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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 3/2/22 3:33 AM, Amrita Choudhury via
At-Large wrote:<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Agree
with the statement.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US">The
situation in Ukraine is very unfortunate.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US">However,
Internet should remain on, for all and ICANN services should
remain neutral and apolitical.</span></p>
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<p>To my mind remaining "neutral and apolitical" is neither of those
things.</p>
<p>The Ukrainian military is using explosives to destroy its own
roads and bridges to slow the invasion. Yes, that does hinder
civil society and resistance. However, it is a choice that the
Ukrainians themselves have made.<br>
</p>
<p>The internet is another kind of road that is carrying another
kind of invasion. Why should we hesitate to follow the
Ukrainian's own example?<br>
</p>
<p>If we were entrusted with a drawbridge over a river and we see a
caravan of Black Marias (unmarked vehicles sent by the
Stalin/Beria's NKVD to secretly fetch people to the Gulag)
approaching. Would we say "Oh, my job is to promote the open flow
of traffic, so I will not raise the bridge." Our would we say "I
must raise the drawbridge to block this abomination?"</p>
<p>If ICANN is silent than we ought not to be surprised if we
subsequently are endowed with an ill reputation not unlike that of
IBM resulting from its actions in Germany 1933 through 1945.<br>
</p>
<p>To my mind the question for ICANN is not whether to act. Rather
the question is how to act. That act may be as simple as a
statement articulating the balances to be made, the limits of
ICANN's powers, etc. Or it may be as complex as a temporary
redelegation of .ru.</p>
<p>In these situations I look for guiding principles. Among these
are the desire to maintain internet connectivity for use by those
opposing this invasion, the desire to not add further pressures
that could induce future internet fragmentation, the limits of
ICANN's contractual authority over these things, etc.</p>
<p>I also look to ICANN's position under the law as a "public
benefit" corporation. I, personally, do not see how silence
regarding death of innocents and armed invasion benefits the
public.</p>
<p>Murder ought never be answered with a dismissive "tut, tut, how
unfortunate".</p>
<p> --karl--</p>
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