Why you can’t trust the Europeans!

Sigh. Thanks very much Europe you bunch of spinless cretins.

I’ve blogged a lot about how the some Governments wants the Governments of the worlds through a UN type body to take over running of the Internet from what is largely a private sector led model.

Pretty much every western country thinks this is bonkers. However because the private sector body (ICANN) is primarily based in the US (but with an international board and staff) and has decisions about the root name servers of the Internet confirmed by the US Department of Commerce (which has never not confirmed a change), this has allowed anti-american sentiments to cloud the debate. Basically countries pissed off with the US over the Iraq war are using this as another forum to bash them up.

Now the European Union, in a total about-face, has come out and basically supported proposals for Governments taking control.

Now I’ve talked to several European Govt reps on this issue. None of them want China and Iran controlling the Internet. So why they have decided to change position? Because the US has made absolutely clear it will not agree to any change, so the EU can suck up to the rest of the world, knowing the US will get all the flak, for staying firm. Welcome to the world of diplomacy! They argue for something they know is bad, to appease Iran and China, safe in the knowledge the US will veto it.

Steven Forrest at ICANN Watch sums things up pretty well:

At this week