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You know collectively Europe is the largest economy in the world? It's not something any company can just shrug away. I believe the goal of this and recent si

by brador 12y ago

You know collectively Europe is the largest economy in the world? It's not something any company can just shrug away. I believe the goal of this and recent similar decisions is to fracture the internet, allowing for easier law making and rent seeking.

Elrac 12y ago
I know that. But I think you fail to realize that Europe is not the same as its government, just as the US is not the same as the US government. The analogy isn't perfect, but the citizens of the US want drugs. The American government pours untold billions into its War on Drugs, and as a result there are more drugs available in the US than ever before. Similarly, Europe's Internet users want a smart, convenient master index to the Internet; and they're not likely to knuckle under as docilely as the population of China, whose government has been at least partially successful in locking Google out.
- praptak 12y ago
  > Europe is not the same as its government, just as the US is not the same as the US government. Btw, European Parliament is also not the same as Europe government. It has much weaker influence on things than a typical parliament of a country.
  - Elrac 12y ago
    Exactly. There's a lot less cohesion and a lot less centralized power. Some European governments ship politicians off to Euro-government just to get them out of the way. Perhaps not quite justly, the Euro Parliament is sometimes considered a retirement institution for incompetent politicians.
    - tormeh 12y ago
      "In Brussels, no one can hear you scream" (Borgen)
    - praptak 12y ago
      Yeah but my point was not about the eurogoverment in general. It was about the EU Parliament being weak even in relation to the other parts of the eurogovernment. I meant the EU Council in particular.
Thimothy 12y ago
I understand how a fractured internet (In the physical sense, Europe here, US there, no easy interconnection) could lead to easier lives for politicians, but, How does a fractured google make that easier? I mean, where you had to deal with one entity, now you have to deal with two. It's more possible that one of them doesn't accommodate to your whims.
- brador 12y ago
  Google is the glue that holds the modern internet together through it's universal indexing, but it's based in the US, thus weakening the power of foreign governments. A fractured google is easier to control. Right now, the French government could pass certain laws and Google could simply say no with few detrimental effects (French users would simply use a proxy). With a fractured Google, Google would need to hold all infrastructure servicing French search in France, or at least significant infrastructure, allowing the French government more leverage in law making, and rent seeking.
mousa 12y ago
That may be the effect but I doubt that is what is going through the minds of individuals making these decisions. This is just a misguided attempt to give Europe's tech industry a shot but another American company will fill in any space lost by Google.
adventured 12y ago
That claim gets throw around a lot. The US has more assets than Europe. US GDP is growing drastically faster than Europe's GDP. Europe's economy hasn't grown since 2007, with GDP still below those levels. In another year or two, the US will also have a larger GDP than Europe.

by brador 12y ago

Elrac 12y ago

I know that. But I think you fail to realize that Europe is not the same as its government, just as the US is not the same as the US government. The analogy isn't perfect, but the citizens of the US want drugs. The American government pours untold billions into its War on Drugs, and as a result there are more drugs available in the US than ever before. Similarly, Europe's Internet users want a smart, convenient master index to the Internet; and they're not likely to knuckle under as docilely as the population of China, whose government has been at least partially successful in locking Google out.

praptak 12y ago
> Europe is not the same as its government, just as the US is not the same as the US government. Btw, European Parliament is also not the same as Europe government. It has much weaker influence on things than a typical parliament of a country.
- Elrac 12y ago
  Exactly. There's a lot less cohesion and a lot less centralized power. Some European governments ship politicians off to Euro-government just to get them out of the way. Perhaps not quite justly, the Euro Parliament is sometimes considered a retirement institution for incompetent politicians.
  - tormeh 12y ago
    "In Brussels, no one can hear you scream" (Borgen)
  - praptak 12y ago
    Yeah but my point was not about the eurogoverment in general. It was about the EU Parliament being weak even in relation to the other parts of the eurogovernment. I meant the EU Council in particular.

Thimothy 12y ago

I understand how a fractured internet (In the physical sense, Europe here, US there, no easy interconnection) could lead to easier lives for politicians, but, How does a fractured google make that easier? I mean, where you had to deal with one entity, now you have to deal with two. It's more possible that one of them doesn't accommodate to your whims.

brador 12y ago
Google is the glue that holds the modern internet together through it's universal indexing, but it's based in the US, thus weakening the power of foreign governments. A fractured google is easier to control. Right now, the French government could pass certain laws and Google could simply say no with few detrimental effects (French users would simply use a proxy). With a fractured Google, Google would need to hold all infrastructure servicing French search in France, or at least significant infrastructure, allowing the French government more leverage in law making, and rent seeking.

mousa 12y ago

That may be the effect but I doubt that is what is going through the minds of individuals making these decisions. This is just a misguided attempt to give Europe's tech industry a shot but another American company will fill in any space lost by Google.

adventured 12y ago

That claim gets throw around a lot. The US has more assets than Europe. US GDP is growing drastically faster than Europe's GDP. Europe's economy hasn't grown since 2007, with GDP still below those levels. In another year or two, the US will also have a larger GDP than Europe.