Worthwhile concept. Think I prefer some other coinage, maybe "electronic populism" ( since it can also be community TV or alternative radio or independent film ) but the idea is on target Whatever way you look at things, computers ( portable or desk centered ) will necessarily be a decisive component of vast political changes. I've been thinking, to make the most of this, Radical Centrists need a distinctive "voice" in the blogosphere / cyberspace. If we are mostly simply expressing our opinions, while that is anything but a "bad" activity, then we just are one more kind of opinion source. If our opinions resonate with someone, or a group, well and good, but objectively why pay attention to RC.org or to any of us individually ? I have a friend hereabouts who, among other things, is a Lithuanian nationalist. That is, although he is a US citizen he carries the torch for his homeland and for pan-European views generally. But I have read some of the people he regards as worth reading on this theme and I simply am not impressed. His other suggestions for reading, on a range of topics, have been very good, but not when the theme is nationalism. Yes, I think that Lithuanian identity is a good idea , especially since for most of the 20th century the country was dominated by Russians. But that is where that kind of nationalism ends for me. And the appeal of nationalist writers has zero resonance. Their "pitches" all come down to some equivalent of yay, rah, rah, ___________ fill in the blank with your country of choice. Ideologies of Left and Right are not that bad, some, in fact, allow for a good deal of intellectual development, but when all is said they still end up as cheerleader philosophies. Yay, rah, rah Democrats or yay, rah, rah Republicans. How about as our basic model, or anyway one important way to express RC views, we pattern our views on how public opinion pollsters operate ? Yes, Rasmussen or Barone, etc, are partisan in many of their personal outlooks, but that is NOT the source of their reputations. That derives directly from their objectivity about politics and election outcomes. This is equally the case for pollsters who have Leftist views. You can almost ask, "so what ?" about their private political preferences. Those that are good get the election results correct to within 2 %. Those that are good provide useful analyses of those election results or provide useful suggestions to candidates running for office. Seems to me, we ought to cultivate an objective "style" in what we say. Well, I think we have been doing this already, and not just recently, in ways this has been true since 2004. But looking forward we might want to keep this in mind as a sort of "essential operating principle." So that we become known for : providing genuinely useful political ideas to people. What do you think ? Billy ============================================ 4/13/2012 [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) writes:
For better AND worse... _http://mashable.com/2012/04/11/digital-populism-online-politics-activism/_ (http://mashable.com/2012/04/11/digital-populism-online-politics-activism/) How Digital Populism Is Reshaping the Body Politic Ethan Riegelhaupt is senior vice president for corporate and public affairs at _Edelman_ (http://www.edelman.com/) . Previously, he served as vice president for speech writing and internal communications at The New York Times Company. He was also a senior staff member for New York Gov. Mario M. Cuomo. We love the Internet because it supports our overwhelming desire to have a larger influence over what happens in our lives. This fundamental longing to control our destiny has inspired every successful political movement in the last 250 years, whether it was the American Revolution or the fight against Communism in Eastern Europe. Now, a few decades later, our need to exert real influence over the larger activities of life continues. We see countless examples of individuals, much like ourselves, employing digital tools to create sparks, ignite fires, and shine bright lights on alleged injustices, misdeeds, or desired changes. People all over the planet use their computers and smart phones to confront organizations, forcing them to pay closer attention to what they are saying, thinking, and doing. The _Trayvon Martin_ (http://mashable.com/follow/topics/trayvon-martin) tragedy is an excellent case in point. As _Brian Stelter reported_ (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/business/media/for-martins-case-a-long-route-to-nati onal-attention.html?_r=3) in The New York Times, the story gained traction when people started talking on _Facebook_ (http://mashable.com/category/facebook/) and _Twitter_ (http://mashable.com/tag/twitter/) about what George Zimmerman, the alleged shooter, did on the night of February 26 in Sanford, Florida. It took a few weeks before the mainstream media began to pay attention. But they did, and the case became a national fixation. In a _recent piece_ (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/23/opinion/krugman-paranoia-strikes-deeper.html) , Paul Krugman, a Times Op-Ed columnist, referred to Richard Hofstadter’s famous 1964 essay, The Paranoid Style in American Politics arguing that people in this country see conspiracies everywhere. While this dark mindset still exists, the Martin case demonstrates that the Internet can serve as a sane political and social counterbalance. Far more importantly, the Internet has become a catalyst for concerted behavior, enabling individuals throughout the world to make the transition from commenting and speaking to doing and acting. This has exponentially enhanced anyone’s ability to alter and shape the course of events. Out of all this activity, we see the emergence of what may well be the most important political development of the 21st century: digital populism. It is global in scope with a flavor of the New England town square and speaks to the intrinsic need for personal expression, mass action, and ongoing engagement. It is worth noting that digital populism is a hotly contested concept, generating lengthy exchanges regarding what it means, what it has already achieved, and whether it will be a truly disruptive political force. Naturally, this debate became quite heated in the midst of the _Arab Spring_ (http://mashable.com/follow/topics/arab-spring) when the Egyptian and Tunisian governments were overthrown. To avoid becoming overly utopian or romantic about this era, we must maintain a historical perspective. After all, mass action around a common objective is not a new phenomenon. Nevertheless, it is abundantly apparent that the Internet is profoundly shaping a new politics of inclusion that invites all to contribute to the ongoing narrative. It is something that will certainly shape the U.S. political narrative this campaign season, and it won’t be the first time. In 2008, then-presidential candidate, Barack Obama, provided a textbook example of how to use online tools to rally supporters, raise money, and convey his positions. Four years later, the _President’s campaign_ (http://mashable.com/2012/03/22/obama-online-visits/) is undoubtedly becoming even more proficient at using the web to mobilize its millions of supporters and to engage in old-school grassroots campaigning, providing another example of the Internet fusing the old and new. But candidates will not be the only ones relying on the web to create ch ange; citizens will too. The public is no longer content to sit and watch what is happening. Instead, they will continue to use the Internet to learn more about positions, question candidates, and become far more involved in issues that affect their lives. This is the essence of digital populism and the new politics of inclusion. It makes sense because personal empowerment is what we have wanted since the dawn of time. Call it human nature. -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: _http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism_ (http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism) Radical Centrism website and blog: _http://RadicalCentrism.org_ (http://radicalcentrism.org/) -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org
