Estonia: Where the Internet is a Human Right

securitas writes "The Christian Science Monitor reports on technological change in Estonia, where an enlightened post-Soviet era government believes the Internet is essential for life in the 21st century and backs that up with legislation declaring Internet access is a human right. Estonia is a country where hot, running water was a luxury a decade ago. It's now a place where farmers have broadband Internet, 80% of the people use online banking, Internet usage and broadband penetration rates are comparable to Western Europe, and the government conducts most business (meetings, votes, document reviews, etc.) virtually through a system of networked computers. Not bad for a country that only 10 years ago was a crumbling, bankrupt mess with a network infrastructure to match."

Comments

In Soviet Estonia . . .

[Mordant]

Internet accesses -you-!

Re:A further comment

[squiggleslash]

Why is the pursuit of property considered more important to you than, say, healthcare, or in this case, the right to communicate on a substantial basis?

I would consider both of the latter more important than the former.

Re:A right?

[BrainInAJar]

See, that's the problem with natural rights theory.

What it basically boils down to (as Thomas Hobbes will attest to) is that the only natural right that exists is the right of the mighty (might makes right). If someone's stronger than you, they have the right, granted by nature, to do whatever they please to you.

Now, the political "rights" that people argue are "fundamental human rights" (such as free speech, freedom of the press, and occasionally the right to property) are actually just priveledges, granted to you by the mighty (in this case, the government)