Online political chat is an insult to democracy. Can it be fixed?

The Boston Globe - Freedom to Flame! ^ | 10/13/2002 | By Nicholas Thompson

[Dianna]

I think you hit the nail on the head. Liberal boards are pretty much as he describes them. Either flame fests or boring drivel. His mistake is that he assumes that because liberal political boards are like this, that all political boards are like that.

It would have been pretty easy for him to skulk around FR for something nasty to post. So why didn't he take the easy shot?

I could assume he has principles (knowing that most discourse here is reasonable and not wanting to give a slanted view). But he's a liberal, so I'm going to assume that he didn't want to give us free publicity.

[Captain Beyond]

I wonder if this guy ever watches C-SPAN? Some of the stuff I have seen uttered by representatives makes some of the freakiest chat rooms sound sane. Has he read American history. In the formation of this country the debates were endless. Who is he to decide what is good or bad political discussion? His problem with the web is how does one take control of it and steer it. Not that the discussion is meaningless.

It's the free speech thing that scares hell out of liberals. Especially with the web and radio. They love and defend it when they control the discussion but let another voice step in and illustrate the faults of a liberal's view point then the liberal will tell you how intolerant you ideals are and that you just want to stifle the debate. But once they lose control of the discourse then they will call the same free speech "Hate Radio" or "Meaningless Chat". It really irritates them if the conservative voice starts cutting through the noise with counter point that disproves them. Then free speech is a dangerous thing and out comes the left's spin machine to destroy the conservative's character. Because they know they can not compete and win fairly in the market place of ideals.

[PeaceBeWithYou]

Very well said!

[philman_36]

Online political chat is an insult to democracy.
No clue as to what a Republic is!
Nicholas Thompson is a Markle Fellow at the New America Foundation.
Oh, that explains everything. Yep, the New America is democracy. A remarkable fellow indeed.
"Lies! All lies!" Frau Farbissina

[metesky]

The New America Foundation is chaired by James Fallows, the nitwit who insisted (mostly in the pages of The Atlantic Monthly) that Japan would bury us economically.

Heads full of mush who advocate slime like proportional voting. Need I say more?

[Jim Noble]

This article is a brief, dumbed-down version of Cass Sunstein's very dangerous book, Republic.com, in which he argues for coercive regulation of the political internet.

You are correct, of course-all of this leftist interest in regulation exists because they are losing badly in cyberspace.

[bert]

Markle Fellow

Wow I'm impressed!

Sounds Queer to me.

[Captain Beyond]

Thanks. Have a nice day.

[monday]

"But he's a liberal, so I'm going to assume that he didn't want to give us free publicity."

I think he is so clueless he isn't even aware of FR. If he had been I don't think he would have written the same article.

[Mr. Mojo]

Ping

[monday]

"But he's a liberal, so I'm going to assume that he didn't want to give us free publicity."

I think he is so clueless he isn't even aware of FR. If he had been I don't think he would have written the same article.

[swarthyguy]

>>Legitimacy of the lowest common denominator is democracy's Achille's heel.

That was one of the eyeopeners of the USA. How little so many people valued and refused to inform themselves of what's going on all around them. Democracy depends on an informed electorate. The reasons boards are so popular also is that the TV media do such a terrible job.

[cornelis]

Democracy depends on an informed electorate

Western democracies then pushed for literacy, and Germany was as literate as they come.

[swarthyguy]

Touche. Bring on the monarchy! ISaac Asmimov was right.

If i could figure out how to spell Goetz_von_Boelingen's last name, i'd ping him, too.

[swarthyguy]

Thinking of you.

[cornelis]

he's been pinged! #29. His complaint? Joe Schmoe doesn't know what democracy is?