Thursday, March 15, 2012

John R. MacArthur: Internet con men ravage publishing |

John R. MacArthur: Internet con men ravage publishing | This New England Blog | providencejournal.com | The Providence Journal:

"However, as much as I object to free content, I am even more offended by the online sensibility and its anti-democratic, anti-emotional, even anti-intellectual effect. Devotees of the Internet like to say that the Web is a bottom-up phenomenon that wondrously bypasses the traditional gatekeepers in publishing and politics who allegedly snuff out true debate. But much of what I see is unedited, incoherent babble indicative of a herd mentality, not a true desire for self-government or fairness.
Can it be seriously argued that popular government in America - with our two-party oligarchy, 90 percent-plus re-election rates, and money-laundered politics - has progressed in the age of the Internet? Have WikiLeak's disclosures on Afghanistan moved us any closer to withdrawal from that country? Would American be any less democratic without e-mail?"

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