He wasn't defending the internet, he was fighting a hearts and minds campaign against China.
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1939572,00.htm...
While you might be right, I still read into it as a huge U-turn in thoughts and policy. I hope it will not affect the UK, but inevitably it will in some form or other.. probably as an extension to ACTA :(
And if the administration's actions now don't reflect what was said before, it's just coincidence.
Did he actually take action at any time to defend internet freedom, or did he merely speak?
The administration today, and congress, are opposing internet freedom by their actions. An example for the administration is their defense of the law that says any email on an internet server older than six months is considered abandoned, and they therefore have a right to look at it without a warrant.
The only thing that counts for me is action, and that only lasts until the next hostile act.
I do find it ironic though that the US argues that the great firewall of China makes doing business with US companies difficult while supporting this bill that will do the same with local/national companies. http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Internet-China-Great-Firewa...