Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Social Media Meets 21st Century Statecraft in Latin America

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Social Media Meets 21st Century Statecraft in Latin America

Click here to access article by Cyril Mychalejko from Unside Down World.

While the positive contributions of technology to social movements and uprisings have been been amply noted, if not overstated, more attention needs to be paid to the intrinsic dangers looming in the co-optation of this technology-driven networking, specifically by Washington, but by other repressive governments as well.

The author explains that although social media has contributed to activism, we must be aware that it can be used against activists. In fact, plans are already underway to do just that as revealed in the article.