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Jun
01

This week’s Big Question: Does the Internet Inhibit or Encourage Democracy?

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Each week, FORA.tv’s newsletter features a weekly round-up of the most popular video programs, upcoming Premium Events, and a chance to participate in the weekly ‘Big Question’. We invite you to watch and share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

FORA.tv's Weekly Big QuestionThis week’s Big Question:
Does the Internet Inhibit or Encourage Democracy?

Cyber-utopianism is a fallacy. Cool tech tools don’t necessarily fuel reform and lead to democratic institutions, argues Evgeny Morozov. Dictators, after all, don’t always fear technology. They embrace it and use it effectively to control their countries. Or do they? A distinguished panel of experts, including Eric Blantz, maintains that social media and Internet access make it difficult for governments to police their people and stop social and political revolutions.

Evgeny Morozov: The Internet in Society (Animated) (via The RSA)

Eric Blantz Asks: Is Internet Access a Human Right? (via The Human Rights Center UC Berkeley)

Stay tuned to the FORA.tv blog for more info, and visit us on Facebook and Twitter for news and updates on the latest videos from FORA.tv.

Happy Viewing!

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  • Anonymous

    The question can’t really be answered in the abstract.  Circumstances are hugely important.  If a society is mostly devoid of the institutions that make democracy work then challenging authoritarian regimes will only end up replacing one tyrant with another to deal with the anarchy that ensues.

  • Anonymous

    The question can’t really be answered in the abstract.  Circumstances are hugely important.  If a society is mostly devoid of the institutions that make democracy work then challenging authoritarian regimes via the Internet will only end up replacing one tyrant with another to deal with the anarchy that ensues.