[LINK] Tea Parties

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Hi Jan and all ..

For mine, any focus on this one (albeit nationwide) event misses the
main point. There have been other such events, one involved a pillow
fight. And one can expect a huge variety of organizers going forward.

T'would seem the main point is the big picture. People power and the
net. For the first time, almost for free, 'real' people can organize
nationwide .. for 'any' reason, political, social, even sporting etc.

It IS one form of eDemocracy, and for me, it's extremely helpful for
democracy. If a government will not listen ie avoids being a genuine
*representitative* body, now, because of the net, people can readily
respond in an active way. Not just in words. Of course this has been
possible before this, though, not so readily, cheaply and nationwide.

So, who cares who organized this ONE event, or, how many did turn up?

There are lots of people who have written about the democratic powers
of the net far better than myself. Obviously. However, it muchly does
entrance one that there's now readily, & freely, available eDemocracy
power of the people. And Governments, in future, ignore that to their 
peril. That is if any government worldwide ignores/tramples on people
there are now readily available ways to inform people, and organize a
suitable/appropriate public response. So, why focus on this one event?

Jan quotes,
> So one tenth of 1 percent of the US population attended a tea party 
> yesterday. Why is anyone talking about this again?

The person who wrote this would appear to have 'zero' imagination imho.

> Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or 
> sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.

No our truest response will be organize ourselves, probably by the net
waay much more in future and DO something useful regards irrationality.

There are two sides (at least) to eDemocracy, and, if governments drag
their feet using the available technology to connect with 'represented'
citizens, then this event, and the others, show that the people will :)


Cheers,
Stephen