Eight furry legs appeared and Congress let out a scream—quickly surrendering the Internet to the United Nations. Last week, Congress closed shop for a six-week recess without stopping the Internet from slipping into the hands of a global consortium aligned with the United Nations.
Our story begins in 1998, when the organization of the Internet’s “address book” of domain names (such as Townhall.com) as well as related technology and structure was assigned to a California nonprofit called the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The U.S. Department of Commerce has had oversight of ICANN since 1998.
America’s special role in overseeing the Internet may sound odd—since the Internet is the worldwide web—but the truth is that the Internet was invented primarily by American ingenuity.
Al Gore pretended to invent the Internet. A private American citizen named Bill Joy actually invented the supporting code for the Internet, relays Malcolm Gladwell in his bestselling book Outliers. As a teenager, Joy would “play on” the gigantic computers at the University of Michigan’s Computer Center. The knowledge he gained while hacking the University of Michigan’s computers ultimately went on to benefit society in a very big way.
The Internet soon became a haven for free speech. A place where anyone—on virtually any budget—could share their views or discoveries with the world.
Unfortunately, however, pressure began mounting in the late 2000s for global Internet oversight. After Edward Snowden released evidence of the United States spying on global governments, more countries began to complain about ICANN’s reporting structure. The usual suspect, the United Nations, was proposed to replace the United States in overseeing ICANN.
Instead of reforming America’s global reputation, President Obama made the wild claim that anyone who—by accident, curiosity or even for valid research purposes—visits an “ISIL website” should potentially be denied the right to bear arms.
“I've got people who we know have been on ISIL websites, living here in the United States, U.S. citizens, and we're allowed to put them on the no-fly list when it comes to airlines, but because of the National Rifle Association, I cannot prohibit those people from buying a gun. This is somebody who is a known ISIL sympathizer.”
On Saturday, Oct. 1, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s contract to oversee ICANN quietly expired. ICANN immediately and joyfully announced on its website that it would now be overseen by a “global multistakeholder community.” (If you think that sounds a lot like the U.N.—you’re right—the global multistakeholder community is aligned with the UN.)
Under the new arrangement, the United States will have one seat at a 164-member global table that may include representatives from anti-free speech countries like Russia and China.
Catching Bugs in the Web
Bank robberies are growing more infrequent as criminals switch to hacking financial and personal data online to make a quick and quiet dollar. Indeed, in August, Apple began offering $200,000 “bug bounties” to researchers who identify unknown bugs in its software. Yahoo! also announced that a “state-sponsored” hack, potentially from China, succeeded in compromising 500 million accounts. Now more than ever, America needs strong cyber security.
The Democratic Party—under the leadership of President Obama—oversaw a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that hired some 73 employees on terrorist watch lists. Obama’s administration also failed to encrypt the personal data for 21.5 million Americans now under the ownership of Chinese hackers. And Obama’s Homeland Security Department granted U.S. citizenship to almost 900 individuals who had been ordered to be deported.
Don’t freeze in fear. Channel your frustration into productivity at the polls next month. Hillary Clinton publicly endorses a cyber security policy that would treat American citizens in the same way the Chinese government treats its citizens. By pretending law-abiding citizens are more dangerous than known terrorists—and by barring free speech. ‘Freedom of speech,’” Hillary quipped, is no defense against federal snoops.
Donald Trump, in contrast, supported the recent effort of Republicans in Congress—including Sen. Ted Cruz—who tried to extend United States oversight of ICANN.
Trump’s National Policy Director Steven Miller said: “Internet freedom is now at risk with the President’s intent to cede control to international interests, including countries like China and Russia, which have a long track record of trying to impose online censorship. Congress needs to act, or Internet freedom will be lost for good.”
Unfortunately, too many congressional Republicans sniffed their noses at Cruz’s crusade—preferring to side with big spending pretty boy Paul Ryan, and give Obama everything for which he asked.
Hillary is a woman who deleted 31,830 emails that could have contained classified material she wrongfully sent over an insecure connection while Secretary of State. She called them “personal”—and got away with it. She also surely agrees with her ally Obama that incompetent persons like themselves should be trusted with a hand “on the button” whereas a law-abiding citizen who accidently, or for legitimate research, finds themselves on an ISIL website should be permanently barred from owning a gun.
Stay away from the spider that handed the worldwide web to the U.N.—and the spider spinning a new web to ensnare your firearm.