Tuesday, November 22, 2005
"Western states abuse the internet"
The Herald - Zimbabwe News Online
President Mugabe of Zimbabwe has been a very vocal critic of what he sees as Western domination of the internet to "undermine national sovereignty, social and cultural values." He is calling for "democratic governance" of the internet. Is this a positive step. First you need to assess President Mugabe and what he intends to do with his informational independence when he gets it. He is calling for independence, transparence and democracy. But what does he offer in Zimbabwe. President Mugabe is a illustration of just how complicated these questions of internet governance are. What he says sounds good, but how will this freedom and independence manifest itself if the net really were under the control of men like Mugabe?
President Mugabe of Zimbabwe has been a very vocal critic of what he sees as Western domination of the internet to "undermine national sovereignty, social and cultural values." He is calling for "democratic governance" of the internet. Is this a positive step. First you need to assess President Mugabe and what he intends to do with his informational independence when he gets it. He is calling for independence, transparence and democracy. But what does he offer in Zimbabwe. President Mugabe is a illustration of just how complicated these questions of internet governance are. What he says sounds good, but how will this freedom and independence manifest itself if the net really were under the control of men like Mugabe?
