No, not really. But I do think our democracy needs to use the Internet to gain the collective voice of We the People. In a sense, to take up the function of what the “freedom of press” was supposed to accomplish in our democracy, but has failed.
Just recently I read of a website that had collected 55 million members because it offered free music, or access to free radio stations, or some such thing. Fifty-five million members, all participating in a deliberative groupware site, designed to move the good ideas upward while lowering the bad ideas, in a sense to harness the Wisdom of the Crowds, cannot help by strengthen our democracy.
My only point, which is what my website is committed to, is to have people understand, now, for the first time in history, we do, indeed, have a powerful enough communicative tool to give, not just a few people a voice, but all of the people a voice; that now, for the first time in history, we do, indeed, have a powerful enough communicative tool to allow not just a few of the people’s voices to speak, but all of the people’s voices to speak; and that now, for the first time in history, we do, indeed, have a powerful enough communicative tool to allow not just a few of the people’s voices to be accurately be heard, but all of the people’s voices to be accurately be heard. This has never been possible before. If applied correctly, it will strengthen democracy as much, if not more, than the movable type and the printing press allowed not just a few people to acquire knowledge, but all of the people to acquire knowledge.
Newt Gingrich touched on this same subject at one of the GOP Tech meetings. If I can find the tape, I will post it.
ex animo
davidfarrar