Friday, July 15, 2011

Alec Ross says "dictatorships are now more vulnerable than ever 'due to movements on Facebook and Twitter protest

Hillary Clinton 's senior consultant for Innovation in the U.S. State Department, the way the Internet has become "the Che Guevara of the 21st century" in the spring, has praised the Arab riots.

On the occasion of the Guardian 's Activate Summit in London on Wednesday, said Alec Ross' dictatorships are more vulnerable than ever now "to organize as a disgruntled citizens most influential protest movement on Facebook and Twitter.

The U.S. has committed to back the pro-democracy movements that have swept the Middle East and North Africa since January. Ross welcomed the "redistribution of power" of an autocratic regime for individuals, the Internet, describes it as "wildly disruptive" during the protests in Egypt and Tunisia.

"Dictatorships are now more vulnerable than ever before, partly - but not quite - because of the decentralization of power from national states to the single," he said.

"A thesis statement, would like to emphasize that I, like networks to disrupt the exercise of power it is transferring energy from the nation-state -. from governments and large institutions -. individuals and small institutions, the overall pattern is the redistribution of power from governments and large institutions, individuals and small entities. "

Ross said that the Internet was \ in the Arab riots Spring "acted as an accelerator" and pointed to the displacement of the former Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, in just over a month. The Internet was relieved leaderless movement, Ross said, describing him as "Che Guevara of the 21st century".

However, he said it was a "bridge \ too far" to describe the Egyptian uprising as "Facebook revolution".

Ross added. "If hierarchies are then leveled are people at the top of those hierarchies are found on much shakier ground What 's remarkable speed, this lightning-fast changes taking place and I' ve got to be honest, I think that fun. It 's will be wildly disruptive in the coming years and net-net I think that's a good thing. "

Coordinate U.S. President Barack Obama, whose 2008 campaign helped Ross, threw U.S. support behind the pro-democracy movements in a keynote speech in May "The status quo is not sustainable," he said and described the movements as "historic opportunity".

Ory Okolloh, director of public policy and relations with Google Africa speaks, the Guardian said Enable session: \ underline "Many of these rebellions, that young people are not only frustrated - they 've for a long time to thwart - but the Internet will bring closer to what could be your life and should be.

"We have this revolution, but what happens after the revolution? Technology cannot answer that question: it won't give you jobs or financing, and won't help rebuild the economy. If we get too caught up in the role of technology we will be missing a huge opportunity."

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Josh Halliday

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