Day: June 13, 2011

E-Democracy (Redux)

College of Political Knowledge

I recently wrote a piece for Info Ink about E-Democray……a new form of governance that is coming into its own…..if you would like to see what I wrote then click away, my friend…….http://t.co/y2fNA6F

a form of direct democracy that uses information technologies and communication technologies and strategies for political and governance processes. Such processes can be used for governance of local communities, nations and internationally. Democratic actors and sectors in this context include governments, elected officials, the media, political organizations, and citizens/voters.E-democracy aims for broader and more active citizen participation enabled by the Internet, mobile communications, and other technologies in today’s representative democracy, as well as through more participatory or direct forms of citizen involvement in addressing public challenges.

E-Democracy may be getting its first test……In Iceland, the land of the oldest parliament…….

“I believe this is the first time a constitution is being drafted basically on the Internet,” Thorvaldur Gylfason, a member of the constitutional council, told Britain’s Guardian newspaper. “The public sees the constitution come into being before their eyes.”The council is posting draft clauses on its Web site, and the public comments there or on a Facebook page. The panel’s meetings are open to the public and streamed live online.The constitution provides for separation of powers to prevent a repeat of the financial crisis and changes elections to the Parliament, the Althing, which dates from 930.

Will this prove to be the way of the future?

It’s Those Damn Elitists!

College of Political Knowledge

Subject:  Political Theory

Now where have you heard that statement?  Think back…..Obama is an elitist……the Dems are elitists because they appeal to academics and intellectuals……Elitists to the right, elitists to the Left……..your opponent must be an elitist because he does Not agree with you…..in other words elitist is a term used to denigrate an opponent…apparently it is more acceptable than calling him a bastard….

I have heard the term used many times by the Radical Right….they are truly concerned about the taking over of our government by people that think or have obtained some degree of wisdom…..and we realize that we cannot allow that to happen….elitists must be fought at every level or we will lose our beloved country……(Yes….Sarcasm)

Since it is used so much you would think that the definition would be readily available…..it is not!  But allow me to assist anyone who wants to learn about the term……

Societal power is concentrated in elite groups who control resources of key social institutions and are not accountable to the masses, origins of societal power lie in control of social organizations, regardless of how (un)democratic a society maybe, Elites hold the bulk of power; use all and any means to retain power, power becomes end in itself.

To my way of thinking there are two schools of elitism……the first and let us call it the classical school is a way of dealing with society or government…..the thought is that it is impractical for ALL individuals to be part of the governing process, thus it is inevitable that a small group of people will be permitted to make the decisions for everyone…this type of elite becomes entrenched and vertically impossible to remove from the seat of power….The state cannot be anything other than an organ of a minority that will necessarily rule in its own interests…….the Arab leaders of today’s protests comes to mind as an example…..

Then there is the second school and I will be damned if I can think of a good name for it…..but it is where all decisions for society fall onto the shoulders of a collage of the three sectors of the society…..corporate, military and political…..I guess the “power elite” would be a good name for the marriage of the three….the ruling minority uses its access to control the decisions made in the name of the people….and most times is at odds with the true concern of the people they rule……

I guess the best example for this is the United States….

The accusations that have been leveled by some in the talk radio genre are truly correct….but most times NOT for the reason they claim…..because a person is educated does not make them one of the elite….just knowledgeable.