Science & Tech Quote by John Doolittle

“Phony international organization” does a lot of work here: it’s less a description than a sneer, a preemptive strike meant to make any proposal for global internet governance sound illegitimate before the audience has to weigh its merits. John Doolittle’s line is built for domestic consumption, where the U.N. can function as a political shorthand for bureaucracy, lost sovereignty, and elites making rules for “us” without “us.” The phrase “Turning the Internet over” also rigs the frame. It implies a clean transfer of ownership - like handing over car keys - rather than the messier reality of treaties, standards bodies, and multi-stakeholder coordination that already shape how the network works.

The intent is twofold: to cast himself as a defender of American autonomy and to paint opponents as naively opening the gate to foreign control. “Disaster” supplies the emotional ceiling; it’s maximalist enough to shut down nuance. Then comes the hero clause: “I am not willing to stand by.” That’s campaign language masquerading as principle, positioning action as moral duty and inaction as complicity.

The context is the recurring U.S. anxiety that the internet - born from American research, dominated by American firms, rooted in U.S.-based institutions - could be constrained by international norms on censorship, surveillance, or commerce. Doolittle isn’t arguing policy details; he’s selling a posture: distrust global governance, trust the nation-state, and treat network control as a zero-sum battle for power.