On Saturday 27 February 2016 08:17 PM, Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond wrote:
Dear Parminder,

On 27/02/2016 11:45, parminder wrote:
As a stop gap measure, before such incorporation under international law can be worked out, a new ICANN free from formal NTIA oversight should set up a parallel redundant authoritative root in a non US location, which is fully primed to work and take over from the US based one the moment there is any interference by the US state - whether its judicial, legislative or executive branch, either in ICANN's policy process, or actual entries in the authoritative root. Since Internet's root system works by reputation and 'community acceptance' and not by any necessary physical components and linkages, this should be easy to work out.. This IMHO would be the best interim check on the US state's possibilities to interfere with ICANN/ root file business.

In theory, yes, all of what you are saying is possible, except one thing: has the "US state" ever interfered with the ICANN/root file business, as you put it? You are speaking of a risk that has been shown to not exist. I am much less confident of the ability of some other states to keep their hands off interference with the root...
Kindest regards,

Oliver

I will first request a response to the following question after which I give a further reply. Were all scenarios considered during the oversight transition process in developing various kinds of checks and balances consist of actual things that have happened in the past?

(What I saw was that in most cases abuses of the kind that have never actually happened were long and thoroughly discussed and checks developed against their potentially happening in the future. Am I wrong in saying this? If not, why is only the possible interference by the US state with ICANN/ root is a potential abuse on which you want to be unconcerned or callous? Incidentally, most of the world does not share the benign conception you seem to have about the US state, and its frequent exercise of illegitimate power globally. )

parminder



Olivier