A newspaper columnist has called for the old-fashioned, “left wing” Democratic Party to be replaced by a new, emergent party of computer nerds.
Dan Gillmor of Silicon Valley’s San Jose Mercury urges the Democrats to abandon “old, discredited politics”, while an “increasingly radical middle” needs a new party with some “creative thinking”. From where will this come? In a column published the same day, he tells us.
Writing before the outcome was known, Gillmor enthuses about “the most exciting development … the new world of cyber-politics,” where the “expanded horizons” on offer should cancel out the groupthink, which he briefly acknowledges, and lead to greater accountability and participation.
Such settler rhetoric – “new world”, “horizons” – is familiar stuff from techno utopians. So too is the hope, amongst many intelligent, impatient people with a reluctance to develop their social skills, that we must be able to do better. (Bill Gates doesn’t have the patience or inclination to watch TV, and many internet activists don’t have the patience or inclination to persuade a stranger, which is a lot more difficult and unrewarding.)
We briefly heard about “Emergent Democracy” last Spring, although it disappeared in about the time it takes you to say “Second Superpower”. But we’re sure to hear more about this itchy, push-button, “interactive” version of democracy, a kind of thumbs down at the Roman Coliseum, in the future. Maybe Dan will become its Arthur Schlesinger.