The Internet Governance Forum is a site and organization that really is talking about using the internet for democracy. Most of what I've found there so far is using social networks for campaigning, but it's fair to say that the world is just in the early stages of using the Web for running government.

What's important is that these guys have been around for awhile. Here in the U.S. we have the tendency to be alerted to issues for the short term, such as the current Occupy Wall Street Movement, which uses Twitter on the model of the recent Arab Spring movement. But other places have been working on internet governance for years.

Let's all be aware of this trend and learn more about it. Certainly internet governing should have huge advantages over our 250 year old system (older than that if you consider what it was based upon.)

For all my fellow conservatives, aren't you tired of Fox's agenda? And liberals, the same goes for Huffington.

The speaker giving Fox News the buisness is Jesse LaGreca, a vocal member of the Occupy Wall Street protests. This video comes courtesy of Kyle Christopher from OccupyWallSt.org‘s media team.

 Regardless of what you think of Occupy Wall Street or even Fox, the point is they gave this guy the impression he was speaking for television and then just didn't air it. I call that journalistic dishonesty.

I'm just enough of a conservative to believe that everyone, conservatives and liberals and in between have members of their groups who are not stupid. Ok? I've already heard enough about how stupid ALL of the liberals and conservatives are (from the other's viewpoint of course.) That's a false picture, but those in power seem to understand the mantra "Divide and Conquer".

We hold Freedom of the Press as one of those inalienable rights. I think the new free press is currently Twitter. The big guys are just in turf protection mode and owned by their advertisers.And it's just a matter of time before the boycotts begin, which is stage 2 of real protest.

The 53 Percent

The internet. It cuts both ways. Ok, more than two. Here is a blog of the so called 53%, self named people who aren't rich, but are proud of the fact that they support themselves.

Let's face it, all of us are partakers in this mixed up economy called the USA. The 53% has a point, so do the 99% so even does the 1%.

What's exciting is that all this dialogue is taking place outside of the authority of the unions, the political parties, and the other power players who really have played the system since the signing of the Constitution.

The internet is becoming a new way of doing Democracy. This is awesome.

I'm optimistic that this will ultimately help the cause of Democracy, which has always had real problems with efficiency. Have you got an opinion? Log in and voice it! Others are listening!

Occupy Lake Charles

 
Lake Charles residents joining "Occupy" movement - KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana

This Saturday, residents of Lake Charles will be demonstrating in front of Books-A-Million on Alamo Street from 12-3 pm. This demonstration is an offshoot of the Occupy Wall Street demonstration currently going on in NYC.

The movement has gotten toghether a list of grievances (my term, you can call them demands or whatever you like) that was read by Keith Olbermann and is available here.  Keep all these folks in your prayers and pray for our country. We certainly need it. 

Having listened to the statement, it sounds to me like there are some pretty smart folks up in NYC who are pissed off. The whole event is an education for all involved. Someone recently described Democracy as "endless meetings". It's easy to see how a group of people trying to govern themselves could over the years morph into the political dinosaur that our government has become. It takes so much time to keep the machinery running. As a result, we the people delegate the work. Now, through our own lack of attention over the years, those we have pushed the job to have built a nice little business for themselves.

I think both the Tea Party movement and the Occupy Wall Street movement have a lot of learning to do. They're going to find out that self government is hard work. Hey I'm not saying it isn't necessary, quite the opposite. It's our own apathy and inattention that has caused the whole mess. Fact is, Americans DO have the power to change their government completely during elections. So let's do it! Vote the suckers out and vote in people who will represent you, not the rich lobbying groups.