In reading and thinking about Obama’s new strategies and policy recommendations, I see this fear of socialism popping up here and there. While I’m not a support of a completely socialist system, I also know that no president has the power to bend the country that far in any direction. However, clearly his plans do have a more liberal or socialist bent than we’ve seen for a long time.
What’s changed? And why might it work this time around?
The Internet has finally come of age. Facebook, MySpace, Wikipedia, and other sites have put the power of voice in the hands of the people. The only problem until now is that no one has been listening. With Obama’s deep understanding of the power of this medium, his ardent support of it, and his willingness to find solutions in the words of his constituents, I see a newfound hope that is encouraging, to say the least.
Blogs, forums, personal web sites, and comments across many sites create a network of conversation and debate that is not perfect, but is better than anything we’ve seen to date. No longer is the power of oratory limited to statesmen, scholars, elite businessmen,
For once, the government is asking for our opinions, and seems genuinely interested in what we have to say.
And for the first time in several years, we see the hope of a government that will hold itself accountable by embracing these technologies. The transparency of the Internet mandates that the people have a public voice. This voice has the power to persuade, argue, encourage, and identify wrong-doing with unprecedented equality, accuracy, and speed. Obama’s commitment to applying new marketing trends in technology to the government are enlightening:
“Among his proposals: making more government reports and data available online; Webcasts of all government meetings; and creating tech tools to allow users to track federal grants, contracts, lobbyist information and earmarks. He even proposes a five-day public comment period on any legislation pending before the White House.”
Granted there are problems. There is a great deal of noise out there, and it’s everyone’s job to sift through it. Technologies are getting better to allow us to do this, but human editors will always be necessary. A larger problem is the growing digital divide, which leaves millions of Americans out of this conversation. Democracy and equality are never comprehensive, even on the Internet, but we’re heading in the right direction.
Network Neutrality is going to be a key issue to keeping the Internet working as we know it, free and open to everyone who has access. And burgeoning organizations are focusing on the digital divide issue to make sure Broadband Internet is not a luxury, but a necessity for all Americans. Until we solve this issue and give everyone a voice, decisions will still be made by people who are not as directly affected by the results. That’s not democracy.
Live View of New Wicker Park Street Mural by Ray Noland and Hebru Brantley 
