daniel
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