Democracy and the Wired World - Michael Wesley

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2009/10/04/Is_Democracy_Not_For_Everyone

In this panel debate, Lowy Institute Executive Director Michael Wesley explores how advancements in communication technologies have facilitated the spread of global democracy. "Fatalism is dead," he says. "Democracy is here as a consciousness."

-----

Winston Churchill famously said that democracy was the worst form of government - except for all the others that have been tried. In western countries like Australia the universal good of democracy is simply assumed. But are we assuming too much?

"Democracy Is Not For Everyone" was the challenging proposition debated at the most recent IQ Squared event, held as part of the Festival of Dangerous Ideas. - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Michael Wesley is the Executive Director of the Lowy Institute for International Policy. Previously he was Professor of International Relations and Director of the Griffith Asia Institute at Griffith University, and a Visiting Fellow at the University of Hong Kong and Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, China.

Between 2007 and 2009, Dr. Wesley was the Editor of the Australian Journal of International Affairs and a Chief Investigator in the Australian Research Council's Centre of Excellence in Policing and Security (CEPS). He has served on the Australian Research Council's College of Experts and the Queensland Art Gallery's Board of Trustees. In April 2008, he was Co-Chair (with Foreign Minister Stephen Smith) of one of the ten issue streams at the Australian government's 2020 Summit and gave the keynote speech at the Summit.

His most recent books are Energy Security in Asia(Routledge, 2007); The Howard Paradox: Australian Diplomacy in Asia 1996-2006 (ABC Books, 2007); and (with Allan Gyngell) Making Australian Foreign Policy, 2nd edition, (Cambridge University Press, 2007).

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• internet
• online
• social
• media
• websites
• networks
• information
• tech
• twitter
• iran
• election
• iranian
• protests
• democratic
• reforms
• liberty
• freedom
• fora.tv
• foratv
• fora
• tv
• lowy
• institute
• michael
• wesley

[kaxitaksi]

This do not only go for democracy but also religion and other stuff. Number of people awakening from religious delusion is also accelerating very fast because of internet. And this is a good thing.

[RemiG2006]

If you mean by curbing those 'nasty? foreigners' ae. one of the the most influential lobby in WA.DC the A I P A C the I s r a e l Lobby, then never wake up from your American Dream. It won't happen during my nor your lifetime. Not mentioning other groups of interests.

Have a good day,

;)

[johnybladex]

Well, as we all know (or not), the Tv is the most powerful brain wash weapon. Actualy, the brain is too much dirty after this wash...

Simply stop waching tv and think your own head. for a start....

[mikesbodypolitic]

as opposed to other systems in which 10% or 1% or .000000001% can take away the rights of everyone else? democracies can have constitutions, (either decided by the 66% the 51% or of some elite group that comprise the smaller denominations I listed before) which make rights based on universal application of law. There is always danger in any governmental structure, the least danger exists for the majority in democracy. Most people would prefer to get their way with everything, all can't at once

[ubuibiok]

Hear here, Hip Hip...

[zayadnay]

well i'm very optimistic about the future :) unlike many others... i believe that people are slowly becoming more understanding of each other... this will help everyone be more peaceful and go on with their lives

[phfrankh]

No doubt! zayadnay: One ought not underestimate our awareness of being manipulated by "digitally produced media/propaganda".

"Fore warned is fore armed", as the saying goes!

[zayadnay]

well i guess we'll have to wait and see what their whole plan is... because if we are aware of the power of propaganda to reprogram people's cultural and religious belief then it would be very naive of us to discount the possibility that they same thing is being done right now through another medium ( the internet)

[SoWhyDoThat]

Democracy is where 51% can take away the rights of the rest of people right , that sounds like a Gang to me , i,ll take a pass on that part , why can,t we all have the same rights , what is so difficult about that .

[MWcrazyhorse]

word. insert symbol and copy, paste. voila

[ArcaneKarma]

how did you render those arrows? that's neato! ^_^

[MWcrazyhorse]

▼conspiracy nut alert!▼