Has the Internet improved American Politics and Governance?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

Poll question: Has the Internet improved American Politics and Governance?

Has the Internet improved American Politics and Governance?

Net effect. Because of the internet America is better able to deal with problems or worse. On average, better candidates win office or worse. The net quality of political discourse better or worse? Etc.

[AnArmyVeteran]

1. The Internet is a cesspool of disinformation.

And only those who know how to 'swim' through all of the floating wastes to find credible information should venture into its fouled 'waters'.

[Fumesucker]

6. And that makes it different from the traditional media how? n/t

[OrangeGrapes]

It doesn't

And I don't think the ArmyVeteran (I know the nick is AnArmyVeteren, but it feels to me like that encourages the anonymity of someone who deserves more recognition than anyone else) was implying that

[Fumesucker]

10. But your statement implies that people shouldn't pay attention to traditional media also..

So then where should people get information if they cannot believe the internet or traditional media?

[Selatius]

15. That's sort of the question that is plaguing this country.

Ultimately, if you really want to safeguard yourself against falling for propaganda, you have to branch out to as many sources as possible. You read the conflicting accounts and decide for yourself what really happened. Unfortunately, in a country where working days are long and hard with low pay, people don't have the time or the energy to sift through the information to make an informed decision.

[blondeatlast]

16. +1. Voters aren't ignorant by choice, just by lack of energy.

and because they are tired, they want the info spoon-fed. It's sad and scary, but I can hardly blame them.

[Fumesucker]

17. I disagree to an extent..

I know quite a few people who can tell you all about sports teams in minute detail and know nothing of politics, I guess it's just coincidence that they happen to all vote Republican. These folks spend hours per day absorbing information about batting averages and yards gained and free throw shots but couldn't tell you who their Senators are.

[blondeatlast]

21. Good point--that kinna explains the new DNC logo. nt

[AnArmyVeteran]

26. I can blame right wingers who sit in front of their radios and mindlessly absorb lies & distortions.

[AnArmyVeteran]

23. All I'm saying is to doubt all sources until you verify if they are true or not.

Infortunately, that takes effort and most people either are too lazy or too overwhelmed by life to do the research they need to do to find the truth. Right wingers are the easiest to brainwash because they filter out everything they hear that's not from right wing radio or Faux news.

[AnArmyVeteran]

22. I'm not saying it's different, I'm saying people should be careful about what they read or hear.

It doesn't matter what the sources are a person needs to be able to sort out the garbage from the facts regardless of the medium.

[Uncle Joe]

27. The Internet represents the voices of the people and media represent the voices of the corporations.

Sometimes the people can be foul and inconsiderate on the Internet just as they can be behind the wheel, but at least they're human and democratic as opposed to artificial constructs speaking one way, from the top down.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

2. The role of evolution denial in American life...

Evolution denial by politicians was a weird idea by 1985. (Reagan had some code phrases, but it was genrally kind of a "flat earth" sort of idea.)

In the internet era that sort of 19th century primitivism has become so commonplace that it is as socialy reckless to mention evolution in unfamiliar company today as it was in 1900.

[jdlh8894]

3. Honestly? Not sure.

Things that were done in "smokey back rooms" are now more out in the open.
Has it changed anything? Still,not sure.

[Brickbat]

4. I find myself nostalgic for smoky back rooms. That's where shit got done.

For better or for worse, that's where shit got done.

[jdlh8894]

8. My Havana trumps your Tampa!

Guess we're showing our age! DAMN!
On edit: LSMFT See how long it takes some to figure that out!!!!

[Brickbat]

9. Ha! Give me a pack of Camels, a bottle of whiskey, and three staffers, and I'll have a bill on the

president's desk by tomorrow morning!

:toast:

[jdlh8894]

11. Check my edit

Oh,HELL Yeah!!:toast: :toast: :toast:

[Brickbat]

12. Heh!

:thumbsup:

[jdlh8894]

14. Was that one of the first accronyms?

[slackmaster]

5. Not yet

But there's still plenty of time.

[mmonk]

7. Nope. Just communication. Money controls politics.

[Selatius]

13. Did the internet stop the Supreme Court from saying corporations have a right to buy politicians?

Who will win in the end? The people who work the line? Or the people who own the line?

All I can say is if this Republic finally collapses into a corporate dictatorship, I think it's safe to say nothing, including the internet, could stop the fall.

[Johonny]

18. neither

The internet can be helpful and allows candidates, partys, government organizations and communities to easily and quickly get information to people. The internet is also filled with information readily package for people seeking one sided appeasement of their already formed opinion. It is up to the seeker of information on how to best use the internet. People that only want the information that affirms their ready made beliefs didn't start with the internet. There were hucksters long before the internet and people ready made to want to hear what the huckster was selling them. It's a very old business. So it probably hasn't had any net effect on political discourse because the people have not fundamentally changed. It's just a tool.

[madamesilverspurs]

19. For my money, itty bitty though it is,

I'm thinking 'yes.' And that's by virtue of the fact that the internet, with all its problems, has provided a venue for (1)dispensing information that is not tainted by MSM agendas, and (2) also provides opportunity for conversation. Granted, there is much stuff that seems to exist for the sole purpose of clogging the pipes; but even for a neophyte like me it doesn't take long to find a way through or around. Nowadays, I'd guess that 98% of my news comes from the internet; the other 2% is comprised of weather info and obits from local media.

For what it's worth, I've suspected for some time that the election debacle of 2000 contributed to the explosive growth of internet. I believe that the neocons thought they had the MSM firmly in control and would thus be able to control all messaging; had they anticipated the growth - and effectiveness - of the net, they would have taken measures to strangle it. Happily for us, they were surprised and have remained pissy about it ever since. I have no doubt whatsoever that had they managed to gain control of the internet the consequences would have been horrific. At the very least, the depth of ignorance in the populace would have been sufficient to allow for maladministration far exceeding what we experienced under Bush, even to the point of making his tenure semi-permanent on the basis of trumped up 'emergency.'

Even without that scenario, we are far better off with the internet than without it. So many people are better informed and more engaged than they were with the usual MSM. There are abuses, to be sure, but at least we have places to meet and converse without the likes of Murdoch telling us what to think.

[whatchamacallit]

20. I say yes

Although there's a lot of bullshit out there, there is also useful information available to those who seek it. Information you'd never get being spoon-fed by the corporate media. I think DU is a good example of this.

[nyc 4 Biden]

24. +1. the interwebs are a counterbalance to the MSM. n/t

[kpominville]

25. Its become the Misinformation Superhighway

Sure, there is a lot of good accurate information out there, but its buried and watered down by tons of misinformation, propaganda, nonsense and outright lies.

[Uncle Joe]

28. I would say it's improving and a work in progress.

Thanks for the thread, Kurt_and_Hunter.

[Poboy]

29. I vote definite improvement.

Personally speaking, I remember pre internet and how misinformed I was, and how the M$M catapulted the propaganda.
The M$M still does what it does, but the independant media exposes the lies and propaganda.