A weblog with random thoughts and reflections on society and ecology.
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Wednesday, February 26, 2003
The Abysmal State of US Media
Pointing out the shortcomings of the US media is trite, but it does need to be repeated. A true democratic and useful media would (a) give a voice to all sides of an issue, (b) represent the various views in a fair way, (c) present in-depth analysis of serious issues from several viewpoints, (d) give a venue to the voices critical of accepted views, (e) make their own bias (we all have one) explicit. The US media, owned by a few large corporations, do none of these. They rather see their role as (a) entertaining (even with the serious issues), and (b) support the interest of large corporations and the government (and those are aligned most of the time).
Fortunately, there are alternatives, and more and more people are becoming aware of the situation.
18:00
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Friday, February 21, 2003
Kurds
The US has made an agreement with Turkey, stating that Turkey will be allowed to occupy the Kurdish area of Iraq after the new Iraq war. This shows the true values of the US administration, which is anything besides a desire for democracy and justice.
The Kurdish people want what we all want - independence, autonomy, and their own country. Now, the longstanding suffering and injustice inflicted upon them by several regimes, is continuing and worsening - with the blessing of the US. Rather than diffusing tension and resolving injustice, it will only give more people a reason for resentment towards the US, leading to further instability and violence.
US news media, and to some extent the international media, is largely ignoring this aspect of the story - focusing on the money offered to Turkey by the US as the main incentive for Turkey to allow US troops into their country.
21:53
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Wednesday, February 19, 2003
The Beginning of the End of US Dominance?
Following international news and analysis, it is clear that resentment towards the US policies is increasing all over the world - among regular people as well as among politicians.
Impermanence is intrinsic to all phenomena, including the power of nations. The current behavior and policies of the US government leads to not only increased resentment, but also stronger coalitions against the US policies - on a grassroots level as well as on the level of nations. It seems that the US is in the process of isolating themselves. If it continues in the longer run, they may - as they are fond of representing those not aligned with their views - increasingly render themselves "irrelevant".
It may be that this is the beginning of the end of US cultural, economic and military dominance. It will happen one way or another. The only questions are how and when.
11:35
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Open Source & Collective Intelligence
I am continuing to explore the Open Source world.
In a nutshell, this is how Open Source development works: One person or a small group of people develop a new piece of software. They then make it freely available to others via the internet, and invite others to join in developing the software (fixing bugs, developing new features). These developments are then sent to the core group, reviewed, and implemented. A new version is then posted on the internet. New and improved versions versions are in some cases issued several times a day.
Using this approach, a powerful operating system and powerful software has been developed. Linux, a freely available operating system, is in many situations (web servers, development systems, and now desktop systems) replacing proprietary systems such as Windows. A wide range of applications is being developed, which in many cases equals or surpasses equivalent proprietary software.
Along the same lines, Open Source software for interactive and collaborative websites is being developed (php nuke, wiki etc). These collaboratively created websites are being used for creating an online encyclopedia, grassroots news reporting, global justice and peace mobilization, and much more. These websites are powerful tools for global grassroots organizing, and what we have seen so far is only the beginning.
Open Source is one of many tools for liberating our collective intelligence, leading to profound social and cultural change.
11:30
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Peace Mobilization
 It is wise to have multiple goals in mind for any activity, ranging from short-term and immediate to long-term and far-reaching, and goals very likely to be reached as well as visionary goals.
I participated in the global peace mobilization on February 15, 2003, along with millions of people around the globe. In Eugene, we were from 2000 to 4000 people, possibly the largest rally ever in this relatively small town (photos).
Some of the goals that comes to mind for the global peace mobilization:
* Strengthen a sense of hope and of a global/local community of likeminded people
* Creating connections - through organizing and participating in the rallys
* Show support for politicians aligned with people's views
* Show those in the Muslim world that Westerners are not all war-mongeres and cultural/economic/military imperialists (this may also diffuse anger and terrorism)
* Gaining experience in using the internet for global mass mobilization (what we have seen so far is only the beginning)
11:29
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Sunday, February 16, 2003
Eugene Peace Rally
I joined in the global peace demonstrations yesterday, on Saturday February 15, 2003. In Eugene, between 2000 and 4000 people were at the rally, and millions did the same elsewhere around the world. Here are some photos from the Eugene rally.
18:55
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Tuesday, February 11, 2003
US & The World II
There is a growing gap between the US and many European nations these days. Right now, from 90 to 70% of people in European countries are strongly against a war against Iraq, and some governments are aligning themselves with this view. The power of the media in shaping people's views is clearly visible. In Europe, Powell's speech at the UN was taken apart to the point where there was not much credibility left (Powell lied and used inaccurate information on several points). In the US, the media did not question the data and assumptions. Not many Europeans changes their views, while in the US the march to war was strengthened.
Again, I am astonished by the reactions of the people in the US - blindly led by the trinity of corporations, government and media which share a common interest in misleading the people. Fundamental principles such as innocence until proven guilty (in a legal and open court) is thrown aside, and barbarian principles adopted (indefinite imprisonment w/o court case or access to lawyer, pre-emtive strike, etc).
I - as so many others - find it ironic that in "fighting" what is presented as an attack on democracy and freedom (it itself a questionable statement), the US government happily do away with democracy and freedom. Similarly, while presenting itself as the upholder of democracy, the US acts in a profoundly undemocratic way on the international arena. They promote democracy within nations, while acting in the classic schoolyard bully tradition on the international arena. It can only lead to more anger and resentment towards the US, as well as further violence, wars and terrorism.
04:25
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