Let's Use the Internet to Subvert Enhance Democracy!
Linked by David Adams on Mon 27th Apr 2009 22:59 UTC
Web 2.0 The internet has heralded in a whole new era of citizen engagement and the latest innovations in social networking have just intensified the enthusiasm for creating a "virtual town square" where people can speak up, join together, and make things happen. And that's really happening! We're using the net to organize politically, communicate with other people who share our interests, and connect with long lost friends. But what about when people use the strengths of the network to undermine the collaborative process? You get tyranny of the minority. Update: Read below for an update on the bike-naming contest.
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You get tyranny of the minority.
by troy.w.banther on Tue 28th Apr 2009 13:33 UTC
troy.w.banther
Member since:
2008-06-28

Since humans are nothing more than angry little primates clawing at the surface of a mud ball in space, then you will have the alphas always trying to impose their will onto the betas.

Please, no angry e-mails from irate religious nutters. All faith in me died on 09.11.01.

Tyranny of the minority is something well ingrained into our genetic code. Do I believe we have the capability of fighting these base impulse? Yes. I do.

The internet, in my opinion, is among the best inventions or mind tools to ever grace humanity. It has, in its short history, allowed human beings to move forward a bit as-well-as break down hegemonies and very powerful oligarchies here in the US and elsewhere on the globe.

Getting the word out has reverted to the hands of the people and back from the mediums of television, radio and newspapers.

It's almost humorous to watch the outlets relying on the internet for their sources.

Forward looking, these hegemonic corporations and businesses will shrink to the point of near oblivion as people produce their own content and people are more interested in what other people produce.

As far as Thom's comment that power corrupts.

I'm not sure that is an absolute truth.

I take it one step beyond that.

For example, and this is only an example, depending on Thom's personality and mentality, if he was given the job of running a major media company for years and then the stockholders or private management changed their minds on Thom's performance and job status.

Then Thom would either act like a gentleman and adapt according to the needs of the organization or he would act out in fear that his position as an alpha in the organization was threatened. The 'fear' produces the tyranny of the one or minority.

So, it is not power which corrupts absolutely but it is the 'fear' of loosing a perceived power which can potentially corrupt absolutely.

I am a Green politically with strong Democratic Socialist leanings. So, you can understand my distaste for a 'two-party only system' here in the U.S. Power should be left to the individual communities with states and the federal providing help to the communities. The internet is re-democratizing the people.

I cannot speak for constitutional monarchies or other political regimes.

There is no perfect human political system. That is true for the U.S. as-well-as other governments. But I can say there was some wisdom in the founders vision of the U.S. republic. Separation of Powers, indirect representation, electoral college ( yes, it actually makes sense if you study it ), bicameral representation, Bill of Rights, etc.

Specifically, I believe the internet falls under the First Amendment of our federal constitution and mirrored in the state-level ones.

I also hold the belief that people will produce the best operating system using either direct or indirect participation.

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