Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ Are internet populists ruining democracy for the rest of us?

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

By "ruining democracy for the rest of us" I can only presume that the author means "ruining democracy for the minority" since the whole concept depends on the populists winning majority support. But that aside, it seems to me hypocritical to complain that a media and advertising system designed for persuasion is being used for persuasion (albeit by the wrong people). And make no mistake - it is traditional media driving what this article calls populism. I think it's the inevitable result of the traditional media platform, partiularly when augmented by mass social networks. In That Group Feeling I warned against it. In Groups vs Networks I described how we should reorganize ourselves to respond. But the existing establishment (aka 'the rest of us') depend on mass media and persuasion in order to govern. So there's no interest in reform. They'll just tough it out as through the system works. Until it doesn't.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Nov 21, 2024 3:10 p.m.

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