…Social media subversions
The highly publicised back-and-forth between the Government of Guyana and a PNC Brooklyn-based activist, over the latter’s activities on social media platforms against the former, might seem to some as an instance of David against Goliath; or, worse yet, Big Brother against a 1984-like hero, Winston Smith!! But there’s a larger issue at stake here – one that is confronting democracies across the globe. And this is the danger that social media poses to democratic governance and practices.
The issue was addressed for the EU in the book “Social Media Platforms and Challenges for Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights”, written by a PhD academic, and it should be required reading for our political and other chatterati classes – who still resort to tropes like “freedom of speech” to defend an unfettered social media!! We were confronted by similar challenges – coterminous with the birth of democracy – when the print press exploded on the media landscape in the 19th century. Rules such as those prohibiting incitement and penalties against defamation of character were promulgated to deal with the challenge to the democratic rule of law. We should do no less in the present with social media.
What are some of these challenges? One of the main ones is the “disinformation” programmes that are facilitated by social media’s ubiquity and reach – with practically no investment needed, as with the “mainstream media”!! As opposed to “misinformation” – which is “false information that is spread, regardless of whether there is intent to mislead” – disinformation is “deliberately misleading or biased information; manipulated narrative or facts; propaganda.” It’s so prevalent today that it now has a name – “fake news”!!
The author of the above study argues that “organised disinformation campaigns, and disinformation directly encouraging violence or harmful behaviour, present the greatest threats to fundamental rights and democracy.” This is exactly what the Government of Guyana is trying to address, and “has lodged a comprehensive report against Mr. Burke with the US Department of Justice, the US State Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and other agencies within the US, regarding his utterances and publications on the social media of criminal incitements, exciting racial hostilities and widespread violence against different ethnic groups of the country, domestic terrorism, and wanton, malicious, and defamatory attacks on the character and reputation of hundreds of outstanding Guyanese.”
In June of this year, the US Supreme Court ruled that the White House and federal agencies such as the FBI may continue to urge social media platforms to take down content the Government views as disinformation – and this against the background of the sacrosanct US 1st Amendment Right to freedom of speech!!
Burke’s shooting himself in the foot by complaining to the US Justice system!!
…US hegemony
Putin’s just hosted the BRICS+ summit, and had to’ve been quite chuffed – even as he’s waging war against the West’s Ukraine proxy!! Then, also joining him in his call for a new payment clearance system – if not a new global currency – was Chinese President Xi Jinping, who called for the BRICS nations to lead the “urgent” reform of the international financial architecture to better reflect the global economy. Even though Brazil’s Lula couldn’t attend because of an injury from a fall, he backed the call!! More stars for Putin!!
Then Modi and Xi also had their first face-to-face meeting in five years, and can now move from the newly achieved disengagement from their brief border war. So, it’s likely the West is now standing to attention, watching Modi hug Putin, shake hands with Xi, and hold a bilateral with the Iranian president.
The show’s tough to ignore – especially as it comes just weeks before the US election and as BRICS+ seeks to rival G7!!
…immigrants
Joining the western xenophobia against immigrants, Canada – which was built on a continuous stream of immigrants for over a century – has just slashed its annual immigrant quota.
So there goes the image of the Canuks being a pale vanilla imitation of the Yanks!
