(Protesters in Libya are aware of the effect that global communications and influence media has on western opinion, clearly using western (Obama) influenced political posters)
This weeks reading 'The virtual sphere: The internet as a public sphere' deals primarily with the ramifications of political activism on the internet, the decline of political participation, and the role the internet serves as a political tool.
The reading then goes into how the internet may not be the saviour of public political participation as many think, but may fragment political communities to the point where you have many splinter groups that hold little relevance or political capital.
However I would disagree, I think that the fragmentation of politics is a positive thing. History has proven that a two party system is inevitable in many democracy’s. This (naturally) forces one to take the right wing (conservative) standpoint on issues, while the other takes a left wing (liberal) standpoint. This duel system forces there to be no alternatives in politics but 'yes' and 'no'.
A fragmentation of standpoints and issues brings more opinions to the public sphere, more alternatives. It is important to consider that the internet and many of its communities are still in their infancy, however events like the cascade of revolutionary protest that are sweeping through North Africa, The Middle East and the Arab States right now prove the importance and strength of globalised communications and media via the Internet.
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