The Web Won't Topple Tyranny

bm

I was reading this article last night.

I have a couple of qualms with it. Not that I necessarily disagree all that strongly with the main thrust of the article, but there were a few obvious holes in its arguments.

Personally Id say, sure, there's a bit of hype involved in the support-the-internet-and-dictatorship-will-melt-away enthusiasm. In the end its just a tool, the net cant defeat totalitarianism.

But it can undermine it in various ways, just like, say, literacy, pop culture or women's emancipation can. All contribute to making the borders that a totalitarian regime will try to create around its society more porous, broadening people's horizons, creating possible avenues of dissent or at least zones of discrete communication, and promoting a kind of independent-minded self-confidence that's less easily indoctrinated/bullied by a regime.

No, that doesnt guarantee that people will organise and protest next year, but in the long term it makes the kind of 20th century Stalin/Mao/Pot totalitarianism less feasible.

Anyway, like I said I had a few concrete qualms with the writer's arguments - lessee if I'll return here to specify them.