[Chapter-delegates] How do we incorporate China and other countries that are different?

[Dave Burstein]

Alejandro and people

>
> ​I respectfully disagree that
>


> ​"this​
>  discussion is about allowing an organization to take, or fake, the
> representation of all the people
> ​."
>

​While you and others I respect are fighting an honorable battle for
representation of users, the emotional tone of the responses points to the
larger issue, who makes the decisions?

Most of the major issues that affect the affordability of the Internet are
cast aside in the current system. For example, in 2012 the Africans raised
the issues of cartel pricing on international backhaul and transit. That
turns out to be the largest *external* cost factor in delivering the
Internet in Africa. That was thrown out of the discussion under pressure
from the U.S., backed by ISOC. They also raised the issue of
multi-nationals not paying taxes. Again, the main country of the
multinationals forced that off the table.

Inexpensive smartphones are connecting two billion people, a most wonderful
thing. That's being threatened by claims for "reasonable" royalties that
are more than the total price of manufacturing the phone. When that issue
came up in the ITU, the U.S. and allies again blocked discussion.

Many of us want the international community, including the Internet groups,
to do everything we can to prevent surveillance of what we do on the net.
At the moment, the U.S. with a $40B+ surveillance operation seems to do it
most pervasively. I have no doubt the Russians, Chinese and French would
match that effort if they could and soon will. All international efforts on
this have been blocked by guess who.

T
​he solutions to problems like this​
​
​ will not be easy. Some perhaps should continue to be ignored because the
cure would be worse than the disease. But they currently are being swept
off the table by the countries who benefit.

South Africa, India, Brazil and nearly all the African, Latin American and
Arab nations tried to change who controlled the system in 2012. It wasn't
because they are on the Chinese and Russian side of a renewed cold war.​


These are real issues that are far more important than whether a .com
registration
​ cost $11 or $15, the knid of thing that ICANN controls.​


--------------

I'm happy to believe that you, Vint and many others in this discussion are
speaking up because of your belief in better representation of Internet
users. But
I
​ also know
 several examples of players in the ICANN/IGF/etc. ecosystem
​whose abuses have been ignored by the powers that be because they are on
the same side of the divide, whatever you want to name it.

Frankly, neither ISOC nor my country's system are effectively bottom-up. We
all can name examples. Let's fix that before we criticize the connection
between a Chinese group and the Chinese government. I can tell some dirty
stories about the U.S. connections here but let's not.

Let's start reforming ISOC by letting the members decide whether we should
oppose Net Neutrality.  The *WSJ* reported the Internet Society opposed
neutrality, apparently because that was the opinion of several people who
represent the Internet Society in policy circles. I didn't hear the head of
ISOC say *WSJ *misrepresented our position on Neutrality. A senior ISOC
official wanted to rule out any discussion of neutrality in the 2014 IGF.
It was "too controversial."

Also, let's not hire so many $200,000-$400,000 lobbyists and communications
experts so that we can live within the (?$30M) budget from our .org and
individual fundraising. We shouldn't be begging the multinationals and
other interested parties for money. I've already been told by a lesser ISOC
official, "I support your idea but we can't do anything about it. We're
trying to get Verizon to fund our next event."
​
​Let's put our own house in order first, proving we can build a bollom up
multi-stakeholder organization. I'd suggest we begin by delegating more
authority to the chapter committee, which is more representative than the
policy staff.

---------

I'm going to shut up now and go back to earning my living as a tech writer.

Dave Burstein
​
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