Hi Ender,
Actually, I have to disagree with you here. I certainly agree that a squad leader in Mosul has pretty much zilch influence on the broadcast media, but that was why I was talking about interactive media. The last round of presidential elections in the US showed how powerful the Net 2.0 technologies can be (remember the Howard Dean blog sphere?).Originally Posted by Ender
Increasingly, people are getting their news and information, and building their communities online. This is where a squad leader can actually have a totally disproportionate effect, globally as well as locally. Could this affect the spin campaigns coming out of New York, Washington and London? Sure it can, if for no other reason than the ability of broadcast journalists to get accurate information without having to travel there.
Think of what that would mean the next time that "General" Pelosi opens her mouth with some pronouncement that is clearly, and visibly, contradicted by not only the troops on the ground but also the local inhabitants and the diasporic community. If there a series of local,interactive "community" sites available, it would have a very interesting effect on the political spin because the broadcast media don't really care whose blood they go for.
This spin off effect is one of the basic points behind the electronic democracy movement - interactive,accessible sites act as a check and balance on the spin of politicians. The real problem with this, however, is that the entire idea is so radically different from the "normal" concept of IO that it is very hard for any Industrial Age military organization to accept or implement it.
Marc
ps. Just saw this thread that SWJED posted - it makes my point for me.
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