Posted by
Steve Smith on
May 22, 2012; 5:31pm
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/Petition-The-White-House-RE-research-publications-tp7570342p7571639.html
OK... I feel like a lazy, unengaged idiot. I knew there was a
whitehouse.gov and I might have guessed there was even something
like their "We the People" but nearly 4 years into an administration
that I generally like and support (especially in contrast to the
alternative) I'm appalled that I really didn't know of this system
in place.
I'm curious how others here feel about it. Just 4 and then maybe
even 20 (think early WWW) years ago all the technorati and unwashed
technophilic masses (I think most of us qualify for one or both)
were hooting about how the internet was going to
lubricate/accelerate/facilitate more direct democracy.
Here we are in 2012 and it looks to me like at least this current
administration, up to their real motivation and ability to make
change and represent the people that elected them (and those who
opposed them too!) in the execution of our laws and as a
check/balance against the Legislative and Judicial, is trying their
darnedest to do just that. "We the People" seems like a righteous
attempt to get our input in a vaguely coherent manner.
Reading through the open petitions and the responses to ones that
were apparently supported enough, I have a mix of pride and
confusion. I'm impressed at how coherent and on target 80% are...
and amazed at some of the strange outliers... the petition to make
Japan acknowledge the "former" name of what they apparently declared
to be the Japan Sea in 1928 as "East Sea" and what appears to be a
counter-petition to take down a memorial and un-name a street that
apparently villianizes (alleged) abuses by the Japanese against
women of Korea? It looks like a personal battle between
Korean-Americans and Japanese Americans?
I'm also surprised by the relatively small numbers of signatures on
petitions. 25,000 seems like a low mark for such a high-profile
system. (admittedly I was opaque to it until just now myself!). I
suppose the "identify yourself" business puts many off (it puts me
off a little, but I also don't have a good alternative)... But how
could there not be 25,000 Americans with regular internet access
poised to hit "endorse" when something as controversial as
decriminalizing Marijuana or Same-Sex unions pops up. I'd expect
the e-mail and blogosphere to hiss with static seconds after the
petition went up. 25,000 signatures on an online system seems like
a pretty low measure (not that I think it should be higher, it just
seems like a low bar).
I'm curious what the other folks here think about this system. I
tend to assume that the majority here are either self-identified
progressive (if not specifically liberal/democrat) with a modest
contingent of radicalish libertarianish folks and a measurable if
not overly vocal set of staunch conservatives (card carrying
Republicans if not a few Tea Partiers). The choir (most if not all
liberal/progressives) are naturally going to hit a harmonious note
(I think?) but what about the rest of us? Do we believe in a
WhiteHouse soliciting our input directly? Do we think it works?
Are there pitfalls?
Also, I suppose the Legislative Branch might also have something
going on... I should check... they *are* after all the more obvious
to petition for changes in *law* if not policy. They are naturally
a less coherent bunch than the whitehouse...
Thanks to Tom and Owen for highlighting this!
- Steve
Thanks Tom, just did it.
Everybody:
Just Do It .. takes very little time and is kinda nifty to
see the government website, its pretty effective. You do
need to create an account but it takes near zero time and
hopefully you'll be using it for quite some time.
Then
pass it on to another email group.
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============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at
http://www.friam.org