<nettime> [IFWP] Death of Net Predicted (Courtesy ICANN/NSI/SAIC/USG/EU/ETC)

[Bob Allisat <bob {AT} fcn.net> (by way of Name.Space)]

 Monopoly siutuations invite the kind of decision
 making and public reaction we are witnessing in
 regards to Network Solutions recent abandonment
 of the Internic moniker (not to mention the highly
 covered up reaction to the ICANN debacle!). We,
 as citizens, have nowhere else to turn with our
 objections if we are pissed off. And, viewing the
 course of recent DNS events, it looks like we
 won't have much choice of offerings under the
 soon to be installed conventional junta the USG
 is planning to ram down our throats. In this version
 of tommorrow we will simply have a selection of
 equally bad and more highly controlled so-called
 options. All with the same policies, corporatist
 ideology and centrally managed flaws. In effect
 five more, and then a hundred more NSI/SAICs with
 their own version of a dictatorial WORLDNIC all
 under the diabloical ICANN heel all in Pinkie
 and the Brain-like control of our collective
 destinies. We'll be surrounded on all sides...

 The entire debacle of Internic/NSI/SAIC and the
 soon to be floated ICANN multiple monopoly regime
 lies in it's extreme centralization and entire
 lack of transparency, accountability and democratic
 mechanisms. Decisions are made in secret, behind
 closed doors and without a shred of public advise
 or input. There are no means to control or veto
 any particiluar misadventure no matter how extremely
 misadventurous and no way to right a wrong once it
 has been sprung upon the unsuspecting public. As if
 all of the options for the future proposed by our
 more orthodox collegues contain the same archaic,
 top down, "hierarchy scales", essentially militarist
 and *ERRONEOUS* thought patterns behind them. So
 no matter how hard these folk try it all fails
 due to this fundamental flaw.

 Our situation is highly ironic and made even more
 amusing given the hype and potential this medium
 had for individual expression, the decentralization
 of political and economic power and all of the other
 cliched attributes the Internet drags around with it
 ball and chainlike. As it howls ever more into boob
 toob mass media patterns of control, censorship and
 commercialization. To the point of only ghostlike
 similarity to the vibrant and independance oriented
 community of even a few years past. So... perhaps all
 of these "developments" are fitting of the general
 malady the net is suffering. Fitting and inevitable
 though every alleged netizen and their cyber-dog
 continue to bark the same, tired, stupid assertions
 of the wild-wild-wild virtual west, controlled anarchy,
 WiReD yada, yada, yadam, bullship.

 Like it or not the days of freedom and expression
 have drawn to an inevitable close. Unless some as yet
 unseen revolution occurs wresting control from these
 nasty ICANN/NSI/ETC bureaucratic monkies we can all
 just pack it in here and now and enjoy the ride down.
 Taking as great pleasure in the slow decay of the thing
 we helped raise up with equal relish. Unless some
 serious and sustained collective butt kicking commences
 pretty darned soon the game is drawing, thankfully,
 to a fitting close. And all of these silly Internet
 governance and "Domain Name Wars" are simply the
 precursors of the greater rot soon to descend. Any
 way you choose to look at it the days ahead are
 looking pretty darned entertaining! On with the show!
 Or the rebbollution, comrade! Either way it's more
 fun than a barrel full of Metzgers!

 Bob Allisat

 Free Community Network _ bob {AT} fcn.net
 http://fcn.net _ http://fcn.net/allisat
 http://robin.fcn.net
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