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bank of america

Thanx!

“The problem is that they still think the internet is something the powerful use to affect the rest of us. Wrong. It’s what the rest of us use to affect the powerful.

I’d say it’s both.

The bottom-up (or as I prefer to say, edge-in) activities are clearly changing the rules of engagement for the powerful, and we can all be thankful for that. But the same tools that let us have this new impact are available to — and are being used by — the powerful, too.

No, they can’t control the message as they once thought (and mostly succeeded). They can, however, help steer the conversation in directions they prefer, and can certainly do a better job dealing with their various constituencies.

In this new world, transparency becomes a vastly more important facet of the “messaging,” if you want to call it that. Why? Because deception can be punished with viral, web-like efficiency when detected.

But to think that the rich and powerful won’t find (and aren’t already finding) ways to put the conversational tools to work is a mistake. They may be slow on the uptake, but at least some of them will surprise us with their adaptability.

Take a close look around, today, the GOP, Rove, and Bush operate by the same rules Hilter and Goebbels did. Their power base, the right wing religious fundamentalists allow them to get away with it. While the USA and the rest of the world pay the price. To date, the power of the people or the internet, have not been able to overcome the power of their GOP propaganda (my core argument). We will see what happens, but so far Rove does not seem overly afraid, nor does he show signs of less lying, or less abuse his power.

Of course the more thoughtful media folks (hi Jeff!) pretty much knew that the tide had already turned and the danger for the traditional media model was coming from below. Funny how quaint the “Murdoch is taking over the world” arguement sounds today!

What Leftists like Hitler assumed was that they’d control the keys to the doors of information. That’s PRECISELY what’s being wrestled away from them. And they’re afraid. Very afraid. As they should be.

Some things the ‘few’ (in power) will always have and exercise that the ‘many’ (not in power) do not have, nor do they understand how to defend themselves against are these propaganda strategies and techniques:

“The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders–tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger.” –Herman Goering– (Reichsmarschall, Marshal of the German Empire)

“The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth becomes the greatest enemy of the state.” –Dr. Joseph Goebbels– (Nazi Propaganda Minister)

“The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly–it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over.” –Dr. Joseph Goebbels– (Nazi Propaganda Minister)

“The great masses of people will more easily fall victims to a big lie than to a small one.” –Adolph Hitler—

“What luck for the rulers that people do not think.” –Adolph Hitler—

This really is starting to look like a major transformation in the making. But, as if it wasn’t enough that politics, business, and the media were being reinvented, there are even faster transformations afoot: Steve Rubel pointed out this week that the blogosphere is just one part of an exploding online universe that includes, among other things, the social networks. Facebook.com was unknown to me two weeks ago - now it appears to have the 7th(?) highest page views on the internet, with a valuation several times that of Myspace. This stuff is coming out of nowhere! And it is only since last week that Technorati is starting to index Myspace, so we haven’t even begun to see how the gravitional pull of these giants will affect things.

KOS is with the NYT and thinks the left libs will wield the internet to advance their cause but the tables have now been turned on the powerful.

AJ

Great stuff, as usual, Jeff.

We talk about the power of Mass Media, we probably should talk about the power of Mass People.

–RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com