End of the Internet dream?

A decade ago, many of us were enthusiastic about the Internet in part because we believed that it opened up extraordinary opportunities for the left. The Internet could not be censored, we argued. Censorship would be treated as damage to the system, and information would route around it.
But a recent report from the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders makes for frightening reading. Indeed, after spending only a few minutes reading it, you may well become convinced that the dream of a free and instant means of communication which governments would be unable to censor has turned out to be an illusion.


The report tells us about some of the “usual suspects” — the kinds of regimes you just know are blocking free use of the web by their citizens. A typical example would be Cuba, where in the words of Reporters Without Borders Secretary-General Robert M

11 Comments on "End of the Internet dream?"

  1. This is very one-sided view of internet monitoring.
    Sure the State is going to spy on its own citizens, but it should be fully accountable. How can any authority or anyone who uses the internet not want to know about who is responsponsible for child porn, snuff movies or other abusive material?

  2. Richard Simmonds | 08/08/2004 at 17:32 |

    In defense of Cuba, the US government and other anti Castro alies have been not only using the internet but also Radio Marti to push anit Castro propaganda. The Cuban governmant has every right to protect its revolution, country and people from the filth the internet brings with it. Why don’t we call for the lifting of the economic embargo against the Cuban people. I have visited Cuba and tourist can use the internet at hotels if they so wish. If the international labour movement really wants to help the situation we should be taking serious action, like putting pressure on our governments to hasten the lifting of the embargo.

  3. The guy who posted “Cuba has every right to protect its revolution from this filth”…
    Oh like the Nazis protected their reich you mean???
    Castro is a scumbag who has no respect for human rights and of course he wants to control everythinga as all authoritarian reigmes do.

  4. Don Polly | 08/08/2004 at 22:20 |

    I agree with Dave Bleakney. I think John is a bit of a sicko, and wonder what the hell he’s doing reviewing this particular site. He’d feel far more comfortable at the Corporate Roundtable site, unless he has some sort of agenda.

  5. Eaglefeather | 08/08/2004 at 22:35 |

    To have Government and Industry try to control this internet technology is not going to be easy for them. Taught my kids here to share..now this global family of ours is catching on. No they are not pleased that we are tapped into the same knowledge they used to control us.
    Now peoples formed into unions to go up against a specific industry..it is time to see those unions as each a single member..as a lone voice..now bring ALL unions together under one roof and we can go up against Industry as a whole. We are the many..they are the few..we are not blindly led by these few as we once were as a peoples..we choose to be guided by knowledge and understanding rather than ignorance and arrogance which has been the status quo for far far too long in my books. This internet and our connection to each other will bring this body of peoples together. Leadership is not pleased at all for they see their hold on us slipping as knowledge and understanding of the peoples grows..

  6. I endorse Richard Simmonds comments on Cuba. Given the way that Cubans have suffered from American invasion, support of insurgents (they’re not terrorists if they’re directed by the Yanks!) some paranoia about the Internet has to be treated with sympathy. American inelligence(?) agencies after all have their fingers all in and over the Internet, and will make whatever use of it suits their purpose.

  7. I was worried when I started to read the article. I thought, “here we go again, another article attacking Cuba and other anti-american countries. Thankfully, the article went on to report on activity in america and my own country Australia. I am not surprised. After all, the internet is a communication tool controlled by america and being used by them to manipulate the world. Whoever thought that the internet would not be censored and manipulated to promote capitalism and as a means of subjugating the free world to american control. Unionists have a need to be very, very concerned as do all citizens of the world.

  8. I support lifting the embargo on Cuba, but coming in to bat for a dictator is where I draw the line.
    While Castro isn’t the tyrant some make him out to be, pretending Cuba is a workers’ democracy is idiotic at best.

  9. Tim Dymond | 09/08/2004 at 08:49 |

    Anybody who purports to support independent trade unions can’t support the Castro government. Ask yourself the question ‘would Castro allow a strike among his government workers?’ The answer is indisputably ‘no!’ The best service Castro could have performed for the Cuban revolution would have been to honourably resign 30 years ago. The revolution is bigger than his ego. Authoritarian governments of any political stripe are willing customers of censorous corporate technology, and enemies of unions.

  10. Irwin Oostindie | 09/08/2004 at 09:16 |

    What a poor article which takes a very superficial gaze at “censorship.” I expected a lot more from something posted on labourstart@unionlists.org.uk
    Is this the quality of analysis we should expect from you when you are selecting which international labour campaign to support?
    Where is you international working class solidarity? Where is your analysis of censorship in so-called liberal democracies? The internet was built by the US military… where is your analysis of Echelon, the alienation of the poor by high tech consumer products, the inadequacy of the internet as an organizing tool?
    No thanks, i would rather opt out of labourstart.
    Irwin Oostindie,
    Canadian Youth Network for Asia Pacific Solidarity
    Under the Volcano Festivals, Vancouver, Canada

  11. Ron Stockton | 10/08/2004 at 00:54 |

    It seems to me that it was incredibly naive for anyone to ever have believed that the internet could not be monitored, blocked and controlled by those with power. If for no other reason than the inevitable ability to charge us all by the minute, the corporate sector would ensure everything could be tracked, monitored and, if unpaid, shut down.
    We’ve known for a very long time that the US government (and likely others) have the technology to scan all e-mails and detect words such as “bomb”, “hijack” and so on. Why would we have ever thought that the government/corporate entity would not ensure it had control.
    We can expect that the interventions will be a little more subtle than in some third world countries. So, while there is a pretext that we can’t stop internet child pornography, there will be an effort to control political dissent and that effort will be successful. The right to freedom of expression (or, as Americans call it, “free speech”) is likely one of the most trite of rights. It’s the right to be listened to that is important. The internet could provide for that right and that’s why it is so important that the government/corporate sector control it so soon after the birth of the internet.
    The lesson? Let’s not be so foolish that we put all of our communication and organizing eggs in the internet basket.
    Regards,
    Ron S., Halifax, NS

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