Politics Discussion for Thursday, January 15, 2009

Internet as a Democratic Instrument
Since the publication of these texts I think we have seen even more of a change in how the Internet is used as a Democratic Instrument. Over the past several years there has seemed to be an evolution in the political dynamic of the Internet. As the text suggests the political environment remains a developing arena for the activist and the politician. More recently the politician and activist have utilized the social networking benefits of Web 2.0. This has begun to spark more political discourse and social change.
Convivial Society
Through access of information, blogging, interactive websites, and social networking on a local and global level I think Web 2.0 is steadily approaching the beginnings of a convivial society. However, it still is an individually motivated system that lacks in interconnection through political deliberation and mobilization. Consumerism and individualism still play a dominant role in the production and distribution of information. Interdependence and the free exchange need to be primary goals of users in order to achieve conviviality. However, many practices on the Internet model the structural system already operated outside the network by large corporations and mass media conglomerates. Meeting the requirements of a convivial society requires us to change our approach to online business practices and user practices thus changing the Internet both socially and technologically for the user.
Transforming Society
As we discussed in previous classes Web 2.0 has had a profound effect on our social environment. It is clear that it has the same effect on our political environment as well. Social networking has been able to mobilize political activism and movement towards social change on a global scale. The Zapitista movement in Chiapas, Mexico, the events on February 15, 2003 and the anti-globalization movement in Seattle are all examples of the online mobilization of politically active groups. Political activism and participation through online mobilization has been able to develop more efficiently than online deliberation. One of the ways online deliberation needs to be developed is through online forums. Effective online forums can benefit the political environment and the public sphere in the following ways:
· Participants become more thoughtful and views are taken more seriously.
· Public officials become more trusting.
· Deepens relationships with decision makers and public.
In the recent election the use of online forums involving political leaders and decision makers have been popularized and have started to be more readily integrated in the mainstream. The following link is a good example of the Internet as a democratic instrument. At least it gives the impression of that and will pave the way for even better online forums utilized by the government or important decision makers.
http://change.gov/page/content/discussservice
Other branches of government are starting to reach out through Web 2.0. I found this advertisement/PSA as a means of promoting a variation of an online forum. If it can produce the results of an online forum it could be a successful way to continue to connect government to the public.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avch-fRFmbw
Blogs
Blogs remain the popular forum to broadcast information, ideas, and beliefs from an autonomous perspective to the larger community. Blogs most actively contribute to the political ideal in the following ways:
· Create a bridge between private and public.
· Allows for the expression of incomplete thoughts.
· Unheard voices now have a place to be heard.
Unfortunately the blogging system hasn’t been fully able to access a truly legitimate political deliberation. The reality of blogs:
· There is an unequal distribution of readers.
· Users tend to remain within ideological lines.
· The most popular blogs continue to model the existing structure.
Blogs haven’t quite achieved uniting “the critical mass” but they have been successful uniting niche markets giving individuals a place to express their own autonomy but still providing a socially interactive and engaging environment.
I posted these links to Blog for America, the blog founded by Howard Dean and the blog portion of change.gov, Barak Obama’s site in reference to the ways in which politicians have adopted new ways to invigorate the political discourse over the past several years. Political leaders are now exploring the ideas of engaging the public and moving in the direction of a more deliberative community. This could possibly be a means to finally embrace the Internet as the new public sphere.
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/blog_posts
http://change.gov/newsroom/blog/
Political Remixes
I thought I would include the remix video Bushwhacked 2 that is mentioned in the text. I think this does encompass all the characteristics of an excellent remix as well as a profound political statement.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6294985583987289451
Discussion Questions:
· In what ways have you seen the Internet transforming the political environment?
· Does the Internet fulfill the criteria to create a new public sphere? In what ways does it fall short?
· How can the Internet transform to fully envision Habermaus’ idea of the public sphere? Has consumerism and individualism hindered our ability to really share in the public sphere as Habermaus describes?
· How does the Internet function as a democratic instrument and how does it resist against this idea?
· Has the Internet transformed us into a Convivial Society?
· According to the text the concept of online deliberation has been a modest occurrence through the Internet. Is this statement still true today in light of the current political environment?
· How has online deliberation and mobilization been used as a political tool in the recent election?
· What are some limitations of blogs as a political tool?
· What do you recall from February 15, 2003? Did the message reach you through online mobilization or through other forms of media?
· http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_15,_2003_anti-war_protest