And the crunch day is today.
From Yahoo.com:
US prepares to cede key role for internet
by Rob Lever
Washington (AFP) – The US government is set to cut the final thread of its oversight of the internet, yielding a largely symbolic but nevertheless significant role over the online address system.
Barring any last-minute glitches, the transition will occur at midnight Friday (0400 GMT Saturday), when the US contract expires for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which manages the internet’s so-called “root zone.”
When the agreement with the US Commerce Department runs out, ICANN will become a self-regulating non-profit international entity managing the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, the system for online “domains” such as .com.
US and ICANN officials say the change is part of a longstanding plan to “privatize” those functions, but some critics complain about a “giveaway” that could threaten the internet’s integrity.
That’s putting it mildly.
Let’s listen to Senator Ted Cruz:
Then, let’s watch Senator Ted Cruz with ICANN CEO and President Goran Marby regarding ICANN in the Judiciary Subcommittee:
Is it just me, or does Mr Marby veritably reek of dripping condescension, equivocation, superiority and aloofness? Yes. It’s just me.
To whom are we ceding, essentially, control of the internet? From Breitbart.com:
Meet the New Authoritarian Masters of the Internet
by John Hayward
President Barack Obama’s drive to hand off control of Internet domains to a foreign multi-national operation will give some very unpleasant regimes equal say over the future of online speech and commerce.
Let the massive significance of that paragraph roil around in the fetid recesses of your brainulus for a bit.
Equal. Say.
I wonder: what other nation possesses a First Amendment? Oh. That’s right: no other.
In fact, they are likely to have much more influence than America, because they will collectively push hard for a more tightly controlled Internet, and they are known for aggressively using political and economic pressure to get what they want.
Consider: Russia, China, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Turkey — all countries that have either already censored, taken down or negatively impacted the internet on numerous occasions. To them, uncensored speech is a danger and not a core freedom.
The rest of the world, taken in total, is very interested in suppressing various forms of expression, for reasons ranging from security to political stability and religion. Those governments will never be comfortable, so long as parts of the Internet remain outside of their control. They have censorship demands they consider very reasonable, and absolutely vital. The website you are reading right now violates every single one of them, on a regular basis.
As does my blog. There are already persons in the United States who believe I should not be able to write what I write here. That I should need a “license to blog” and that I and others should be forced to operate under the former FCC “fairness doctrine” which had no fairness attached whatsoever. If you wish to take down my blog you’ll certainly not care for my upcoming radio show on SHR Media.
As my headline indicates, the US under Barack Hussein Obama has determined to surrender control of ICANN and turn it over to a conglomeration of interests that have a history of little or no interest in free speech.
That begs the question: why? Why, indeed. This is another in a continuing series of capitulist, surrender-monkey moves where the United States, under Obama, manages to give away power and control under the guise of “negotiation” for little if anything in return; witness Guantanamo, witness Bergdahl, witness Iran.
For the answer we must, in my opinion, hearken back to Obama’s formative years under, literally, Communists (“Communism is not love. Communism is a hammer which we use to crush the enemy.” -Mao), Muslims and Socialists. Mr Obama was taught that America’s “colonialist ways” have damaged the entire planet and, for that, we must atone.
This country, the United States of America, shames Mr Barack Hussein Obama. There is little, in his mind, of which to be proud. Hence, his endless hammering on the various wedges that divide our country. Mr Obama has become and is the Divider-In-Chief.
From Obama’s spiritual advisor Pastor Jeremiah Wright, to his mentor (and co-author) Bill Ayers, to his idols Saul Alinsky, Richard Clower, Frances Fox Piven, Che Guevara and more.
Atonement, you see, now comes in the form of Mr Obama purposefully attempting to minimize the role America plays around the globe — leading from behind, if you will. He believes you are lazy. On this one I must agree, but with the appellation applied to those generational parasites sucking Free Cheese from my American Taxpayer vein. Odd, coming from a person who has built nothing in his life, managed not one payroll or even started a lemonade stand.
Obama is weakening our defenses. He is weakening the defenses of our allies. Mr Obama is dismissed as a buffoon by our enemies, Russia, China, North Korea, much of the Middle East, because they realize he is a true Paper Tiger and means little of what he says, particularly at this juncture. He emboldens our enemies and undermines our allies.
It is no shock, therefore, that he continues in the fine capitulist tradition he began in 2008.
To the most free internet you’ll see in this lifetime, wave “buh-bye.”
“There are no existential threats” to the US today, Mr Obama says.
Except himself.
BZ
now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country
And that’s not just a typing test, either.
BZ
There’s a last minute effort to stop this, I doubt it will be validated but it’s a good effort.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-09-29/4-states-sue-block-obamas-internet-transition-plan
Here is what I think is going to happen. obama gives the internet away to the UN. obama, after he leaves office, is going to join the UN, and quickly rise in the ranks. He will then use the internet for his own interests, possibly propaganda. obama is seeking world domination, and will need the internet to assist him with this.
Anyone think this is far fetched?
Well, let’s see: the UN is already declaring that Americans should reach into their pocketbooks for fiscal reparations for blacks. Hmm. Not so far-fetched. He, like Bill Clinton, will not go away, I’m betting, after the presidency.
BZ
Here are some stupid questions but I am absolutely not tech savvy so will put my ignorance on display. Where exactly is the internet? I mean, I know we connect to ‘it’ via phone, wi fi, whatever, but where precisely is ‘it’? It’s sort of like the air, all around us and taken for granted. And why is there just one? Since ‘privatizing’ functions is an alleged goal, could someone with the know how and resources and desire possibly create another ‘one’? Independent and private, ie.,outside of government controls? (Sort of like a parallel universe)
As was said in Jurassic Park ‘life will find a way’. Perhaps alternate internets will be developed as ‘unintended consequences’ to find a way to maintain freedom and resist the attempt to establish a single world order.
Maybe I read too much science fiction.
It’s a nice thought. Actually, a very interesting one. The only way I could think of something like this would be not unlike the “dark web,” which already exists. The dark web refers specifically to a collection of websites that are publicly visible, but hide the IP addresses of the servers that run them. They can be visited by any web user but it’s very difficult to determine who’s behind the sites. You can’t find these sites using search engines.
BZ
Well, Obama has been given permission – and assistance, of course – by those who run him (filthy, fungal sock-puppet that he is) to damage us in ways that aren’t very visible to the average citizen in this country, especially younger generations who have had almost no experience being _somewhat_ free (“somewhat” being the best we could do with what we had).
Degrading our nuclear weapon arsenal (nuclear deterrence has helped prevent the use of nuclear weapons for quite some time now). Imagine how this change may influence the ambitions of Iran and North Korea; down-grading our military in numbers, equipment, and motivation (driving most of the real, experienced warriors out and replacing them with ticket-punching, liberal yes-men (and women – think Kerry – yes, on both counts, pussy that he is ;-); degrading the Rule of Law to an even greater extreme than existed prior to his infecting the Oval Office; working to destroy the economy and monetary stability; importing hundreds of thousands of muslims (including jihadis, of course); allowing millions of illegals across the border – even arranging transportation of some (illegal “children”, many in their late teens and early twenties); appointing liberal whacko feminists to the Supreme Court – and even worse, hundreds of liberal whack jobs to federal court positions all across the country (along with appointing many U.S. Attorneys across the country) who will legislate from the bench with few of their decisions to ever come before the Supreme Court, no matter which way it leans; issuing executive orders that are unConstitutional; weaponizing the IRS, EPA, and other agencies to run roughshod over those his administration deems “enemies”, and allowing the DOJ to ignore the crimes of those who please the administration while demonizing those that displease it. Especially if they are white and/or Christian (yes, black Christians have been harassed, too).
Soros – who has stated he wants to destroy our country – realizes better than Obama
how important the Internet is to the citizens of a country who mainstream media is under the control of the Left. Handing off the control of – and protection of – the Internet to those who see disagreement as “hate speech”, not to be tolerated (ask Geert Wilders how that works) may deprive us not only of the ability to learn the truth (especially those things the MSM ignore, refuse to publicize), but also the ability to connect to each other.
That is my personal greatest fear. I am not ‘Net (Web?) savvy, but I imagine that while there may be ways around the censorship or even the disconnection of targeted conservatives, it will be difficult and will mean far fewer of us will have access to the desperately need information that sites like Drudge, Zerohedge, Jihad Watch and Gates of Vienna provide, as well as the information bloggers such as WRSA, BZ, and so many others bring to us. As someone who disconnected from TV back in 1987, pretty much my only source of info is the Internet – plus one or two trusted friends, but they get most of their info from the Internet as well.
This has the potential of being a real game changer for all of us. I’m hoping the well-tempered ‘Net users among us will find a way for all of us to stay connected.
First and foremost, thank you for your well-written comment. Thank you kindly for reading and taking the time to comment.
For persons who crow about their desire for diversity, Leftists not only are remarkably INTOLERANT of conflicting views but, further, have little if any interest in supporting the First Amendment. That is why the internet is so critically important to the survival of free speech.
As is said numerous times, the First Amendment does not exist for pablum speech, it exists for challenging speech.
Leftists and Globalists and Progressives and Demorats do NOT wish to brook ANY pushback whatsoever to their missions.
Which is why I AM PUSHBACK.
BZ
Think about it for a minute. All that has been reported about obama and hiLIARy that is negative is all from the internet. If we had to simply rely on television and print media, we wouldn’t know a tenth of what obama is doing or has done. The media is these forms not only no longer reports unbiased news, they run cover for our progressive socialists leaders, and keep us in the dark as to what is really going on.
The internet is the last best hope for truth to be disseminated to the masses. If taken over and controlled, We The People will no longer know what is really happening in our country.
And just as the saying goes, “He who controls information, controls the world”…America will be under the control of those that want to see its destruction. Want to see our freedoms taken from us. Want to see us, not as citizens, but as subjects once again, forced to do as we are told.
Trump said it perfectly. We cannot fix a rigged system by relying on the very people who rigged it to begin with”.
Anything obama does, is NOT for the good of America, but for the good of himself, and for the destruction of America. Losing control of the internet is NOT in the best interest of America. Letting those that do not believe in our freedoms, such as our Freedom of Speech, control the internet is as ridiculous as giving a serial killer a machine gun and allowing him to enter a gun free zone full of innocent people. Nothing good will come of it, and more than likely, a lot of people will die.
That is PRECISELY why the internet is so incredibly important. You got it, right out of the gate.
The internet is one place the Leftists, Globalists, Progressives, Demorats cannot fully control.
Just yet.
But don’t think that isn’t the goal.
BZ
The digital version of Orwell’s Ministry of Truth? Is that what the surrender of the Internet means for us?