Difference between revisions of "Citizen empowerment"
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Congressman [[Ron Paul]] has [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdxTg9x3Mbg argued] that if airline pilots were routinely provided with guns, rather than being prohibited from carrying them, [[9/11]] would not have been possible. | Congressman [[Ron Paul]] has [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdxTg9x3Mbg argued] that if airline pilots were routinely provided with guns, rather than being prohibited from carrying them, [[9/11]] would not have been possible. | ||
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| + | Unfortunately, there is a strong [[authoritarian]] counter-movement towards [[citizen disempowerment]], against which any citizen empowerment initiatives must battle. | ||
==Empowering Technology== | ==Empowering Technology== | ||
Citizen-empowering technology includes: | Citizen-empowering technology includes: | ||
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* '''[[the Internet]]''' (a whole list unto itself) | * '''[[the Internet]]''' (a whole list unto itself) | ||
** '''wi-fi equipped portable computers''' (including laptops and PDAs) | ** '''wi-fi equipped portable computers''' (including laptops and PDAs) | ||
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==Links== | ==Links== | ||
===Articles=== | ===Articles=== | ||
* '''2007-01-21''' "[[Designed to Let Us Down (by David Brin)|Designed to Let Us Down]]: our deliberately frail cell phone system" by [[David Brin]] | * '''2007-01-21''' "[[Designed to Let Us Down (by David Brin)|Designed to Let Us Down]]: our deliberately frail cell phone system" by [[David Brin]] | ||
* '''2004-04-18''' [http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2004/04/18/the_wi_fi_ride_of_paul_revere/ The Wi-Fi ride of Paul Revere] by Joshua Glenn: interview with W. David Stephenson, a Medfield-based homeland security consultant who claims that ordinary citizens armed with wi-fi laptops, smart cellphones, and the like would be far more effective at responding to terrorist attacks than any governmental organization. | * '''2004-04-18''' [http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2004/04/18/the_wi_fi_ride_of_paul_revere/ The Wi-Fi ride of Paul Revere] by Joshua Glenn: interview with W. David Stephenson, a Medfield-based homeland security consultant who claims that ordinary citizens armed with wi-fi laptops, smart cellphones, and the like would be far more effective at responding to terrorist attacks than any governmental organization. | ||
Revision as of 18:45, 7 August 2007
Overview
Citizen empowerment takes place when ordinary citizens have access to new technology which make it possible for individuals, working alone or in groups, to accomplish things which previously required trained professionals using expensive equipment.
Citizen empowerment is of particular interest in dealing with emergency situations such as natural disasters and terrorism, when the traditional protectors and rescuers such as police and firemen may not be available in time. It has been pointed out that the only actions on 9/11 which assuredly prevented a terrorist act from occurring was the rebellion aboard United Airlines Flight 93: informed via cellphone of the Word Trade Center attacks, the passengers on board apparently seized control of the plane and crashed it in an uninhabited, killing all on board, rather than allowing it to proceed to its destination (which is not known for certain but was probably The White House).
Congressman Ron Paul has argued that if airline pilots were routinely provided with guns, rather than being prohibited from carrying them, 9/11 would not have been possible.
Unfortunately, there is a strong authoritarian counter-movement towards citizen disempowerment, against which any citizen empowerment initiatives must battle.
Empowering Technology
Citizen-empowering technology includes:
- camera-phones allow bystanders to capture recordings of significant events, rather than requiring media reporters or professional photographers
- cellphones
- personal GPS devices
- the Internet (a whole list unto itself)
- wi-fi equipped portable computers (including laptops and PDAs)
Links
Articles
- 2007-01-21 "Designed to Let Us Down: our deliberately frail cell phone system" by David Brin
- 2004-04-18 The Wi-Fi ride of Paul Revere by Joshua Glenn: interview with W. David Stephenson, a Medfield-based homeland security consultant who claims that ordinary citizens armed with wi-fi laptops, smart cellphones, and the like would be far more effective at responding to terrorist attacks than any governmental organization.