Jan 10th, 2021: Be Aware of Re-Imagination of Democracy

Matthew 10:16 | Sigma kappa, Wise, Be wise as serpents 

 

When a group of demonstrators swamped Capitol Hill on Wednesday violently, they showed disregard for what is American democracy. One of the significant aspects of the American democratic system is free speech. So it is interesting to see people, who condemn the attack on Capitol Hill, remain silent over Twitter, Facebook, and other Social Media outlets' decision to terminate people's accounts without due process. So now we have powerfully unaccountable businesses who play both roles of judge and jury. They by themselves make the final decisions of what they see fit and unfit.


We have been very keen on protecting our environment, for example. We have put in place various legal requirements, technical systems, and social standards. That is how we keep some industries accountable in dealing with the environment. A new form of pollution is formed by the lack of accountability from these Internet and Social Media outlets. It destroys transparency and honesty. It is chipping away at our constitutional rights. We have to be careful because they eventually will have the power to go after anyone for their gains. They might claim that they are about creating a new form of democracy for the 21st century. Re-imagination of Democracy without having the right to do so might be the new form of political and moral pollution we have to encounter.


Jack Dorsey, the inventor of Twitter, sits on the board of Berggruen Institute. Here is the excerpt from its thesis concerning The Future of Democracy:


"The Future of Democracy program will bring together thoughtful leaders and leading thinkers to re-imagine democracy for the new era. Together we will develop new ideas for how to reinvent democratic institutions and rebuild the public square for the 21st century."


The question remains for us. Who are going to be qualified as 'thoughtful leaders and leading thinkers' of our time? How? Maybe dealing with the current president's sanction is the prototype. Twitter has acknowledged its practice of shadow banning. Politicians around the world should watch out! You might be next. We might have to face a system that aims to create 'global puppet masters'. The public square they are talking about will not be open to the public. The public square they are referring to belongs to a small group of people. The majority of people will have no voice in that public square. 


The verse that I think is very meaningful to our time is from Matthew10: 16: "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."

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