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24 January 2014 Internet Governance Foxes and Hens at Davos
Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2014 06:57:32 +0100 In re: Microsoft to shield foreign users’ data: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e14ddf70-8390-11e3-aa65-00144feab7de.html#axzz2rIAiaJ5U Expert panel to investigate internet governance http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/52327396-8359-11e3-aa65-00144feab7de.html Both the announcement by Micro$soft that it will keep the data of non-americans out of (immediate) reach of the US authorities and the initiative launched at the Davos WEF to set up a hi-level independant commission to look at Internet governance after 'Snowden' are good news - and not that good news. Starting with the latter, having a committee of foxes and cockerels to discuss how to run the hen-house doesn't strike one at particularly helpful. But OK, it's still a lot better than nothing at all. The really worrying issue is that such committee is likely to look at all kinds of 'problems', advice all kinds of more or less cosmetic 'solutions', and will studiously refrain from poking at the elephant in the room: not the matter, but the purpose of the wall-to-wall carpet of surveillance. Since the argument about 'terrorism' has been irretriviably dented it's clear that it is the population at large which is the target. Being upfront about the why won't come easily, even though it is rather obvious. Now for the good news: whatever you degree of cynicism, the panels are shifting, and it's most probably 'shit's hit the fan' time in the offices of power and business. And of breaking ranks, always a good sign of the former. Of course, one can dismiss it all as eyewash, in which case, if you haven't done so yet, get real really fast and do your bit to reclaim your 'technological sovereignty'. And to embrace its less funky downside: you'll have to settle for considerably less than you get from the commercials & proprietaries, and worse still you'll have to pay - much more - for it. But I think the real issue is about down-sizing 'at all levels and in all departments', as they used to say in 1968 France. And I really mean at all levels, everywhere, big time. May be something to think about. Before being compelled to do so. In much less pleasant circumstances. (Inter)net governance is us.
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Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2014 06:52:32 +0500 Most saluatory of study committees is that they allow selected hens to join with the foxes to gloss the unchangable and, not least, wear foxskins at Davos. Foxie Jamie Dimon gets a raise after a slap on the wrist by the hens working closely with the fox conservancy to ruse citizenry. The 9/11 Commission was composed of the usual mix of foxes pretending to be hens and foxes, all with security clearances appropriate for foxhood, and like all the other 9/11 investigations, classified the most hen-empowering information "to protect the hens." Obama promises to bring hens into the fox den to assure the foxes prevail under laws of foxes. All given security clearances of foxhood to protect the hens from information that would aid "threatening competing foxes." PCLOB was composed of one hen, James Demspey, two foxes, and two foxes pretending to be hens. All given security clearances of foxhood to protect the hens from threatening competing foxes. Podesta will set up a pride of foxes to assay how to fatten the hens with big data before eating them. Hens will be assured privacy by free kernels of corn released by automatic updates. Davos WEF, all hyenas, will eat foxes, hens, rabbits and customers of the great Internet hen house protected by security clearances, business confidentiality, and copyright issued by the global fox conservancies. The Snowden information foxes pretending to be hens are dripping, redacting, withholding hen-empowering material to cause no harm to commercial publishers and billionaire foxes and before all else "to protect the hens." This is the foxhood agenda for Internet governance, at the beginning, now and in the future. Smart hens are cackling with delirium at the irresistable participation to hang out with, opine for and against, approvingly study at high-level, gain grants and construction donations, with, from and by their predators. Waste no time pretending to resist, set up a freedom of information initiative to outfox the soon headless chickens.
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