Asymmetrical Systems and Social Networking
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One of the definitions of an asymmetrical system is a system where 2 opposing forces present a balance and the introduction of the smallest of forces, different to the 2 opposing forces, even though it is a lot smaller than the 2 larger forces, is able to destroy or completely change the system of balance.
A concept that has variations in physics, chemistry, economics, even mathematical models of chaos systems.
Example…suppose a powerful nation was facing another powerful nation as an enemy. Both countries have identical huge military forces. Missiles, Planes, lots of troops.
The outcome would possibly be decided by who has got more planes or more troops or maybe who can move resources and logistics the fastest. Allowing for certain strategy variables and exceptions, the battle or war could almost be determined beforehand.
But in something called asymmetrical warfare, the smaller opponent chooses not to fight the type of war that is the bigger opponent strengths. For example, protracted guerrilla tactics of hit and blend can nullify vastly larger traditional military units. First used in the Second Boer War, it was very sucessful against the British
Another system in balance is the America Political System. But don’t think in the Democrat/Republican way, but more in the inner workings of the national political machine. On one side you have the political candidate and at the other side you have the voter.
But in the middle you always have a national media “gatekeeper”, of which I will refer to as NMG, between the 2 end points.
This gatekeeper defines the character that you are voting for. Only information obtained from the NMG is the information that you can use to form your opinions before elections.
For example, let’s chose President Obama. Now I am pretty sure that none of the readers have actually met President Obama or know him on a personal level.But everybody has an opinion of him.
You’ve never met the guy so how is this possible? How was that opinion formed?
It was formed by input created by or supplied to the NMG. Even images created by a political PR force still have to use the NMG to get access to the public and the voters. The political machine, no matter if it is Democrat or Republican, has learned to use the system for it’s benefit.
You could think of it visually like a bicycle wheel, but without the outer rim.
The NMG is the center hub and all the voters are at the end of the spokes. The political candidate at the end of one spoke tries to connect to the voter at the end of another spoke, but he has to go to the center hub, the NMG, before going out to connect to the voter.
The pathway material from the candidate to the center hub is money, the path from the center hub to the voter is media.
So there it is, 2 powers opposing each other but working in a balanced system as described in earlier examples.
There are some inherent problems with this system.
One of the major problems is that it requires money, lots of money, to get NMG to work for you. So campaigning is starting earlier and earlier, so much so that it seems that the campaigning for money never really stops.
Another is because of the consolidation of smaller media sources into larger and larger conglomerations, control of the NMG is becoming more and more concentrated into smaller groups or individuals such as Robert Murdoch.
So for a mind experiment, what could be the asymmetrical force that throws this currently balanced system for a loop?
Like in the asymmetrical warfare description, the smaller opponent would chose to fight in such a manner as to nullify the strengths or the conditions that are undesirable.
In this case, the resource of vast amounts of money which is the spoke going in from the candidate to the hub. This money disengages the population from the process directly and give undue influence by large corporate entities.
Also the media going from the hub to the voter. This is controlled by a small group of businessmen and corporations that have accumulated this power of media giants by acquisition and de-regulation. This is power that is not under the voters control.
So we cannot use the spokes of the wheel at all but we have to allow the candidate to connect with all of the voters to present his candidacy and viewpoints. How is that possible?
Could this be done by a collective of social networking groups and blogs organized together by the internet?
Is this the way to asymmetrically introduce a force of change to the political process?
Let’s change our picture just a little to illustrate.
The organized collective of voters and candidates, using the internet and social networking to exchange and promote ideas, have eliminated the need for huge amounts of money for presenting and distributing content.
The old spokes are completely irrelevant!
Will the political process as we now know it change dramatically, similar to the way the the record industry was forced into change, destroying their lock on distribution of music?
Could social networking phenomenon be the unforeseen asymmetrical force that changes the political landscape forever? Could this be the future of the political system? Or will the hub re-establish itself by the failure of net neutrality and corporation control of internet content?
Exciting times right we are living right now. Exciting times indeed.
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I’m still trying to come up with something clever to add. I may just have to sit this one out.
Cheers Krell, this is one hurricane-of-a-post.
-SJ
That would explain the MO behind Howard Dean’s all-state strategy with an emphasis on electronic-grassroots campaigning in getting the message out. Another thing voting strategists do is target and propagate memes that speak to the dominant psychological dispositions of voters. God, stability and traditional values at one end of the spectrum, and change, progress and world values at the other, with economical messages in the middle.
I think the great idea is one like many Krell solves in his daily life- make an end run around the issues you want to avoid- in this case monetary influence of corporations over media, and allowing the people to use the only free media left- the internet- as the vehicle for their liberation from the corruption of power that money always brings.
The system itself, being corrupt, prevents the little people from having any effect. If we lose net neutrality, the one chance we have to band together and have our many tiny voices heard will be gone.
We are on the vanguard of a defining moment- one that could empower us to truly change the future, with our individual voices overcoming the corporate money which is currently doing all the talking.
Hey…I like the way this Mother Hen person thinks. Seems to have a good head on her shoulders. Mother Hen…hmmm…what kinda name is that?
She sure seems to be a hella smart lady,Krell. You ought to try and hook up with her!
I am, I am…trying to find a good picture of Brad Pitt so I can send her “my photo”.
Fourth generation warfare against the lobbyists!
This is a truly superior piece of work, in effect defining the only way forward to those without big $.
An American Intifada man.
Thanks, Oso. I have been giving this some thought. Ever since a certain phone call on a Blog Radio Show.
It does seem like a possible path to the future of political leadership without the obscene money and media monoliths OR entrenched political power.
It may not happen here in America but I have seen beginnings of this in other countries.
One country that I would like to see this concept take hold is Iran. I feel that country has great potential for something like this, empowering the people to overcome the leader that so misrepresents.
I agree. Something like 50% of Iran’s population is under 15. They’re savvy and want to break away from the religious repression. We just make the theocracy stronger by our threats and sanctions. IMO if we left them the hell alone, they’d do exactly what you suggest. They may do it anyway, but it would be a lot quicker and less bloody if we butted out.
The young population of Iran is VERY computer savy. The have to be to produce those 50 dollars machines from spare parts running Linux. The internet allows their voices to be heard while still giving them ways to maintain some anonomity.
This possibility is something that I think China is concerned about as well. Their government is getting pretty heavy handed in IP tracking and censorship, as Google discovered earlier.
They fear the possibility of cohesion of like minded cells of viewpoints creating political unrest.
I don’t know Krell, it could happen here too with population growing of brown people. I just finished reading an article about Univision and Neilsen on the Yahoo front page. Basically it was the highest rated channel among the valued 18-49 yr old demographic. Univision trends to facts also, not like some television channels. See, all you melanin challenged people need to watch out. All of us with the tan, taupe, coffee colored skin are catching up 🙂
The only issue we have, is the whole Citizen’s United thing being able to pour money into campaigns. Notice something else lately on the winger side of things, Steele is missing in action during midterms from the hub, who is doing his job since the RNC has no money? If you guessed, they sent his ass to Guam and Rove and his band of miscreants are doing some money throwing you would be right.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100909/ap_on_en_tv/us_nielsens
My point was to present ideas on how to fight the system by not playing by their rules or their game plan. You are absolutely right about the fact it may be in other methods besides the internet.
I am constantly amazed at the Librarian Kung Fu that you possess, Jess. I am envisioning a Katy Perry Librarian looking speedster of info. Something with a cape too….
I think the Hispanic population is left out a lot of times and hey if in between programs they get snippets of news, it will work to change politics and involvement for the better. Look at what PO did in the last election. He bought up space on online games advertising boards. You know those games, the ones you are multiplaying and they have all kinds of billboards for whatever, PO used that venue to his advantage, buying up spots way cheaper than tv ads probably. Got out to younger people also, which is a whole other thing entirely.
Well for me, when I talk to anyone, I go places that are out of the ordinary. Like last year when the HCR was the issue, I actually went into assisted living places and talked to seniors who had invited me there to talk about it, because they knew hubby’s gramma and pop pops. Went into a church too, that I run past daily after having a short conversation with the minister that we ended up talking health care and he got a bunch of his parishioners together that were not up on the whole HCR deal. I think if you start out with things like that, it ends up going to their friends and so on.
The book of face and tweeting, other examples. Say you wanted people to know about Joe Blow, your candidate for dog catcher in your local area. You go talk to your neighbor right. The neighbor goes to work, PTA meetings, grocery store whatever and starts talking about, hey Krell told me about Joe Blow for dog catcher and he has a good platform. He’ll pick up the surrounding dog poo as he is catching the dog. Makes sense for a friend to tell a friend to tell another friend. All politics is very local, that’s how the wingers have been able to get wingers installed in say, the School board of Texas who are systematically changing history, and conservatizing it.
Yeah, I’ve been told I have mad Google skills, I’m like a google ninja or something, thanks though.
As a google ninja do you dress in black when googling?
Excellent, I understood most of this.
Thanks Jess. Wasn’t too nerdy man?
Only the scary math words is all 😉 Math and I decided to go our separate ways when it started giving me letters I didn’t like .
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Political Science, Media Studies, 21st Century Politics – My goodness Krell you got your finger right on the pulse of things. Tremendous.
And that feature picture starts to move if you stare at it long enough! LOL!
Yes. Intriguing read btw Krell.
Mike, maybe as you have stated..”The Next Great Adventure”?
Political Science? Sociology? If I had to choose just one of the tags, Politics.
So Krell how would you classify or categorize this post? Politics, science? I want to market it.