Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Government Evolution: A Social Network Model

This might have it turn out that I am in beyond my depth, so let me sabotage my credibility and underrate my thoughts right away, allowing me to plunge into whatever kind of rant this becomes.  I am not a political science guru or sociology guru.  I am not a particularly society- or politics-oriented type of person by any means.  However, considering how long I've been alive, I should have some sort of opinion by now.  Here goes…

It seems to me that politics and government has started to become like religion.  As religion and its superstitions and archaic social engineering has become nearly a defunct organ in the human species, so too have a number of institutions.  Has there been any evolution or progress that can firmly be taken seriously?  The systems all of these things have are based and operated on many extinct precepts.  Their presence is not helping human beings become any greater.  Many sciences, and particularly physics, have kept pace and pushed us forward, currently.  Some sciences have gone through changes and still are going through more.  This is the area in humanity that still offers vibrant, developing new thought and ideas.  Many of its true core tenants persist by their very nature, from observing the world currently around us, it seeks to update itself with some intensity.  It also seems that science has been able to sustain its viability when other things, both older and newer, have reached some sort of swampy stagnation at some point.

Of course, it's all fine and good to point out these things and discuss all the problems and difficulties along with them.  Talk, though, has to some time become action to effect any meaning to all this supposition.  If these things need to evolve, how do we do it?  What do we choose to do?  What criteria should we use and what process will allow a strong, lasting change toward the better?  Have any of these thoughts and questions even been put forth to be seriously considered?  Is anyone interested in stepping away from the illusion of status quo and move toward bona fide "greater good?"

Since the advent of the social network paradigm, I have been banging around ideas that might deserve more consideration, using social networking as a model.  Facebook, as an example, lets us see how easy it is now to reach out and connect, put forth ideas and media, engage in discussion, etc.  The US has been a particularly virulent breeding ground for this activity.  Since so many are connected, a very wide population base can be brought into the process of governing their country, from the smallest units to the largest.  Voters and those interested in putting their own fingerprints on the developing process of the place they live and share space with others would be able to do so any time, anywhere.  It could effectively decentralize the government, putting the power directly back into the hands (or tablets) of the citizenry.  There would still need to be those that put into action policies and projects, but they would directly be working for the very people that want that work to be done.  Budgets and finances could be totally transparent, letting anyone in-depth and instant access to just where their taxes go and what they are being used for.  There are numerous, logical benefits to this type of model.


It's more complicated than that, obviously, but it might be a good step in the right direction.  There are issues of security, availability (some don't have or know how to use the internet or other services), and there would need to be some direct oversight to ensure everything is put into effect officially.  People will primarily need to be shown that they can trust this system more, even though their real risks are found in "real" social networking sources, where privacy rights are still being toyed around with.  Pulling away the veil of ignorance may need to be done gently and patiently.  The problem at all levels of society comes from a general mistrust of the world and people at large.  No one is absolutely trusting of anyone else's motivations or moral behavior.  It would have to happen and be proven all at the same time for everyone.  One big step into the open all together, no underhanded trickery to exploit vulnerabilities, etc.  But, that's a long way off at becoming possible, if it is possible at all.  However, I would like to explore this model of government evolution, so I may actually try to give a better analysis and better ideas by doing some of my own studying and research.

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