[discuss] Just Net Coalition contribution on Principles for Netmundial.br

Fri Mar 7 20:22:12 UTC 2014

-----Original Message-----
From: S Moonesamy [mailto:sm+1net at elandsys.com] 

At 07:32 07-03-2014, Milton L Mueller wrote:
>>Is there any economic evidence for this assertion?
>
> I'll skip the question.

I'll take that as a "no." You have no evidence for your assertion. 

>A government sets the tax rates.  That rate can be overly large; 
>it can stifle commerce.  It would be a matter for the people being 
>governed to decide what they want to do about it.

One of the things they do about it is bypass the stifling factor. You seem to be saying that, as a matter of _Internet governance principle_, we should try to stop that.  I disagree. 

> I would not argue that there isn't corruption.  
> I would not consider that as an internet problem.

If corruption-avoidance leads people to use the internet to bypass their system, and you try to stop them in the name of Internet governance, then it is an internet problem.

> I do not understand how the above can affect a person from 
> a developed country.  There is an existing venue for discussing 
>about trade and tariffs.

Your first sentence makes no sense to me. 
As for the second, you are saying that every individual internet user needs to become a trade negotiator? What if the special interests who benefit from high tariffs are in control of the government and don't allow alternate voices to be heard?