"Flashlights of Our Own"
I've never been persuaded by glib declarations about technology's capabilities to further, deepen, advance, or promote democracy. The internet emerged to find itself embraced by early adapters who would burden it with such imaginary powers -- Free the people from oppressive governments, bureaucracy, and oppression! Ten years later it was preposterously "a collection of tubes", to some, but in those early, headier times it was known by its proper name, the "Internet", and bequeathed with expectations that would fit a newborn king. Just as preposterous in retrospect, but such euphoria is typical of early technology adapters for whom new tools present endless possibilities before the inevitably slower but deeper resources of government and industry upend such temporary power imbalances.
Thirteen years ago, David Brin wrote optimistically about the spy society, and eloquently: "Can we stand living our lives exposed to scrutiny ... our secrets laid out in the open ... if in return we get flashlights of our own, that we can shine on the arrogant and strong?". But it usually works out that strong and arrogant control the resources and the opaque legal cover to build and control powerful data mining tools (for instance), while we hunt around for a couple of D batteries to peer our way into the dark with a flashlight.
The internet is now thought of more realistically, just as a wrench is a wrench, not a "Wrench", or radio is radio, not "Radio". Extraordinarily useful and life changing, but not a spontaneous force for good. However there will always be faithful technocrats who claim that technology will accomplish broad feats as "improving healthcare" or making government more transparent. I am also fairly skeptical of these claims. "Transparency" that involves dumping data onto the internet will be meted out by officials with the same vigor they reveal analogue documents, and the scads of data will be sought after by citizens with their same limited enthusiasm.
Ubiquitous cameras mounted in public places, for instance, sometimes come in handy but don't come close to demonstrating the benevolent use of technology by society, that was once claimed. Criminals only too quickly develop cunning ways to outwit such schemes. Government and corporate power of course trumps citizens' ability to oversee the overseers.
We Film Them and They Film Us and For Just A Moment No One Knows Who's Who
Though I am dubious about the claims of zealous technophiles, these doubts are periodically challenged when occasionally I see technology used in a way that hints to the potential of the evangelists. The movie Burma VJ, a docudrama that's been playing around the world for the last couple of months, is one such example.
Burma VJ splices live video footage from the 2007 uprising led by monks, with dramatized film of related events like the coordination of the video jocks (VJs) covering the protests. Starting in August and moving through September of that year, thousands of monks and citizens marched against the governance of the military junta of Myanmar, until government brutally cracked down on the protesters by all means possible. The junta dispersed (sometimes withspray (perhaps insecticide)), detained, tortured and sometimes killed protestors, monks, and videographers. A Japanese photographer was fatally shot. The VJs for Democratic Voice of Burma filmed it all -- the initial protests, the tension, the unrest, the violence, the exhilaration and hope for better life, and the ruthless snuffing out of that hope.
The video journalists and the ubiquitous secret police secretly videoed each other for a while, before the junta, armed with more guns and the unquenchable drive for absolute power, wrested control of the rising discontent. Some members of Democratic Voice of Burma are being held in prison today, some have fled to Thailand, and a couple of the luckier individuals are traveling around giving talks about the movie Burma VJ. The 2007 uprising was subdued just as quickly by the junta as during the last generation's protests. Burma VJ presents powerful political commentary on the Burmese state, and current events in the country help highlight the awful straits of Burma's citizens.1
Since the uprising two years ago, the government remains in control, drawing oil revenues from the pipeline and clamping down on perceived threats. The trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, following the incursion of the supposedly out-of-shape, asthmatic, diabetic American who the government claims swam 1.2 miles with makeshift flippers and 60 items in a pack, including a Mormon book and robes, is the latest charade.
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1 My only qualm with the movie is the dramatization. I don't consider myself a documentary "purist", but couldn't write non-fiction without the strong believe that consciously mixing facts with fiction isn't the best approach to presenting problems as believable. Admittedly, there's persuasive power in the director's technique, and no doubt the movie wouldn't have the power it does without the devised storyline. Nevertheless, its unsettling both that some of the scenes are re-enacted and that so many film reviewers seem to miss this fact.
Despite the paucity of news, people traveling to Burma bring back interesting news and projects.
