This is simply too damn funny:

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1875184,00.asp

The key quote:

" "Turning the Internet over to countries with problematic human-rights records, muted free-speech laws, and questionable taxation practices will prevent the Internet from remaining the thriving medium it has become today," said California Republican Rep. John Doolittle in a statement. "

Let's see...

"Problematic human-rights records"...Abu Ghraib and Gitmo - check.
"Muted free-speech laws"...USA Patriot Act and Homeland Security bills, and new FCC leadership with strong ties to religious right - check.
"Questionable taxation practices"...IRS code unfathomable even to those whose job it is to enforce it, plus taxing American's income regardless of where they may actually live in the world (the only country which does this) - check.

So...according to Doolittle's argument, we're qualified to hold onto control of the Internet...because.....??

Point is, there may be many good technology-based and economics-based reasons for US hegemony over the internet as a whole, as, at least for now, we can prevent marginally more totalitarian governments than ours trying to censor from afar US-sourced content, but the politically-motivated reasons listed above just smack of hypocrisy. What was he drinking when Doolittle said that?