By Peter Cochrane, 29 June 2009 14:54
COMMENT
Compiled at the IoD in London and dispatched to silicon.com via a free wi-fi service on the same day
Like most of you I have been following the aftermath of the Iranian election via printed press, radio and TV. But it has been blogs and Twitter that have proved the more interesting, informative and up-to-date.
Some of the reports presented by the established media have been 12 hours behind the bloggers, while the detail and honesty of the mainstream press has been lacking by comparison to the upstarts.
The reaction of the Iranian authorities to the flow of information and reports was predictable: they tried to close down all communication channels while also ejecting foreign journalists from the country.
As a result even more blogs and tweets have been generated!
Meanwhile various statistical and observational analyses, such as those discussed in this blog, have shown it to be unlikely the elections were fair in the first place.
Whatever the outcome of this situation, it has become clear that a globally connected people are going to be hard to govern for a ruling elite that is largely ignorant of technology. They will always stand to be outsmarted by a younger population that is tech-savvy and connected.
What is it that these rulers don't get? The obvious: countries with borders isolate people but the internet is borderless and connects everyone. And of course, a connected population is always going to be smarter than a disconnected elite.
Technology always changes societies, and now it is changing politics and governments - faster than ever before! Who knows, we may even see a breakout of democracy, e-democracy...
Comments
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1. Richard
What of the obvious dangers?
Firstly, too many of the recent conflicts have been made much worse by (possibly well-intentioned, usually ignorant) outsiders meddling:
This includes some refugees & dissidents who leave a country but then seek to meddle from their new place of safety - claiming a right to power but without responsibility.
Secondly, these new media are available mostly to the young, affluent, English speaking urban dwellers:
It is hard to be sure, but the recent Iranian election seemed to revolve around a power struggle between the large mass of "the poor" and a smaller number of richer, more vocal people.
As usual, the Western media concentrated their reporting on the colour & excitement generated by the more wealthy group.
So, yes these new media could bring great benefits; but they also pose great dangers:
Until we again learn not to meddle in other people's and other country's affairs - unless we're really ready to assume governing them!
2. Peter Cochrane
Richard = It was ever thus - and we all have a right to comment on anything we please - it is called freedom! Come to think of it these folks don't have it and cant get it. Peter