[Fwd: FC: Internet governance: herding cats and sacred cows]

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

Robert Shaw <robert.shaw@itu.int>
Head a.i., IED/Advisor, Global Information Infrastructure
International Telecommunication Union <http://www.itu.int>
Place des Nations, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland

said:
> You may have noticed that I have become a profound cynic about
> private-sector self-governance. Two years ago this wasn't true
> but after watching the self-interest of the private sector
> during the last two years, I've changed my mind. This is not
> some dark desire to regulate the Internet - it is just recognition
> reflective of the reality of commercial forces. I'm reminded
> of the great liberal philosopher Adam Smith, who, more than
> two hundred years ago, said public monopolies are terrible.
> They are slow, bureaucratic, inefficient and so on. But he 
> also added, private monopolies are all of this, and in
> addition, greedy.

Why is it that more commentators/analysist/citizens seem to
denigrate economic rationalism, the free market and minuscule
government than support them, yet we get more and more of them? Are
the democratic processes broken? 

Maybe Richard Welykochy's tag in
> <intelltectual_snobbery> Half the world is below median intelligence, and we
> want unmediated democracy? </intellectual_snobbery>

should not be <intelltectual_snobbery>, but rather <political and
economic arrogance> i.e. we who hold the reigns of power know what
is best. We will ignore you and do as we feel best.

-- 
Politics consists in the art of taking votes from the poor and money
from the rich under the pretext of protecting each from the other.
-- unknown

Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Canberra Australia
brd@dynamite.com.au