[Air-l] Re: howard dean, social movements and clay shirky

[Robert M. Tynes]

Yes, the US elections have a substantial effect worldwide. And I think many Americans realize this. However, 'we' are not in the center of the election process anymore than 'you' are. Yes, Americans are closer than the rest of the world, but the power to put someone in the presidential office is orchestrated by political strategists and elites. 'We' are bombarded by their preferred messages via the press. (The media doesn't lie, except in a few rare instances. The press is often manipulated though.)So how do we pick the real deal?

These days it takes considerable effort to wade through all that spin (enter the Internet as one tool. Which is more informative: blogs, white papers posted online, databases, google search results, OR George W. Bush's website?). It takes mucho critical analysis about the issues too. Sadly, though, I don't see that happening on a large scale in the US, which is why social movements are so important. If the majority of Americans can't dig deeply into the info then others must do so -- to become the deciphering system for the populace. It's the traditional two-step flow system (opinion leaders and what not) in reverse. That's how the power of the vote is regained. 

As is, all I hear is: Dean screams too loud and Kerry looks electable. That's how 'we' vote.

-robert




On Fri, 30 Jan 2004, Charlie Breindahl wrote:

> > Who's we, and why do we think their is an us? Constitutional mythos?
> > 
> > I wish there was a we.
> > 
> > -robert
> 
> This debate serves as a just reminder that the US elections have a
> considerable effect outside the US. Electionwise, though, those of us who
> are not allowed to vote in US elections because we live outside the US are
> even further from 'we' status. To us, 'we' are, in fact, 'you'   :o)
> 
> 
> Forgive me, it has been a long week.
> 
> Best,
> Charlie
> --
> Charlie Breindahl
> Ph.D. Student, Copenhagen + Malmö
> 
> Web:    http://staff.hum.ku.dk/hitch/
>         http://www.creativeenvironments.mah.se/
> Phone:  +45 35 32 81 14
> Mobile: +45 51 92 15 98
> E-mail: hitch at hum.ku.dk
> 
> "For the modern Don Quixote, the windmills have been preprogrammed to turn
> into knights"
>         - Janet H. Murray
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Air-l mailing list
> Air-l at aoir.org
> http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l
>