Personal Democracy Forum 2008
Session: The New Renaissance
Note by Ms, Kathy Gill:
douglas rushkoff, author, most recently: open source democracy
personal democracy is an oxymoron
personal responsibility - yes
enlightenment was based on the rights and privilege of individual white men - read their book - have their idea - express it thru democracy
power of central authorities increased
the less community we have - the more we are out for our self-interest, our personal stakes - the much easier we are to control and the less collective power we have
the media of the renaissance - printing press, newspaper, TV, radio - great for projecting mythologies that support this notion of self, individual interest. it's why we live in the age of branding. branding speaks to the individual. movements appeal to the individual in each one of us.
the network is just a tool for the people to be people, hopefully, again
the problem with top-down communication - desocializing and individuating. that's the nature of branding.
there's this hope in abstract ideal - politics doesn't happen by going away from home and being part of a thing
the next renaissance will be a group renaissance where the group will be reborn
not allegience to a new broadcast authority
de-centralized authority - value in this ren. comes from the periphery
moses - sit around and write law
instead of gaining literacy
people learned how to hear
the promise of the ren. was a nation of literacy
we got a nation of listeners.
next - nation of reading
next one is programming
writing is like voting
it's feedback
write from the safety of your home
a true participatory democracy is reprogramming our culture
open source proposition that can be reprogrammed ... social construction of people just like us
personal democracy is an oxymoron
personal responsibility - yes
enlightenment was based on the rights and privilege of individual white men - read their book - have their idea - express it thru democracy
power of central authorities increased
the less community we have - the more we are out for our self-interest, our personal stakes - the much easier we are to control and the less collective power we have
the media of the renaissance - printing press, newspaper, TV, radio - great for projecting mythologies that support this notion of self, individual interest. it's why we live in the age of branding. branding speaks to the individual. movements appeal to the individual in each one of us.
the network is just a tool for the people to be people, hopefully, again
the problem with top-down communication - desocializing and individuating. that's the nature of branding.
there's this hope in abstract ideal - politics doesn't happen by going away from home and being part of a thing
the next renaissance will be a group renaissance where the group will be reborn
not allegience to a new broadcast authority
de-centralized authority - value in this ren. comes from the periphery
moses - sit around and write law
instead of gaining literacy
people learned how to hear
the promise of the ren. was a nation of literacy
we got a nation of listeners.
next - nation of reading
next one is programming
writing is like voting
it's feedback
write from the safety of your home
a true participatory democracy is reprogramming our culture
open source proposition that can be reprogrammed ... social construction of people just like us
