What is a "right wing libertarian" and, for that matter, what is a "left wing libertarian"?
Harry
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Robert wrote:
Hi Arthur,
I wanted to respond to your post in relation to my rhetorical question concerning Web-citizensip. I inadvertently deleted it.
You have correctly pointed out the nature of the contemporary political alliance that constitutes our political hegemony. I would add that there are many professional technocrats and authoritarian populists who are also arrayed with that alliance.
However, I do not accept that the introduction of technology, as argued by some proponents of cyber-democracy, constitutes a greater democracy. If anything, it may simply represent a new technological mediation of the political forces already dominating the political culture. I think the intensified corporatization of the internet points in this direction.
I have been reading Manuel Castell's "The Internet Galaxy" and am struck by the role that libertarian thinking has played in the shaping of the Net. (I am aware of alternative *progressive sites*, of course.) In the open cyber-forums (public spaces) I have seen the regulation of these sites as proprietary sites, often under constant surveillance by right wing libertarians, who precipitate flame wars to silence voices they do not want to be heard. It has always rankled my free speech sensibilities. If we are going to move down the road to cyberdemocracy, then we will have to understand, clearly, which democratic ideology we are embracing.
As someone who is skeptical about the level of political awareness, and sense of individual political efficacy, in postmodern society, where image is valued more than substance, I have some trepidations in just accepting a new technology as the solution to the crisis of democracy.
There are examples, where it has worked, as we both know, such as the use of the Internet to stop the MAI Treaty, but again this has involved selected institutions, such as the Council of Canadians, working with other activist insitutions, internationally. I suspect the hegemonic powers-that-be have learned the lesson well, from that experience. For every Michael Moorse Website, there is a libertarian website, in Texas, (Moorewatch) attacking his credibility. Talking to a Generation Y sales clerk, at Indigo, last weekend, it was Moorewatch that was given credence. I suspect it was because Moorewatch reinforced the conservative values in his middle class family, as the culture has shifted rightward, with neoliberalism and neoconservatism.
Political processes are complex and I think it is still necessary for people to get away from the atomization of cyber-cultures to talk to one another, face-to-face. It's a different kind of human communication.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving!
Bob
**************************************************** Harry Pollard Henry George School of Social Science of Los Angeles Box 655 Tujunga CA 91042 Tel: (818) 352-4141 -- Fax: (818) 353-2242 http://home.comcast.net/~haledward ****************************************************
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