by Russell Craig
I'm a former New Zealand public servant with a long background in e-government and public management. I've also spent time working in the NZ health system and at the OECD. Now that I'm with the ... More about Russell Craig
Just who does connectedness empower?
New Zealand's prime minister has found herself in the middle of a minor political bloodbath over revelations that a government owned business is involved in erecting cell phone towers in Burma.
The opposition foreign affairs spokesman said "It is hard to reconcile these actions with the decision to allow a wholly taxpayer-owned company to carry out engineering work for the Butchers of Burma especially when it is likely that the communications facilities they are constructing will be used as a tool for the continued suppression of the Burmese people," (Ouch - low blow!)
In response, the PM claimed that "Quite frankly I think that's probably an aid to democracy in Myanmar, not a step backwards, because one of the ways of getting news out to the world and photos and images out to the world is precisely through that technology." (Nice save?).
The full story is here http://www.stuff.co.nz/4386805a6009.html I think it raises an interesting question. Sadly, it also shows that there is as much knuckle dragging in NZ politics as anywhere else.
Comments
Martin Stewart-Weeks said: Nice story to illustrate that connectedness, and the technology on which it relies, is neither good nor bad it's what people chose to do with it, fired by whatever moral purpose they have and harnessed to whatever purpose. I'm inclined to support the move to put the towers up. Even if the Burmese junta thinks it can press the new capability for better communications to its own purposes, the record suggests they won't succeed in repressing the instincts for openness enabled by the same towers, the same platform. In the end, the network routes around any obstacle you put in its path.
posted over 4 years ago
Terry Ansari said: I'm sure that these types of claims were leveled at the Gutenberg press almost 600 years ago. Earning cheap political points is the domain of those bereft of ideas, who'd rather prey on fear, not hope. Genuinely shameful, but sadly not the sole domain of NZ mouth-breathers...
It does beg a question around what kind of fiery "we must limit technology to save us from ourselves" rhetoric we've yet to hear.
Related to this, there was a piece on the Generative Internet a few months ago and I'll post it. In a nutshell though, it says that one of the biggest threats to to the future of the internet is the rise of tethered devices (those which can't be modified by their users).
Given real and lasting concerns around internet security, not to mention fears for how it might be "used against us", the same "save us from ourself" crowd is receiving a sympathetic ear from those who'd like to control the future use of the internet, as well as those who want to profit from it (not necessarilly the same people of course)...
posted over 4 years ago