Those of you whom I have taught, or who know me, know that Umberto Eco is one of my favorite social commentators. In his collection of essays Turning Back the Clock: Hot Wars and Media Populism you will find an extremely prophetic essay entitled "The Loss of Privacy". In this essay Eco discusses our culture's acceptance of the loss of both personal and political privacy and the implications for our societal structure
The following points are a simplification for discussion of Eco’s essay on privacy given in 2000 in Venice Italy. The text has been paraphrased and condensed from the original. (see original speech)
Globalized, pervasive communication has broken down the concept of boundaries: political, physical, and psychological.
Two main results of the collapse of boundaries
- Nations find it impossible to prevent their citizens from knowing what is happening elsewhere.
- Our private information is available to anyone with the technological capabilities – who we know, what we buy, personal data and inclinations, and more.
Specificaly considering the political ramifications how can you apply Eco's claims from 2000 to current events in the Middle East? Consider the folowing links as you prepare a response.
Wael Ghonim: Inside the Egyptian revolution | Video on TED.com
Did social media create Egypt's revolution?
BBC News: Middle East
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12435550
Remarks on Internet Freedom
Hilary Rodham Clinton; January 21, 2010
Remarks on Internet Freedom
"Those who clamp down on Internet freedom may be able to hold back the full impact of their people's yearnings for a while, but not forever."
http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2010/01/135519.htm
Twitter's Biz Stone On Starting A Revolution
NPR, February 16, 2011
"People all around the world are realizing that we're not just necessarily citizens of a particular state or a particular country, but citizens of the world. And this is a growing feeling, and I think that the Internet and social media tools are making the world a smaller place and allowing us to feel this empathy."
http://www.npr.org/2011/02/16/133775340/twitters-biz-stone-on-starting-a-revolution
