It was after the turmoil in the middle east known as "the Arab Spring" that I realized the true power of social networks on the internet, the ability of every individual to reach millions of people at lightning speed. Having the means to get out a message to the world before it can be twisted and spun by those who would do such things.
It began with the Wikileaks event, once our state department communications were made public for the world to see, the people who lived in the countries described in those communications were given Carte' Blanche to examine exactly what their particular governments were doing in their names. Let it suffice to say that more than a few of them were a little unhappy with their governments behavior and boom, the uprising began and it has yet to cease.
Through decades of diplomacy and countless hostilities the middle east remained basically static, and then a street vendor gets unjustly treated by a corrupt government official and the fuse gets lit. That last straw on the camels back was the catalyst for one of the most important events in human history. And it was all because of the internet.There have been thousands of incidences of corrupt governments and their agents abusing people since the beginning of civilization and we, the common citizen, are repulsed by that type of behavior from anybody, but especially from an entity claiming to be our protectors. That's the main reason governments do so many things in secret, because they are very aware that if the majority of their population knew what they were really doing then they would rise up and demand justice, just as they are doing in the middle east.
The evidence of the internet and it's social networks immense power is not limited to third world countries, look around our own nation and it's influence is everywhere, from the videos taken of the police openly abusing their authority, to the immediate discovery of political candidates purposeful deceptions and false promises.
The ability for all the people to instantly connect to one another has given the masses a power that has never before been possible in human history. It is a power that is little used by society in general, but it is a power that the elite decision makers of the world truly fear.
That is the reason I began using the internet and it's social networks, to be a voice for change, a voice for telling others that they are not powerless, that they can change the status quo, that they don't have to be quiet and just accept things the way that they are. I have no delusions of grandeur, I easily recognize that my opinions and outrages by themselves are unimpressive to many people, but when hundreds and thousands of people join together in a singular voice, that voice travels around the world and it puts on notice those that need to be made aware that we see what they're doing, and woe to those who betray our trust.
I'm still a bit uncomfortable exposing myself like this, but I firmly believe that if we can keep the powers that be from taking control of the internet and stifling the voice of the people, which appears to be exactly what they are trying to do, then we may have a real opportunity to enact the kinds of change that will bring this world together in a way that unites us all.
Since the beginning of mankind there have been those whose only goal was the domination and rule over others, and I promise you that an educated and well informed public is the very last thing they want to see, so they view the internet as something they must control, we cannot let this happen, be a voice, you don;t have to join a party or attend a rally, but speak up, say what you feel, it is our only hope for a world that we would happily hand down to our children.PLEASE COMMENT AND FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK AT: GETTING A CLUE
Our voices will be heard if we speak up for the kind of world we want to live in
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