Empowerment
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| Ridcully Jan 21, 2012 8:19 PM EDT |
In a little round-table discussion this morning, my best half led into something that I have understood completely for the first time: the ability of the internet to empower the common man. Until now, politicians have had it all their own way: they could pass legislation as they saw fit knowing that it was a "done deal" and the unwashed masses would just follow blindly - "sheeples" is the word that springs to mind. Not any more. The internet has given the general population the ability to respond and respond rapidly and bluntly so that I am not surprised that some in Congress have been stunned and made angry as they see their power and money threatened by those whom they previously considered as irrelevant. On the other hand I am no longer surprised in any way that the "sheeples" reacted as they did and vented their anger so quickly. If you have a freedom and a voice to express your wishes, then any act which tries to take away that freedom and put a gag on your mouth is utterly disgusting. It is instructive too in that not just the "common person" reacted, but also the enormous commercial interests that rely on the internet for their business. The internet is now the nervous system of the "sheeples" and commerce and any attempt to hurt that system is going to be resisted vehemently. It's a "brave new world" members of Congress; get used to it, and for your own sakes: LEARN HOW THE INTERNET WORKS. It is no longer clever to boast that you don't understand the internet - your political survival may depend on just how well you know what it does. Later comment......When I wrote that last sentence above, I should have added one more concept. To boast of not understanding the internet also suggests to me that the boasting person almost certainly has passed their "use-by date". Images of Congressmen seen here in Australia often seem to indicate an "aged population" and because these people formed their concepts of problem solving mostly from their age of 20-40 that means that they are using methodology based on their experiences from 1960-1980. The internet didn't even exist in those days and yet these people are allowed to legislate what virtually amounts to part of the "driver's manual" on something unknown in their "experience files". This isn't just disgusting, it's frightening. (Oh, and we get the same thing out here too....it's not just a USA experience.) |
| cr Jan 21, 2012 8:56 PM EDT |
This isn't the first time the populace has seized a new technological medium and not let go. Remember the CB radio boom in the mid-to-late 70's? The FCC's Part-95 regulations then were pretty stringent about identification, what was allowed in conversation, how long you were allowed to talk and how distant a station you were allowed to contact. With, at its peak, over 10% of the nation owning CBs and using them, though, and, because of the poor choice of the 11-meter band for a CB service, talking to far-distant stations ("Skipland") when they were clearer to be heard than stations nearby, the FCC hadn't a prayer of enforcing all that, and gave way steadily. The current policy towards CBers seems to be "don't make trouble for other services". Basically, the American public took a chunk of radio spectrum away from the government by sheer force of numbers. Hmm, it's been awhile since I listened to that mp3 of C.W. McCall's "Convoy"... |
| helios Jan 22, 2012 12:14 AM EDT |
LOL cr. I had s small, handcrafted base station cobbled together in Germany in my barracks and was calling out to a friend who lived in onbase housing right outside the gates. He responded, "Ken is that you? I was surprised to hear your voice....skip must be rolling in early. making fun of my little base station of course. I awaited "the Skip" every night so I could talk to places that normally wouldn't be allowed by my feeble transmitter. Ah, the days of Jerry Clower..... And to the Good Doctor...I keep hoping the US populace awakens to the fact that money doesn't fund congress, it often buys tailor-made laws. There are countries that our way of "donating" to a politician would land you in jail. I thought corruption was only corrupt when it was a hidden activity. Silly me. |
| Ridcully Jan 22, 2012 12:58 AM EDT |
Thanks Helios........just had a shower after chainsawing two large trailer loads of both slow combustion stove wood and open-fire wood (the latter in prep. for winter). It's an overcast and coolish day so a hot and sweaty job is a good one to get done. Being on solar power means wood stove and open fire place, but both are wonderful in winter. Nothing to do with this discourse, it's just nice to let people know how others live. I think you are probably right. We do have political corruption in Australia and a large "oblique corruption set" is currently playing out with respect to controls on poker machines....but nothing on the scale of what I think you are suggesting. In fact, I think our justice system would very quickly catch up with those attempting what appears to be common practice in your part of the world. My guess is that plain stupidity seems to be the controlling factor with respect to our legislators and that is just as dangerous. I am reasonably certain that our Federal politicians in charge of making laws for both IP and computer/networking technology, usually do not understand what they are "playing with". They certainly have advisors, but quite often those in turn are biased because they often have not had experience other than dealing with computer technology ultimately dependent on a company in Redmond. And of course, the RIAA and MPAA have their little covens of support here too. We are rolling out the NBN fibre optic network, probably around 40 billion dollars Aust.....the minister in charge is refusing to allow public a cost benefit analysis and earlier actually tried to put legislation through to force ISP's to install filters to block paedophilia. Okay, I'm 1000% on anything that can wipe out that repulsive practice, but expert after expert tried to tell the minister it would not work because of the internet structure. Currently that proposal seems to have died a natural death. But again, putting such a complex technical business in the hands of a non-expert seems to me like playing with fire.....IT in general is now too complex a matter to be allowed to be in the hands of someone whose only previous electronic experience is probably learning how to use the remote on a tv. I'm probably too cynical, but that's how it looks to me |
| tracyanne Jan 22, 2012 1:46 AM EDT |
No Rid, not cynical enough. |
| pmpatrick Jan 22, 2012 11:46 AM EDT |
Quoting:My guess is that plain stupidity seems to be the controlling factor with respect to our legislators and that is just as dangerous.No, stupid is worse than crooked by a long shot. As an old law professor of mine used to say, a crooked judge is only crooked part of the time; a stupid judge is stupid all of the time. |
| gus3 Jan 22, 2012 1:38 PM EDT |
"You can't fix stupid." |
| Khamul Jan 22, 2012 3:30 PM EDT |
Not even close to cynical enough. |
| jdixon Jan 22, 2012 4:12 PM EDT |
> No, stupid is worse than crooked by a long shot Unfortunately, it many cases it's not either/or. :( |
| Fettoosh Jan 22, 2012 7:26 PM EDT |
Quoting:My guess is that plain stupidity seems to be the controlling factor with respect to our legislators and that is just as dangerous. They manage to manipulate their constituents to get elected multiple times, cheat and scr*w each other, make bundles of money, and have a very good living. One can call it many other names but stupidity is not one of them. |
| JaseP Jan 22, 2012 10:00 PM EDT |
Religious connotations aside, "and the meek shall inherit the Earth..." And also, political connotations aside, a "government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. " |
| Ridcully Jan 22, 2012 11:29 PM EDT |
@Fettoosh.......With respect to the stupidity, I was referring specifically to the lack of knowledge these politicians have about the items for which they are enacting controlling legislation.....Hence our minister for the NBN probably has no idea about fibreoptics, support technology such as ADSL, wireless etc . etc.....but can toss off motherhood phrases about them. As a whole, it is breathtaking here that our government telecommunications monopoly of Telecom was privatised as "government should not be involved in commerce", only to find the present minister reinstating an NBN monopoly. Stupidity ? Oh yes. However, I very much do take your point about political snouts in the swill trough of taxpayer money, and even lobby money. It's not being clever though, it's about self-interest and sheer greed: Without letting the taxpayers know, how much of their money can I get out of the system before I lose office ? |
| JaseP Jan 22, 2012 11:52 PM EDT |
Don't forget the revolving door,... And God forbid, don't pull away the curtain to reveal "The Great and Wonderful Oz." He with his puffery, can make you believe he is knowledgeable of everything in the world. Yep, politicians,... Kinda makes you think its the system that corrupts, otherwise one or more of the idealistic ones would keep that attitude throughout their careers. Doesn't it?!?! |
| Fettoosh Jan 23, 2012 11:40 AM EDT |
Quoting:With respect to the stupidity, I was referring specifically to the lack of knowledge these politicians ... I see your point, it is my bad I didn't see it in that context. It must be my comprehension of English, which isn't my first language. One point I always try to make, if it wasn't for the neglect, carelessness, negligence, laziness, Naivety/naivete, ignorance and sometimes flat out stupidity of voters, those hoodlums wouldn't get elected again and again. [Edited] Ah, I forgot the non-voters, which Plato spoke off : “Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.” |
| Steven_Rosenber Jan 23, 2012 5:28 PM EDT |
@helios ... I'm setting up my ham radio station after 19 years of inactivity (beats the 3 to 5 years I was actually active ...). All I need is an antenna and I'll be on the lookout for skip on 10 meters ... |
| Ridcully Jan 23, 2012 6:26 PM EDT |
@Fettoosh......no worries; English is such a complex language with such subtle nuances that even native speakers sometimes get mistaken. You do very well; I can't even boast of having a second language apart from a moderate ability to understand written French. And you in turn have hit the target yet again: so often the voters get the politicians they deserve. I'll moderate that a little by saying that additionally the voters are often misled by the lies told during election campaigns. Queensland (where I live) is in pre-election turmoil at the moment, so I am feeling extra-sensitive to political stenches. |
| BernardSwiss Jan 23, 2012 7:15 PM EDT |
I'm once again reminded of Jefferson's contention that a vigorous free press is more essential to liberty than free elections. I'm not sure we have either, any more... |
| cr Jan 23, 2012 7:41 PM EDT |
@steven: http://www.w6sd.net/ is San Fernando Valley Amateur Radio Club, a good bunch of folks when I was out there in 80's/90's. I notice they've got weekly nets on 10mUSB as well as 2mFM; guess I need to put some wire up myself. de wb1hku |
| jsusanka Jan 23, 2012 11:35 PM EDT |
I would also to go as far and say I think the internet could replace the bozos in Washington. You could create a web service where you could have citizens vote on bills. The citizens would get selected like jury duty. You would have to serve so often to do the voting. This would get rid of lobbyists and the bozos that currently run the country. I guess it is nice to dream though. I would just settle for honest elections where the counting is videotaped and recorded along with having a paper trail and auditing. I mean the nfl uses recordings for getting their plays right why can't we use for something as important as electing our officials. We also have all the sarbanes oxley/hipaa crap from enron why can't we have more integrity than the corporate world for electing our officials. Our elections are nothing but theatre where we don't really get to decide who wins by our vote. |
| gus3 Jan 23, 2012 11:43 PM EDT |
We could set up an anarcho-syndicalist commune! |
| Ridcully Jan 24, 2012 12:36 AM EDT |
For Gus3, Jsusanka and BernardSwiss.....you might like to look at part of US author David Edding's book "The Shining Ones". In it, someone describes the political structure which ensures good government in the Tegan Republic like this: Our elected officials have no outside interests to manipulate other than the welfare of the Republic. As soon as they are elected, all they own is sold and the money is put into the national treasury. If the economy prospers during their five year term of office, their wealth earns them a profit. If the economy collapses, they lose everything. Most Tegans do everything they can to avoid election and many have worked themselves to death in the interests of the state. Officials can't run away either. As soon as they are elected, they are put under police guard for the entire term. What do you suppose USA Congressmen and women would do under such a system ? The mind boggles. I can hear the screams already. |
| helios Jan 24, 2012 11:27 AM EDT |
I've often said that service within Congress should be such a negative experience, that it is avoided instead of coveted. Apparently, Beltway air has some element or compound in it that renders the office-holder unable to remember anything previous to him moving into his new office. I mean, what other explanation can clarify the reasons they forget campaign promises, ignore friends who helped them get there and come to believe they are above the law? While I thought the Tegan's were some sort of eating disorder cult, I will look into them now and possibly write about how we may adapt to their political ways. Personally, I'm likin' them. |
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