Democracy by Internet
BY: Rene Velez June 16th, 2009
By all accounts the modern media infrastructure of television, satellite TV, world news networks and the like, have really done a great deal to make the world a much smaller place. Yet all of these large syndicated news networks that cover local and world events are in fact tainted in some way or another by the judgment of management, TV anchors , writers, researchers and let’s not forget the all important ratings initiative. All of this contributes towards a skewed perception or story telling that can influence how the masses respond to news events. There is of course the internet. Chat rooms, blogs, personal web sites all have a unique way to balance out reality.
Where Technology meets Sovereign Rule
The internet and the various social networks that exist today have great, although flawed potential, to let the world receive news through a collage of views that an attentive audience can decipher. Why do I say flawed? My thought is that modern media has been using the internet as a source of news and then spinning it to fit their program of news reporting. In addition we have to realize that social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and related blogs all have their own authors view point and individual spin. Yet together as an expression of the thoughts and views of the people it may well be the most accurate accounts of historical story telling that may have ever existed since history was first written. In the end someone has to interpret these storylines, but collectively it portrays empirical statistical evidence of what a society or group of people could potentially be thinking and their associated points of view.
For sovereign nations all across the world who choose to silence their people and encapsulate them into their form of governance, technology today can be a powerful voice of the people. So much so that other sovereign nations may in fact adopt certain foreign policy initiatives based on what may be determined from a collection of internet voices. This is a sovereign threat to nations like Iran.
Iran – Theology vs. Technology
Current events in Iran would seem to indicate and in fact support what we have long known here in the states. Many Iranians do not agree with their government. A government that is in effect hostage to theological rulers who do not represent the well educated Iranian population or the younger generation. The internet has become a tool for revolutionary statements to be made internationally public about the short comings of Iranian rule. The best offense against threats of a rogue state such as Iran is coming directly from within. It is in my opinion a real opportunity for Iranians to let the world know how they really feel, to experience their anguish and to ask for the support of other countries. But at this juncture will anyone come. Certainly, current events do in fact undermine the legitimacy of the current ruling government. I would venture to say that not much is secret in a state in which a good majority of the population defies current rule. The magic cloak of a dictatorship will likely never be the same for any society that is generally closed. Maybe we should put this to work in North Korea?
Propaganda in the Age of Technology
Ask any knowledgeable military strategist and they will tell you, the propaganda machine, has never been more important in international conflicts and in war than it is today. Technology makes propaganda campaigns more scalable and affordable. Most importantly you can even direct specific campaigns to specific groups. This can be very useful in getting the message out.
Propaganda can be staged to help people, to gain support, to disseminate information, to persuade. It can be used to exchange information, to confuse or to misinform for a given purpose. The beauty of technology is that it can be done covertly without specific knowledge of the source or authors, and in real time.
Statistical Search Engines – Foreign Policy
How do we tally up the demographic cues that are being offered on the world wide web? How do we authenticate sources and authors? There is a greater need for data collection tools that can show us what is the current trend based on social networking sites without it costing a lot of money. Think of what the uses could be? By recognizing social patterns we could design better cars before consumers ask for them. We could understand critical changes in countries that are in economical and political flux before it becomes the evening news. We could then develop foreign policy to better deal with the ever changing global setting we find ourselves. We could figure out what is affecting people the most in certain industries and develop better business models to achieve higher profits.
Knowing what the masses are thinking and feeling is already a multibillion dollar business in the USA. We know that red is a very attractive color on a grocery store shelf. We know consumers want healthier food choices. We know sex sells. What companies such as Coca Cola and Procter and Gamble spend on marketing studies to figure what the masses want is staggering. In some cases these companies know more about you than you might know about yourself. A new spin on this is to have available to us, using the Internet as a source, what the trends are on a global basis so that not only are better business decisions made but also so that foreign policy is more precise, timely and better informed and accurate. The “I” in CIA might have to be changed to “Internet”. I know this sounds far off, but I don’t think it’s that far off from reality.
Conclusion
The IRAQ war is largely unpopular in the USA. This was a closed society to us here in the states. Our best intelligence failed to take into consideration the extent of infighting amongst citizens themselves and how different sections of the country really think. In short we had no inside portal to understand and to make accurate inferences. Would our intelligence of been different had we promoted the internet as a medium of communication and information gathering and then sat back and listened? There are all kinds of issues with this hypothetical but, assuming they could all be overcome, I think our intelligence might well have been more accurate without a foot on foreign soil. Keep in mind that intellect has been over throne many times in Washington.
BY: Rene Velez June 16th, 2009
By all accounts the modern media infrastructure of television, satellite TV, world news networks and the like, have really done a great deal to make the world a much smaller place. Yet all of these large syndicated news networks that cover local and world events are in fact tainted in some way or another by the judgment of management, TV anchors , writers, researchers and let’s not forget the all important ratings initiative. All of this contributes towards a skewed perception or story telling that can influence how the masses respond to news events. There is of course the internet. Chat rooms, blogs, personal web sites all have a unique way to balance out reality.
Where Technology meets Sovereign Rule
The internet and the various social networks that exist today have great, although flawed potential, to let the world receive news through a collage of views that an attentive audience can decipher. Why do I say flawed? My thought is that modern media has been using the internet as a source of news and then spinning it to fit their program of news reporting. In addition we have to realize that social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and related blogs all have their own authors view point and individual spin. Yet together as an expression of the thoughts and views of the people it may well be the most accurate accounts of historical story telling that may have ever existed since history was first written. In the end someone has to interpret these storylines, but collectively it portrays empirical statistical evidence of what a society or group of people could potentially be thinking and their associated points of view.
For sovereign nations all across the world who choose to silence their people and encapsulate them into their form of governance, technology today can be a powerful voice of the people. So much so that other sovereign nations may in fact adopt certain foreign policy initiatives based on what may be determined from a collection of internet voices. This is a sovereign threat to nations like Iran.
Iran – Theology vs. Technology
Current events in Iran would seem to indicate and in fact support what we have long known here in the states. Many Iranians do not agree with their government. A government that is in effect hostage to theological rulers who do not represent the well educated Iranian population or the younger generation. The internet has become a tool for revolutionary statements to be made internationally public about the short comings of Iranian rule. The best offense against threats of a rogue state such as Iran is coming directly from within. It is in my opinion a real opportunity for Iranians to let the world know how they really feel, to experience their anguish and to ask for the support of other countries. But at this juncture will anyone come. Certainly, current events do in fact undermine the legitimacy of the current ruling government. I would venture to say that not much is secret in a state in which a good majority of the population defies current rule. The magic cloak of a dictatorship will likely never be the same for any society that is generally closed. Maybe we should put this to work in North Korea?
Propaganda in the Age of Technology
Ask any knowledgeable military strategist and they will tell you, the propaganda machine, has never been more important in international conflicts and in war than it is today. Technology makes propaganda campaigns more scalable and affordable. Most importantly you can even direct specific campaigns to specific groups. This can be very useful in getting the message out.
Propaganda can be staged to help people, to gain support, to disseminate information, to persuade. It can be used to exchange information, to confuse or to misinform for a given purpose. The beauty of technology is that it can be done covertly without specific knowledge of the source or authors, and in real time.
Statistical Search Engines – Foreign Policy
How do we tally up the demographic cues that are being offered on the world wide web? How do we authenticate sources and authors? There is a greater need for data collection tools that can show us what is the current trend based on social networking sites without it costing a lot of money. Think of what the uses could be? By recognizing social patterns we could design better cars before consumers ask for them. We could understand critical changes in countries that are in economical and political flux before it becomes the evening news. We could then develop foreign policy to better deal with the ever changing global setting we find ourselves. We could figure out what is affecting people the most in certain industries and develop better business models to achieve higher profits.
Knowing what the masses are thinking and feeling is already a multibillion dollar business in the USA. We know that red is a very attractive color on a grocery store shelf. We know consumers want healthier food choices. We know sex sells. What companies such as Coca Cola and Procter and Gamble spend on marketing studies to figure what the masses want is staggering. In some cases these companies know more about you than you might know about yourself. A new spin on this is to have available to us, using the Internet as a source, what the trends are on a global basis so that not only are better business decisions made but also so that foreign policy is more precise, timely and better informed and accurate. The “I” in CIA might have to be changed to “Internet”. I know this sounds far off, but I don’t think it’s that far off from reality.
Conclusion
The IRAQ war is largely unpopular in the USA. This was a closed society to us here in the states. Our best intelligence failed to take into consideration the extent of infighting amongst citizens themselves and how different sections of the country really think. In short we had no inside portal to understand and to make accurate inferences. Would our intelligence of been different had we promoted the internet as a medium of communication and information gathering and then sat back and listened? There are all kinds of issues with this hypothetical but, assuming they could all be overcome, I think our intelligence might well have been more accurate without a foot on foreign soil. Keep in mind that intellect has been over throne many times in Washington.
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